Like cracks in a ship’s hull, performance problems don’t happen overnight; usually, they evolve slowly—and often remain undetected—over a period of months or years. This quick five-question survey will help you identify and address the root cause of your company’s performance problems—and will help you take a watertight approach to solving them.

Circle a letter and compare your answer to the CBS Success Strategy on page 3

1. How often are workarounds used instead of investigating and resolving underlying causes of problems?
   1. Never. We understand that workarounds are a temporary fix at best and can’t provide the structured long-term solutions that performance issues require.
   2. Sometimes. We realize that our approach to resolving performance issues could benefit from more structure and consistent application of problem-solving techniques.
   3. Always. We have so many issues that we find ourselves moving from one pressing problem to another, with very little time spent on getting to the root cause of the problem.
2. How often are data and analysis used to attack a problem versus gut feel, intuition or impression?
   
   1. Always. We’ve established sound KPIs which align with our corporate goals for the year. We consistently capture and analyze data to help us understand what causes us to miss our KPIs. When we solve a problem, it is typically fixed permanently.
   2. Sometimes. We do have ways to measure and track performance data, but our use of this information is inconsistent at best.
   3. Never. We have experienced and knowledgeable executives, managers and employees who have a “sixth sense” when it comes to knowing what went wrong.
3. How often does your company meet its annual strategic goals or annual budgetary objectives?
   1. Always. We have established KPIs that track performance to plan with regularly scheduled review meetings. When misses occur, we review the data, conduct robust problem-solving and develop countermeasures to get the metrics back on track.
   2. Sometimes. We try to prioritize the goals that will drive the biggest impact. But because this can be time consuming, some goals get deprioritized all the way off the list.
   3. Never. We rarely meet our strategic goals. We are challenged with effectively managing and measuring several key goals at the same time.
4. How often do employees demonstrate problem-solving and Continuous Improvement thinking?
   1. Always. Our culture openly encourages employees to problem-solve with autonomy, whether they occupy the executive suite or work on the shop floor.
   2. Sometimes. Employees can be hesitant to point out problems for which there is no obvious solution, so they don’t always speak up.
   3. Never. We run our company in a traditional way, where leadership is expected to perform all the problem-solving and improvement activities.
5. Do employees clearly understand how their department or individual performance is impacting the goals of the overall organization—and how often are reviews conducted at various levels in the organization?
   1. Always. Each employee in every department understands their daily, weekly, monthly and annual performance against goals through charts that are clearly displayed and tracked.
   2. Sometimes. Management provides us with an overarching goal for the year, but it’s not always translated down to department level tasks.
   3. Never. Management defines metrics and goals, but employees do not always have access to that information or understand how it affects them in their roles.

CBS Success Strategy

If you answered “A” to all five questions, congratulations! You’re well prepared to navigate any performance issues that may arise for your company. If you had fewer than five “A” answers, however, your company could benefit from a Visual Management & Control System (VMCS) by CBS. With a VMCS, you can apply a structured, systematic approach to business improvement that will reveal the root cause of performance issues and yield sustainable, long-term results.

Question 1: If you answered B or C, you can expect to remain in the “fire-fighting” mode until you implement a process that allows you to break the cycle of temporary solutions. The VMCS provides the necessary structure and process required to resolve underlying performance issues.

Question 2: If you answered B or C, you are missing a valuable opportunity to use information to your advantage. Because it can be difficult to gather relevant information quickly, many organizations start with good intentions, but lose focus due to time constraints. The VMCS provides real-time visual data/information, allowing your team to quickly uncover the root cause of most problems.

Question 3: If you answered B or C, you are not alone. Almost every organization struggles to remain focused on strategic objectives and to consistently meet budgetary goals. The VMCS provides the structure needed to prioritize objectives and problem-solve in order to achieve them.

Question 4: If you answered B or C, your company could benefit from a culture that encourages autonomous problem-solving through a clear and systematic understanding of process-driven data. The VMCS will help create this system and provide the clarity that drives improvement at every level of the organization.

Question 5: If you answered B or C, your employees should develop a better understanding of your organization’s overarching business goals—and much like competitive sports, every stakeholder should be aware of the “score.” The VMCS offers a visual methodology that clearly communicates hourly expectations that track gaps and causes at every level of the organization, a proven path to permanent resolution.