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24 The PCB Magazine • August 2015 to an $80,000 profit. We found that the critical 20% of the systems that were causing most of the poor performance included: an antiquat- ed and totally ineffective scheduling system, a non-systems-based director who was allow- ing employees to do whatever they felt best— creating impenetrable silos, severe sub-optimization problems, and an almost complete lack of fo- cus on systems for serving the customers, including internal customers. In a larger company ($1 billion in sales with a 2% pre-tax profit) we were, over six months, able to save the company in excess of $1 mil- lion. However, in that same six months, we identified sys- tems changes that would have created approximately $10 million in additional benefits that could have, within a 24– 30 month period, been accru- ing to the company annually. Unfortunately, leadership was unwilling to grow and elected to not pursue the changes that could have increased the bot- tom line of the company by 50%. Here we see the mindset of top man- agement ultimately determining the depth, speed and sustainability of systems-based orga- nizational improvement. More-Better-Different: The Hidden Trap for Leaders and Managers in a Changing Environment As indicated earlier, one of the common mistakes leaders and managers make in deal- ing with stressed systems is a strategy we call, "more-better-different." Leaders and managers try to do more of what's no longer working, try to do what's no longer working better, or try to do what's no longer working differently. This strategy normally accelerates the dysfunction or demise of the systems because non-systems- based changes usually add to the stresses and variability inherent in legacy systems. Instead, realize that when improving systems, we don't know what to do. If we knew, we'd have already made the correct changes. This is why it's im- perative that we become proficient in systems thinking and the systems improvement tools listed above. This way of thinking and use of the tools make the systems visible and tell us as leaders, managers and front-line staff what are the correct actions to take and what and how to measure. This is the essence of sustainable quality systems and ultimately, the long-term success of the organization. The war on failure is real- ly a war on poor systems and non-systems-based think- ing of leadership and man- agement. To some extent, it is also a war on leaders and managers who don't value people or don't know how to set up their people to be most successful in their jobs. Without knowledge of sys- tems and systems improve- ment, how can any leader or manager know how to set up his or her people for suc- cess, quickly and sustainably solve problems, or manage any- thing! They can't—at least not well. Non-systems-based leaders and managers do their best, but their best is far from optimum. It doesn't have to be that way. There is a whole new way of leading and managing, a whole new way of being in the workplace that wins the war on failure through quality systems and tools, systems thinking and a willingness to grow be- yond more-better-different and the deadly sta- tus quo. PCB THE WAR oN FAILURE continues FeAture David Dibble is a keynote speak- er, trainer, consultant, executive coach, and systems thinker. For more than 25 years he has con- sulted and trained in the work- place, with a focus on his systems- based Four New Agreements for Leaders and Manager. To reach Dibble, click here. leaders and managers try to do more of what's no longer working, try to do what's no longer working better, or try to do what's no longer working differently. this strategy normally accelerates the dysfunction or demise of the systems because non-systems-based changes usually add to the stresses and variability inherent in legacy systems. " "