Corporate Case Studies

A Medium-Size Manufacturing Company Specializing in Custom-Fabricated Products.

Length of work: Two months Presenting problem: An excessive error rate in the design department created costly production problems in the manufacturing plants and decreased customer satisfaction. The problem had been recognized for some time and the designers had been confronted with their errors. They attributed the errors to factors that were outside their control and nothing improved. Intervention: The management team in the design and engineering department was trained in the use of a solution-focused approach to problem-solving. Outcome: Using the solution-focused process in a meeting, the designers identified ten positive actions that they could take that would increase accuracy. All these items were within their control. The team voted unanimously to focus on these items. They also decided to hold each other accountable for improving how they handled these items and to assist each other when necessary. The team defined a baseline for accuracy and established a tracking system to measure improvement. The results of this effort were published throughout the company and a recognition program was developed to reward progress. The effort had a major impact on the designers’ performance and reduced production problems. Comments: The questions that a leader asks when first confronted with a problematic situation is the most important factor in achieving a viable solution and getting results. When using a traditional, problem-focused approach one asks questions about the problem, the past, what’s not working or not good enough, who or what is responsible and seeks to “get to the bottom of it.” Unfortunately, this approach frequently fails to produce a viable solution. Instead, it often creates defensiveness and adversarial relationships, decreases cooperation, stalls progress, and frustrates everyone. After defining the problem, a person using the solution-focused approach asks a different set of questions that emphasizes what’s working, the future, learning from past or current successes, giving credit, identifying resources and strengths, and collaborating on the solution. When a problem involves human factors and isn’t strictly mechanical, this new and practical set of techniques increases the chances of getting past the problem, fostering collaboration and creating a new and better future. «Back