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Proactive managers incorporate analysis to achieve an organization’s goals and objectives by controlling strategy and processes.  An analysis function is necessary to identify and resolve dysfunctional elements in program and project tasks before they become major problems.  The common use of satisficing biases by the management team to address issues, concerns and problems often leads to ineffective organizational performance.  Application of an analytical function allows for a more robust approach to address the work of the organization (See Blog-Communication-Parts 1, 2, & 3).  The best way to incorporate an analysis function is to implement a Work Package practice at the very beginning of required jobs and tasks.  This will uncover concerns and issues before they become problems.

When proactive managers incorporate analysis, they specify the projects to achieve goals and objectives.  Planning then lays the groundwork for Work Package development.  This leads to control via the supervisory function and establishes the means to inform and direct the Work Package execution by the responsible personnel.  Project Work Package planning follows as an operational reality based on the Proactive Managers Incorporate Analysis (PMIA) Practice that includes the Process Approach to operations (See Process Analysis Blog Post).  The Process Approach involves analysis that we can define as follows:

The decomposition of complex issues, concerns, or problems into their constituent elements and then synthesizing the results into improved perspectives on the issues, concerns, or problems. These perspectives are useful in a variety of algorithms and comparisons leading to alternative generation to support decision making.

 

The Process Approach specifies the details for Work Package planning.   Note that Work Package development, planning and scheduling are budget and time sensitive, thus facilitating project control and meeting budget and schedule requirements.

For a detailed discussion of the PMIA Practice, click the link below.

https://manage-for-effect.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Proactive-Managers-Incorporate-Analysis.pdf

A seemingly insignificant task at a fracking site proves to be a likely cause of a multimillion-dollar accident.  The task involved making up the hydraulic line fittings on newly installed hydraulic pumps.  The task was considered within the “skill of the trade.”  Replacing existing hydraulic pumps with a new design pump was in fact a design change.  An engineering specification for installing the pumps was not part of the modification work order.  A maintenance-modification management failure became a fracking diesel engine fire.

As a hands-on maintenance manager and maintenance management consultant, I saw instances of management staffs assuming that simple modification work can be performed by the maintenance staff.  Additionally, they thought there would be no need to get an engineering function involved.  This is a misconception among managers who fail to realize that reliability of systems and equipment is directly affected by operations and maintenance activities.  Since most of those activities are controlled through defined processes, alarm bells should go off when a modification (change) becomes an activity affecting systems and equipment.  Having the maintenance staff handle system and equipment modifications can compromise the reliability of operating systems and equipment.  When failure does occur, the cause is usually assigned as human error.  But in this case, a fracking diesel engine fire cause was in fact a modification management failure.

Making up hose fittings could be executed within the “skill of the trade” if it is a simple repair/replacement task.  This modification changed the hose fitting assembly for the new motors (not within the “skill of the trade”). Engineering is now needed to specify the new hose fastener parameters.  To preserve design reliability, the task required review and modification of the applicable procedures and instructions.  This helps avoid fracking diesel engine fires.

 

Blog diesel pdf

 

PROCESS ANALYSIS-Performance and control of complex tasks

The most effective way to evaluate a maintenance or modification activity and performance of that activity is by direct observation.  This is crucial for the effective performance and control of complex tasks in critical organizational work.  Staff personnel can then compare such observations to established protocols covering both managerial and technical aspects of the work.  This is especially true for work performed on critical equipment.

WORK ACTIVITIES

Direct observation of more than a small portion of any of these critical work activities is made difficult or impossible by factors such as the following:

• • The complexity of the activity and the interfaces involved.
  • The multi-shift performance of the activity (time dependency).
  • The relatively short time that can be spent on observations.

Knowing what key documents and practices one must incorporate and apply to verify and memorialize the work itself is the basis for developing the Process Analysis methodology.

TASK MANAGEMENT

Process Analysis (PA) is an effective substitute for direct observation to verify performance and control of critical activities in complex task execution.  Use PA as an effective tool in the control of activities that are the critical functions of your organization.

TRAINING

Not only is PA important in controlling work execution, but one can also use PA to improve the training of employees in the details of their assignments especially for complex tasks.  The major aspect of this training feature is that the employee will learn about all the details required for proper execution of assignments.  Employees will also understand what it will take to meet the expectations of those in charge in the performance and execution of assigned work.  Specifically, this is how we do business around here.  In summary one can use PA to verify performance and control of critical activities in complex task execution.  Upon first application, one can see the less than obvious deficiencies in current policies, procedures, and practices.

The first link below is an example of a completed Process Analysis (PDF File).  The second link below is a blank template (MS Word File) that can be adapted to a specific program.

blog Process Analysis Ex

blog Process Analysis blank template

Information is the “name of the game”, and mismanagement of information and personal communication is the most important Organizational Communication problem.  Part 1 of this blog post deals with acquisition and processing of information by individuals, Part 2 addresses confusion introduced by various psychological types and Part 3 will cover the big “So What” and offer some remedies.  Click on the following link to continue onto Part 3.

 

Communication Part 3

 

 

 

Information is the “name of the game”, and mismanagement of information and personal communication is the most important Organizational Communication problem.  Part 1 of this blog post deals with acquisition and processing of information by individuals, Part 2 addresses confusion introduced by various psychological types and Part 3 will cover the big “So What” and offer some remedies.  Click on the following link to continue onto Part 2.

Communication Part 2

Information is the “name of the game”, and mismanagement of information and personal communication is the most important Organizational Communication problem.  Part 1 of this blog post deals with acquisition and processing of information by individuals, Part 2 addresses confusion introduced by various psychological types and Part 3 will cover the big “So What” and offer some remedies.  Click on the following link to begin.

Blog-Communication-Part 1