Turning Problems Into Progress - The Art of Candor With Care

(3 min read)

Problems don't solve themselves, people do.

In my forty-plus-year career in manufacturing, one thing remains constant: Problems don’t solve themselves; people do! Perhaps someday AI will change that, but for now, people are the key to solving problems and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Every person in every company I have led has experienced a problem, and if you think about it, there are actually multiple problems in every company, every day. Some problems happen just once and others are chronic. Problems come in different sizes and shapes. Sometimes it's just human error or process-related. Other problems can be tool-related or design-related. Sometimes a team member lets us down, or a supplier or even a customer lets us down. Either way, regardless of the specific nature of a problem, the consequences can be huge as they can affect employee morale, retention, customer satisfaction, profitability, and, in the most severe cases, overall business livelihood.

How can any company address the need to solve problems? Certainly, there are many tools that can be used to identify and solve problems, but this will never happen unless the problem is brought to light.

CANDOR WITH CARE

Deeply rooted in our Core Values is “Candor with Care”. This is not a common core value in most companies, but at Felins it is part of our DNA.

What is Candor with Care? It is a process in which we teach our employees to provide candid feedback wherever, whenever, and to whomever when needed. The key to this feedback is to be direct yet caring with the feedback. Direct and concise but never mean-spirited or hurtful in the feedback process. Candor with Care is permission to have what can sometimes be a difficult conversation in a way that is positive, helpful, and non-confrontational. Recipients of Candor with Care know they are to be open and caring with the feedback and to not react defensively or with anger. Whether a problem is with an individual, a team, or due to a process; Candor with Care is used to bring light to the need to solve a problem so all parties can get after fixing it.

You’ll know Candor with Care is getting traction when employees at all levels in the organization are comfortable walking into the CEO’s office to give some candid feedback with care. The hardest challenge is peer-to-peer feedback. Constant coaching is needed to encourage peer-to-peer communications that are candid and caring. When this happens, long standing problems go away and true teamwork is solidified. In addition to coaching our team members how best to give feedback, we also coach each other how to receive feedback. Feedback shouldn’t be viewed as criticism, but rather as an opportunity to use input from many voices to develop the best possible solution to a problem.

How can “Candor with Care” be built into company culture? Talk about it. Promote the concept. Have direct conversations with all employees at every level in the organization. Practice it with them. Use it and use it often, it will take time or some getting used to but once you plant the seed, and water it, it will grow.

COMMUNICATION OVER CONFLICTS

All too often, people don’t like to deal with conflict. Some more than others. Some are not afraid of conflict but are also too aggressive to get the most favorable response. Unfortunately, in most companies, problems continue for years and never get resolved because an individual or team does not want to upset others or is insecure in their conviction, or they avoid conflict at all costs. In any case, Candor with Care provides a roadmap for all employees to help us identify and solve any problem to make our business better every day. It really works!

Authored by Andrew Barrieau

This blog is part 1 of 6 in our blog series: “At the Core of Our Values” – In this six-part exploration, we delve into the heart of organizational excellence, offering insights and practical wisdom for those eager to elevate their businesses. Whether you're aiming to refine your company’s culture, boost employee morale, optimize processes, or cultivate a more resilient team, stay tuned as we share what’s worked for our company and our core compass. Follow us on our social media channels for upcoming chapters in this series!

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