This article appeared in the May/Jun 2024 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

What comes first, people or process?

Thankfully, this is a much easier question to answer than the one about the chicken and the egg!

Using simple root cause analysis, we can answer this quickly — people created the processes we are currently using, and they will create the processes we will use in the future.

So, the answer is PEOPLE!

To be clear, people and processes are both incredibly important when it comes to running a profitable business. However, it is crucial that you consider how much time your organization is losing because you are not maximizing the efficient productive engagement of your workforce. Every moment of disengagement hits the bottom line and costs you, your workforce and the shareholders in the end.

W. Edwards Deming, often called the father of total quality management (TQM), knew that people were the driving force behind whether processes would be created and/or followed. He shared, “The most valuable ‘currency’ of any organization is the initiative and creativity of its members. Every leader has the solemn moral responsibility to develop these to the maximum in all his people. This is the leader’s highest priority!”

We have had several great leaders here in Michigan successfully prove this, including Alan Mulally, Lee Iacocca, Dick Dauch, Rich DeVos, Jay Van Andel and Al Glick. These leaders knew that, to create better outcomes, you must constantly help develop the people around you.

True inspirational, accountable leadership goes well beyond book knowledge — you must have the confidence and the willingness to build others, and the passion and commitment to make it a priority every single day.

Organizations must realize that their leaders play a critical role in achieving sustainable success, and they must be a foundational element of the company culture.

Developing future leaders is a constant daily activity. There is no finish line — in the same way that a company’s strategic plan is always developing and ever-changing, upgrading talent never stops. The leadership landscape must evolve to reflect what the business needs to accomplish.

So, how do we foster successful leaders in the VUCA (i.e., volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environment that organizations operate in today?

The answer is surprisingly simple — we build their confidence!

Dale Carnegie’s research proved it all starts with confidence! His friend Henry Ford echoed this same thinking when he shared, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right!” We know that confidence in oneself builds confidence in others. Warren Buffet shared that the Dale Carnegie course helped him build this skill, though where are our leaders learning it? How is it learned?

Ask yourself: Does your company provide enough feedback for one to develop this critical skill? Knowing that confidence is necessary for leaders to navigate ambiguity and enable a high-performing workplace, we can assuredly say that we must focus on developing and fostering confidence!

With confidence comes the ability to become engaged, become a trusted leader, be empathetic and face the challenges before us with a better outlook.

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