Common Workplace Issues

There are numerous issues in the workplace that respond well to Systems Thinking Action Learning Teams. These are some of the more common ones in four categories that summarize the challenges to workplace performance.

DECISION MAKING and PROBLEM SOLVING

• Strategy, Goals, Performance, Results MisalignmentVertical and horizonal alignment of the ends (Strategy and Goals) and the means to achieve them (Performance and Results).
• Dynamic ComplexityDecisions and problems that span multiple parts of the organization.
• Polarizing Views or OpinionsInflexible positions that rely on deeply held mental models.
• Vague Decision or Problem DefinitionMatters of communication, goal clarity, and alignment with strategic intent.
• Lack of Clear Measurement CriteriaAssuming that the criteria for measuring forward progress is obvious.

COLLABORATING WITH OTHERS

• Vague Performance Expectations The trap of believing expectations are known, when they are not.
• Unproductive Meetings Where the unplanned meeting after the meeting has more energy that the planned meeting.
• Ill-defined Measures of Forward ProgressMetrics that are either unknown or ill-conceived.
• Personality Differences in seeing and interpreting the world and their impact on human interaction.
• Conflict Mis-aligned or opposing views, and their impact on performance.
• Communication Well intented words and actions that impede performance.
• Ineffective Management How underdeveloped managers undermined peak performance, albeit with the best of intentions.

WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT

• Disengaging Workplace PoliciesEmployee and workplace policies that are intrinsically disengaging, and which counter other efforts to grow engagement int he workplace.
• Managerial Trust and IntegrityA history of behavior and actions that undermine trust in leaders and managers.
• Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness (SCARF)Five dimensions of human relationships that have a pronounced effect on human dynamics in the workplace.
• People Misaligned with Work People with good skills currently in positions that fail to take advantage of them, typically judged to have a performance problem.

FACILITATING CHANGE

• Polarizing Views or OpinionsInflexible positions that rely on deeply held mental models
• Ineffective Methods for Generating ChangeApproaches to change that generate fear rather than a sense of future possibility.
• Strong Starts, Weak FinishesGood intentions that start strong but lack the discipline to see them through to the end.
• Misunderstandings, Unrealistic Expecatations, Performance ProblemsThe "Big Three" contributors to dissatisfaction, either in pstients and client, or in employees.
• Mistaking Compliance for Commitment and AccountabilityAssuming that deep change has happened solely as a function of observable behavior.