Performance Excellence: Unlocking the Lockdown

Lockdown 5.0

So we have entered Lockdown 5.0. All the assumptions that we had worked with have been neatly buried by the Coronavirus.

I realize that I have not been singled out. Coronavirus has been very democratic. Or is the correct word egalitarian?

The new norms for business have been christened  the New Normal. Every organization has to develop a New Normal. For this to happen, we need a fundamental framework of thinking. As a Qualitist, I am an advocate for Performance Excellence models.

IMC RBNQA

Owing to Lockdowns 1.0 to 5.0, the 2020 cycle for the IMC Ramkrishna Bajaj National Quality Award (IMC RBNQA) has been delayed. This can be explained by the fact that we are all Working From Home (WFH) and so are the potential applicants.

The IMC RBNQA Performance Excellence criteria were articulated when economic and social environments were normal. So how do we interpret these criteria in the New Normal?

Interpreting Salient Features

I wish to share my thoughts on how to interpret the salient features of the IMC RBNQA criteria for Performance Excellence, in the New Normal:

1. Leadership: How do leaders reinforce the company values in stressful conditions? How do leaders and senior managers captain disaster management processes and practices?
2. Strategic Planning: Has the company vision been collectively redefined by leaders, for a shorter time horizon? How have leaders and senior managers developed multiple alternative strategic plans for  deploying the vision?
3. Customer Focus: Do leaders, senior managers, and mangers accept the fact that customers will now be driven primarily by needs, not greed? How have leaders facilitated building social media  (SM) marketing capabilities? Do leaders accept the fact that SM proficiency will henceforth be a critical success factor?
4. Information & Knowledge Management: How have leaders facilitated building a state-of-the-art technology infrastructure that catalyses communication of information, as well as creation of a library of knowledge? Do leaders accept the fact that Knowledge Management will be a critical success factor?
5. Human Resource Focus: How have leaders and senior managers changed human resource policies, post-WFH? Have they declared performance appraisal systems and promotion policies as being redundant? Do leaders and senior managers consider WFH employees to be suppliers of services, and who are to be paid based on the quality of outputs? How are leaders and senior managers addressing Lockdown related human depression?
6. Process Management: How have leaders initiated the automation of processes? Do leaders strive for process efficiency in the whole supply chain, and effectiveness with respect to customers? Do leaders recognise that process efficiency will result in a significant reduction in Cost Of Poor Quality (COPQ), as well as generate higher revenues owing to shorter cycle times?
7. Results: Do the results scream Faster, Better, Cheaper, Different?

This is not rocket science.

There is no other option for survival.

Just do it.

Since 1987, when Qimpro was established, I have been driven by the mantra: India can make it. And make it better.

Sterling examples of success in India have been: Mahindra Tractors, Punjab Tractors, Marico, Tata Steel, Cummins India, and ITC (PPD).

Random Thoughts

1. The healthcare sector  will require immediate focus on housekeeping and safety
2. The education sector has already started offering technology enabled offerings
3. The retail sector is increasingly driven by technology. Retail stores will soon be history
4. Behavioural scientists will be in demand
5. WFH will give birth to Entrepreneurs From Home
6. With survival at stake, Quality practices will thrive
7. Simplification will be the theme in every dimension of life.