{"id":6,"date":"2025-02-12T16:10:03","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T16:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/beyond-the-obstacle\/"},"modified":"2025-02-12T16:10:03","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T16:10:03","slug":"beyond-the-obstacle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/beyond-the-obstacle\/","title":{"rendered":"Nie ka\u017cdy problem wymaga naprawy\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nothing stings quite like failure in a field where you believe yourself to be strong\u2014where you feel confident enough to outperform most of your peers. You think you know something, only for life to remind you that unforeseen variables can surprise even the most seasoned expert. Experts, of course, should be prepared for such surprises. But let\u2019s be honest\u2014you can\u2019t prepare for everything<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In my case, that unexpected variable was my wife<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I am a process guy<\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s what I do for a living. I help people optimize their work to achieve better results. I identify inefficiencies and eliminate problems. I make sure that people have the right knowledge to meet their objectives. By analyzing day-to-day activities, clarifying decision points, and helping teams define expectations and responsibilities, I make the world a better, more efficient place<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Incydent ze zmywark\u0105<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dishwasher Incident<\/strong><\/p>\n

One evening, I came home from work and, as always, noticed that the dishwasher had just finished its cycle. Wanting to be helpful, I decided to unload and repack it<\/strong>. Since I had done this many times before, I had developed a keen awareness of how my wife typically loads the dishwasher. Over time, through trial and observation, I had also refined my own technique\u2014an optimized method<\/strong>\u2014one that, in my opinion, left little room for improvement.<\/p>\n

It became clear to me that my way<\/strong> was more effective than my wife\u2019s way<\/strong>. By grouping similar dishes together<\/strong> i prioritizing the right selection from the sink<\/strong>, I could pack more items in a more structured and space-efficient manner<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

With the superman problem-solving instinct<\/em> ingrained in me, I thought: Why not help my wife optimize her process?<\/em><\/p>\n

So, full of optimism, I called her into the kitchen<\/strong> and enthusiastically walked her through the \u201cmistakes\u201d she had made. I demonstrated how my approach<\/strong> was superior\u2014pointing out how many more dishes I managed to fit and how neatly they were arranged. I even reassured her that, should she forget the pattern, I would always be there to help.<\/p>\n

She smiled and nodded<\/strong>, then returned to whatever she had been doing.<\/p>\n

I was beaming with pride<\/strong>. I had made our<\/strong> life better. I felt like a hero.<\/p>\n

Reality Check<\/strong><\/p>\n

The next day, I came home and, out of curiosity, opened the dishwasher<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To my shock and disappointment<\/strong>, the dishes were arranged exactly as they had been before<\/em>\u2014my wife\u2019s way, not my optimized<\/strong> way.<\/p>\n

Later that evening, I asked her why she hadn\u2019t followed my improved method<\/strong>. She simply replied that she had been busy<\/strong>\u2014baking a cake, preparing dinner, and making ice cream for our daughter. In all that chaos, the last thing on her mind was my \u201coptimized\u201d dish-loading process.<\/em><\/p>\n

I could hardly believe it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Why wouldn\u2019t she use the better method<\/strong>? Why not save time, water, and electricity<\/strong>? It bothered me so much<\/strong> that I even brought it up again later that evening. I explained, once again, that my process<\/strong> would save time and effort. We would cut costs<\/strong>, and everyone<\/strong> would benefit.<\/p>\n

Prosta prawda<\/strong><\/p>\n

Odpowied\u017a by\u0142a oczywista: ona nie chcia\u0142a zmiany. Jej spos\u00f3b dzia\u0142a\u0142 dla niej doskonale. Potencjalne oszcz\u0119dno\u015bci by\u0142y nieznaczne. A przede wszystkim \u2014 jej czas by\u0142 czym\u015b, nad czym mia\u0142a pe\u0142n\u0105 kontrol\u0119.<\/p>\n

\u2022Did I ever ask you to help me improve this?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022Have I ever complained about how I load the dishwasher?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022How much time and money are we really saving?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2022By the way, have you noticed that the kitchen window seal is broken and needs fixing?<\/em><\/p>\n

I did the math<\/strong>\u2014calculating how much water and electricity we would save per month<\/strong> i year<\/strong>. Unfortunately, the savings weren\u2019t as groundbreaking<\/strong> as I had imagined.<\/p>\n

  • Pozna\u0107 naszego klienta<\/strong> \u2014 Dowiedzie\u0107 si\u0119 jak pracuje, jakie ma wyzwania i priorytety.<\/li>\r\n
  • Zidentyfikowa\u0107 prawdziwe problemy<\/strong> \u2014 Nie wszystkie nieefektywno\u015bci wymagaj\u0105 naprawy. Niekt\u00f3re procesy dzia\u0142aj\u0105 dobrze mimo \u017ce s\u0105 \u201eniedoskona\u0142e\".<\/li>\r\n
  • Pozwoli\u0107 klientowi prosi\u0107 o pomoc<\/strong> \u2014 Narzucanie niechcianego rozwi\u0105zania nie stworzy warto\u015bci \u2014 wywo\u0142a op\u00f3r.<\/li><\/p>\n

