Page 105 - text

Change approaches & management tools SeCtion tWo
Use
Stages in SMT implementation
1. Agreeing the approach: this involves suspension of existing work rules, provision of time and external facilitation to diagnose current practices and devise new ones. Typically, job and wage security is provided to ensure workers engage fully;
2. Diagnosis of the work system: an assessment of the extent to which current practice meets external demands (e.g. customer expectations of quality)
3. Generating appropriate designs: if diagnosis identifies interdependent tasks then redesign is undertaken to specify team mission/goals, an ideal workflow, skills required of members, training plans for induction, and the decisions over which the team has autonomy. This is undertaken following two guiding principles:
a. Compatibility: design processes are consistent with the values underlying the approach i.e. joint communication and boundary management requires a highly participative process involving all stakeholders in order to jointly derive acceptable solutions;
b. Minimal critical specification: designers should only specify the features critical to implementation; all others left free to vary according to circumstance (e.g. work methods; task allocation; job assignments)
4. Specifying support systems: wider organisational systems (pay, measurement) also need to be redesigned to support and incentivise team practice
5. Implementation: this generally requires extensive training to enable team members to undertake many tasks, together with opportunities to build the team and its skills in relation to self-management. Evaluation of the work design is also required, together with ongoing adjustment and monitoring in the light of identified difficulties.
6. Continual improvement: continuous redesign of processes as required to optimise operation
(Adapted from Cummings and Worley, 2008, pp. 391–92)
102