In a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, the Enterprise crew attempted a rescue on a damaged ship and came to a large, heavy iron door that blocked their access to the wounded on its other side. In what seemed like an effortless exertion, the android named Data stepped up and lifted the door open in a matter of seconds. And that’s the purpose of my post today: to encourage you to let data do the heavy lifting.
I recently completed a professional consulting session with a client and the topic we discussed concerned just this: effective use of data. Because this is an ultra-important principle for one’s success in management, business, and life in general, I figured why not share the story so you can see its benefit for yourself?
Tough Decisions
During our session, we discussed many things but, at one point, my client brought up a difficulty he was experiencing in running his company and the frustration it caused him, so we turned our attention in that direction. Essentially, my client was facing shutting down an insolvent program.
The program was designed to deliver essential services to his patients but the personnel running the program were extremely underperforming. In fact, he had found himself over the course of several months spending excessive amounts of time and resources, funneling funding and other assets into this effort but seeing little improvement.
It had reached a point that the costs of keeping this program operating exceeded its revenue. He and his executive team’s attempts at coaching, encouraging, and rescuing the staff that were causing this problem were ultimately ineffectual. In fact, when improvement was requested, and even demanded, the staff operating at only 30% of their targeted goal pushed back and made excuses, resisting making any changes to their unfulfilled duties or level of effort.
As a result, the client was considering notifying them that the program was terminated, along with their jobs, so he could redirect his company’s resources to other departments and programs that were operating efficiently, generating revenue, and actually helping patients.
The Danger of Subjectivity
At this, I thought back to a previous instance when a team was underperforming and causing harm to both their co-workers and the program as a whole. At the time, I was a junior therapist on this team. Essentially, each day, there were a number of psychoeducational classes that needed to be conducted for the patients housed in this rehabilitation center.
The hourly amount of required classes was set for each day but therapists had the freedom to determine the content and structure of the class they led. Moreover, each morning, the therapists would gather as a team to discuss the day’s agenda and volunteer for which class they would lead that day. It was a wonderfully flexible arrangement that allowed for team members to cover for each other.
If someone was swamped or had other duties piling up, the remaining counselors would pitch in and cover classes, reducing the strain. Likewise, if someone was out sick or needed to attend to a patient crisis, the team would rally to their aid, picking up the slack. Of course, the entire arrangement depended upon everyone pulling equal weight and working together. As a result, it was a process that could be easily abused.
All a therapist had to do was say they were busy (whether they really were or not) and “opt out.” Or, they could simply remain silent at the staff meeting when the question of who would cover what arose and, inevitably, someone would step up and fill the gap.
And so it was that certain counselors were overworking and doing the lion’s share of the effort while other therapists sat back and enjoyed relaxing work days. Resentment began to build but impressions were subjective. It was easy for a counselor to defend their workload or claim to be doing as much as others in the blur of daily activity and, since no one did the same class rotation on the same day, this “pitching in” or lack thereof was difficult to mentally track.
Data in Action
Eventually, things came to a head, fingers were pointed, and the entire treatment team began to split along political lines with alliances among friends forming and anger mounting toward those that were supposed sluggards in the opposing camps.
Our clinical supervisor was brilliant. As voices raised and tempers flared during one meeting about this matter, she refused to take sides or allow her own biases to affect her decision. Instead, she was rather quiet, simply allowing everyone to vent and not offering an opinion either way. In fact, we originally thought she either didn’t care or was incapable of correcting the situation.
Instead, she simply returned to her office and, quietly, throughout the day, reviewed charts and case notes as well as the sign-in logs for each group time slot. At the end of the day, we returned to find the large white board in the conference room was filled with data. Each of our names were present and it was very easy to note the dates classes were done, by whom, how often, and the total scores for each therapist over the past several months.
Arguments and alliances were shattered. The source of the problem was revealed and senior therapists that were apparently resting on their laurels were exposed for their lack of teamwork. Our supervisor outlined the expectations, including weekly minimum contributions required, and left the white board with unfolding data each day for all to see. No further meetings were necessary. No discussion or debate ensued. No disciplinary actions were taken. No feelings were hurt. The board had spoken and continued to speak. The problem immediately corrected itself.
Use the Tool
And so, with this example, I suggested to my consulting client that he use the data available and present it unflinchingly to the staff resisting changes in his program. Yes, he could still mothball it and shift his resources in another direction if he desired. However, he knew this program had the potential to make the greatest positive impact in the lives of his patients while being not only solvent but lucrative, if his providers only did what they were supposed to.
I suggested he make clear the data demonstrating 30% productivity (I use this word to simplify the issue), establish the minimum productivity required, and set a date when the program would end (at which point those providers would lose their jobs) if this requirement remained unmet. In this way, he could potentially save and improve the program without exerting undue effort or diverting additional resources. And, if the improvement wasn’t seen, his conscience was clear in dismissing those providers and starting fresh with a new team that understood the minimum requirements at the onset of seeing that program’s patients.
He agreed it was worthy of “one last shot” and was excited at the potential of watching the program course-correct on its own. If not, he was still off the hook of pleading with staff for improvement and feeling guilty if they didn’t step up their performance.
And so to bring the point home: what problems are you facing? I bet there’s a way to put some data behind that and let it do the heavy lifting. Even if it doesn’t fix the problem, I’m certain it will give you a clearer direction on how to proceed. What isn’t measured doesn’t get improved.
Until next time, don’t just be transformed: be Kinged.
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