5 ways to focus on Corrective Action or Innovation

Internal issues versus External issues, often when an automotive OEM called the Family Owned business it was not good news, a quality issue. Most times they required an 8D. Eight Disciplines of Problem Solving (8D) is a method used to approach and to resolve problems, typically employed by quality engineers or other professionals.

Its purpose is to identify, correct, and eliminate recurring problems, and it is useful in product and process improvement. It establishes a permanent corrective action based on statistical analysis of the problem (when appropriate) and focuses on the origin of the problem by determining its root causes. Although it originally comprised eight stages, or ‘disciplines’, it was later augmented by an initial planning stage. 8D follows the logic of the PDCA cycle.

The Eight Steps are:

1) Form a Team
2) Define Problem
3) Establish a containment plan
4) Find Root Causes
5) Chose corrective Action
6) Implement and Validate
7) Prevent reoccurrence
8) Congratulate Team

Family businesses often forget the process as important as the results. Innovation is a new idea, device or process. Innovation can be viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, in articulated needs, or existing market needs. Sound like problem solving?

Innovation or problem solving requires a flow. In a recent article in “Fast Company, Eric Douglas wrote about Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The author (his name is pronounced “six-cent-me-holly”) describes flow as a mental state in which you feel fully immersed in what you are doing. It can occur in any field, in any industry, at any level. It is the feeling that you’re doing exactly what you like doing–and what you’re meant to be doing–whether it’s designing software, selling shoes, or teaching a yoga class. In a word, it’s the feeling that your work is fulfilling.

Leaders in Family Owned business can follow these 5 ways to focus on Corrective Action or Innovation:

· Clear the Noise-make time and space uninterrupted time to work on the issue
· Follow a process- the 8D is a great tool, creates a process a mindset
· Assign and hold one person Accountable.
· Pull weeds in your own garden.
· Plan on misstep’s, misfires and mistakes.

Corrective Action is a new idea, device or process. Corrective Action can be viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, in articulated needs, or existing market needs. While at times innovation is a lightning bolt of an idea, most times it comes from Team working together.

Family business leaders should remember to measure and track the corrective action. Teams that succeed focus on the process, not the people. They make their actions and failures public; communicating and sharing helps fuel innovation and problem solving. When asked if he wanted to “pull back and regroup”, General Patton quipped, “Not me Freddie, I don’t want to buy the same real estate twice.” Family business owners should consider, changing the status quo. In order to change you need information, data not suspects; a process to manage talent and committed to invest the time, energy to be involved.