My younger son and I recently had a bit of father-son bonding time discussing automotive manufacturing issues, watching motor-racing pit-stop changes and experiencing the adrenalin rush that comes with the world of motor racing. Well, we did it all in the comfort of the lounge at home after watching the 2019 Hollywood production, ‘Ford v Ferrari’ directed by James Mangold. We didn’t get to smell the petrol fumes and experience the real ambience – maybe next time.
‘Ford v Ferrari’ showcases the rivalry between two egotistical and stubborn automotive giants – Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari. When a deal fell through in the early 1960s to purchase the then financially troubled Ferrari by Ford, Henry Ford II wanted to beat Ferrari, no matter the cost. That meant beating the Prancing Horse in a race they had historically dominated, the 24-hour Le Mans, the world’s most prestigious car race.
Ford tasks the challenge of placing Ferrari in Ford’s rear-view-mirror to Carroll Shelby (played by Matt Damon), a legendary car designer and winner at Le Mans, and his trusted test driver and engineering specialist, Ken Miles (played by Christian Bale).
During many of the races, Miles and Shelby discuss tactics, challenges and strategies. One of those crucial discussions was about the criticality of the timing of the gear changes – something Shelby himself acutely remembers from his heyday of being in the driver’s seat. There are a number of scenes in the movie, where the duo keep murmuring, ‘wait for it…….wait for it…..wait for it…..NOW!’ Miles at that precise moment shifts gears and makes the breakthrough to take the lead.
It reminded me the patience required by leadership teams when deploying Operational Excellence programs. Many leaders are keen to see breakthrough results immediately. Sometimes, the urgency, the intervening, the micro-managing works against the very thing the programs are designed to deliver – building trust with employees, involving them to resolve issues and improving engagement as an outcome. I find myself uttering the very words of Shelby – ‘wait for it…wait for it…’
When deployed correctly, you will see great results shifting gears and delivering breakthrough results, in under three months to begin with. Then you need to capitalise on it and involve more people to resolve more constraints and issues.
It is a bit like building a skyscraper. Foundations and footings take a long time. When you walk past such work sites, there’s usually nothing to see for many months – often covered by tall fences. Once the foundations are in place, suddenly, you see levels upon levels built very quickly. Sometimes, you might say ‘Wow! When did that multi-story building get done? That came up quickly!’ Well, you didn’t notice the time period when they were excavating and concreting over many months.
So, here are a few tips for you to deliver breakthrough results:
- In the initial days, solve an issue that people care about or frustrated with.
- Don’t focus too much about the financial gains initially – you need to wait for it.
- Get the shop-floor teams to present success stories at townhall meetings. You’d get better engagement and trust, when employees hear from their own.
- Continue to ask for volunteers and other problem areas to focus on from employees during townhall meetings.
- Celebrate success with teams. Success can be infectious.
Question for you – are you driving your continuous improvement teams too hard wearing them out and focusing too much on the results, or do you have the patience to wait for it?
