The boss is relying on you to make improvement happen in a particular area of your business. So you do the usual. You come up with a plan and put a team together to get it done. Being a good leader, you inspire the team to action and everyone is full of energy at the beginning. Success seems a matter of formality. Then, stuff starts happening; your people are being burdened with unrelated tasks, your priorities seem to be shifting, you see your team losing focus. Your initial enthusiasm fades to doubt and you begin to lose hope.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Toyota and other leading companies have developed a simple approach for creating action plans and managing team projects to successful conclusion, even under changing circumstances. They call the powerful method "Catchball". You can use this same technique to get your team off to a good start and keep them on target until your goals are achieved.
Here’s how it’s done:
- leaders explain what needs to be done
- team members, including those closest to the work, begin to put a plan together
- ideas are tossed back and forth - some serious, open debate takes place
- agreement on a "real" plan develops
- each team member takes responsibility for part of the plan
- as the team works the plan, a continuing dialogue takes place: "Are we on track? Do we have the resources? What are we learning?" - the plan is refined as it moves forward
- an experienced team leader resolves any confusion that crops-up, assists at key points, and is ultimately responsible for the outcome
- regular reviews keep the team on target, even as unexpected difficulties arise along the way
- the actions are completed and the goals are accomplished
Here’s why it works so well:
- those closest to the work are in the best position to put together a realistic plan
- when the team creates their own plan they take ownership
- continuing dialogue resolves problems and refines the plan to ensure "obstacles" don’t become "excuses for failure"
So the next time the boss is relying on you to make it happen, remember the "Catchball" method. It’ll take some weight off your shoulders and make reaching your goals a lot easier.
