I thought we had everything in place. We had the right model. We had communicated it to everyone that we thought might have any kind of interest. We were in action-mode! This was a great example of making things simple.
I still think everything we did was right. I am also aware that we missed a couple of steps. As a result, a client that should have benefited from the model has struggled for more than two months to get an account open and working.
Our preliminary analysis of what went wrong recorded the fact that nobody did anything incorrectly. Procedures were followed. Role mandates adhered to. In short, people did what they were supposed to do. The missing elements could be summarized in the following. While their actions were correct, they missed the bigger picture of why we are in business (profit by serving customers). Additionally, individuals that were aware of the roadblocks did not ask for help. Individuals seemingly forgot that they were part of a community that was committed to making things simple and easy for customers.
As we have been evaluating what we can do differently, there is a consensus emerging that we can articulate the key principles that we, as a community, want to adopt in each decision and action. They remind me of the principles that apply to every aspect of life.
Work together; “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God.” (1 John 4.7)
Life is more than a single event; look beyond the immediate to see more. Act with the knowledge of seeing others as well as yourself.
Difficulties will come from all directions; chaos, pain, uncertainty, boundaries, and differences are part of life’s fabric. The question is not why are they here, but what do you do with them. If in doubt, seek the advice of others.
The mantras are threading themselves into how we refine our approach. We want to be more than what we were.