    Why was I so fixated on improving something that didn\u2019t need fixing?<\/em><\/p>\n

    Why didn\u2019t my wife embrace the change?<\/em><\/p>\n

    What did I do wrong?<\/em><\/p>\n

    Where was my mistake?<\/em><\/p>\n

    The Simple Truth<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The answer was obvious: She didn\u2019t want to change.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Her way worked just fine<\/strong> for her. The potential savings were insignificant in the grand scheme of our household budget. And most importantly\u2014her time was something she had full control over.<\/strong> Optimization in this area simply wasn\u2019t necessary<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Who cares if a process is technically \u201cbetter\u201d if there is no actual need to change the existing one<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

    Instead of improving the dishwasher process<\/strong>, my wife expected me to fix the real problem\u2014the broken window seal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    The Lesson for Quality Professionals<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The mistake I made is one of the most common<\/strong> in the world of quality management<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    We, as quality professionals<\/strong>, are so full of great ideas<\/strong>\u2014ideas that can add value in many areas\u2014that we sometimes forget a fundamental truth:<\/p>\n

    –\u00a0We can only help those who actually seek help.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    –\u00a0We should only offer solutions where solutions are needed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    When we design and document\u00a0processes<\/strong>, the most important focus must be\u00a0the customer and their needs<\/strong>. The key to success lies in\u00a0gathering proper requirements<\/strong>. Only by\u00a0understanding what truly matters<\/strong>\u00a0to the customer can we develop valuable and effective processes. <\/p>\n

    To do this right, we need to:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Get to know our customer<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Learn\u00a0how they work<\/strong>, their\u00a0challenges<\/strong>, and their\u00a0priorities<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      2. Identify the real pain points<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Not all inefficiencies need fixing. Some processes work well\u00a0despite<\/em>\u00a0being \u201cimperfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

      3. Let the customer ask for help<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Forcing an\u00a0unwanted<\/strong>\u00a0(even brilliant) solution\u00a0will not create value<\/strong>\u2014it will likely cause resistance instead.<\/p>\n

      People naturally resist<\/strong> changes they haven\u2019t asked for<\/strong>\u2014even good ones<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      So, should we just wait for product teams to come to us?<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Of course not. Product teams won\u2019t ask for help<\/strong> unless they understand the value we bring<\/strong>. Even worse, if they don\u2019t see our role as relevant<\/strong>, they won\u2019t even think to ask<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      Management Teams Must Operate Like Any Successful Business<\/strong><\/p>\n

      To avoid the kind of situation I had with my wife,\u00a0we<\/strong>\u2014as management professionals\u2014must:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Treat our process function like a business.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n
        • Understand our customers.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Build our portfolio around expectations and needs.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • Sell our expertise effectively.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • \u00a0Educate stakeholders on the value we bring.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                  \n
                • \u00a0Continuously improve our own processes to adapt to changing business needs.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  By doing this, we ensure that our work adds real value<\/strong>\u2014not just theoretical<\/em> efficiency gains that no one actually cares about.<\/p>\n

                  Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n

                  The next time you\u2019re about to optimize a process<\/strong>, stop and ask yourself:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • Does anyone actually need this?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                      \n
                    • Have they asked for it?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                        \n
                      • Is this solving a real problem\u2014or just one I assume exists?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        If the answers aren\u2019t clear, maybe the real priority isn\u2019t optimization\u2014it\u2019s understanding what truly matters.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                        Nic tak nie boli jak pora\u017cka w dziedzinie, w kt\u00f3rej uwa\u017camy si\u0119 za ekspert\u00f3w \u2014 gdzie czujemy si\u0119 wystarczaj\u0105co pewni, by przewy\u017cszy\u0107 wi\u0119kszo\u015b\u0107 r\u00f3wie\u015bnik\u00f3w. My\u015blisz, \u017ce co\u015b wiesz, a \u017cycie przypomina ci, \u017ce nieprzewidziane zmienne mog\u0105 zaskoczy\u0107 nawet najbardziej do\u015bwiadczonego specjalist\u0119. W moim przypadku t\u0105 niespodziewan\u0105 zmienn\u0105 by\u0142a moja \u017cona. Jestem cz\u0142owiekiem proces\u00f3w \u2014 to m\u00f3j zaw\u00f3d.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":50032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-management"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/managershaven.com\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}