It’s ten o’clock PM, the night before my son’s birthday. In my basement, a box sits before me and inside is a mess of particleboard, screws, and plastic figures needing to be assembled. It’s a foosball table, the gift he wanted most.
It’s late. I’m tired. I conclude the eight-page instruction manual is an unnecessary waste of time. Let’s get to work.
Fast forward an hour and I’m sitting on the floor dumfounded. The metal rod in my hand cannot be threaded through the side panel holes like it’s supposed to. Why? I didn’t put the parts together in the right order. Now I have to take apart half the work I’ve done to fix the problem.
The end result is not surprising. In fact, it’s highly predictable, and very common.
Efficiencies can be achieved when events occur in a specific order. Introducing and implementing new tools, new processes, and new plans in your business is no exception. There’s an order of operations to how you make improvements, and skipping steps can be costly and frustrating.
The Concept
Dr. Richard Swanson, a professor out of the University of Minnesota, created my favorite model for improving performance in businesses. I’ve used this with several clients and appreciate its simplicity and the hierarchal steps that can lead to true change and innovation.
He calls it the Taxonomy of Performance. The name sounds complex, but the concept is really quite basic and practical, which is why I like it so much. Let me explain.
Swanson breaks the improvement process into five progressive levels that occur in two stages, maintaining the system and changing the system. Broadly speaking, people must be able to understand, operate/perform, and troubleshoot something (maintain the system) before they begin to improve it (change the system).
Progressing through each level, starting at the bottom and moving up, maximizes speed to goal and the efficiency with which goals can be achieved. Each level is foundational to the one above it.
Let’s take a closer look at each level.
UNDERSTAND
Before anything else, people need to have a shared understanding of the task at hand – of what they’re being asked to do and of the terminology being used.
I’d also argue people need to understand the reason change is necessary. “Because I said so” doesn’t really drive ownership when asking people to do something new.
OPERATE
With understanding in check, a team can start implementing a new idea or process (a new software program for example). Swanson calls this the operating level. It relies on people understanding what they are being asked to do and why, so they can then go do it.
TROUBLESHOOT
After some time using a new system or performing a new function, people become familiar enough with its inner workings that when problems arise, they can figure out how to fix them. The troubleshooting level is just that, being able to solve problems to keep the system working and achieve desired results.
IMPROVE & INNOVATE
In Swanson’s model, you can’t truly improve how something works, until the first three levels have been achieved. Progressing in this order allows you to identify the true deficiencies that need to be enhanced.
I use the term “true deficiencies” here because, if you followed this sequence, anything that can be fixed will have already been fixed in the troubleshooting phase. Any remaining flaws need to be remedied through new improvements. Progressing through each level sequentially helps identify root elements you can address to evolve how people, processes, and tools perform in your business.
In some cases, the process of improvement can lead to the creation of something new all together. That’s innovation.
The Application
You can apply this concept to any processes or plans you are currently using in your business today. Identify the current level you are operating in now to understand the next level you must progress to.
Or, as you roll out the next new idea to propel your business forward, remember to move in this order. Start from the bottom and work your way up.
Experience has taught me there’s not always a clear transition from one level to the next. Sometimes you find yourself in two adjoining levels at the same time, and that’s okay. The process is generally linear though.
Just note that when you try to improve something without truly knowing it first, you may waste a lot of time and resources changing the wrong things. That’s the mistake this model helps prevent.
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