WEBVTT 00:00:13.836 --> 00:00:17.106 Alright. Now that we've pulled the ACE model apart and 00:00:17.131 --> 00:00:21.053 looked at each of the elements - lets see how it goes back together 00:00:21.078 --> 00:00:23.494 to deal with a real-world problem. 00:00:23.787 --> 00:00:28.429 Oh, and one thing to keep in mind. When you use ACE on a problem, 00:00:28.454 --> 00:00:33.227 it doesn't always play out in the neat step-by-step way you've seen so far. 00:00:33.252 --> 00:00:35.915 I mean, life isn't like that, right? 00:00:35.940 --> 00:00:40.206 So, it's possible you might need to jump back and forth a bit. 00:00:40.231 --> 00:00:46.253 And that's why ACE works so well - it's a "real life" model. It's flexible. 00:00:46.278 --> 00:00:49.442 Anyway, to see how it works when you put it all together, 00:00:49.467 --> 00:00:53.003 let's start off by taking a look at a typical problem. 00:00:54.274 --> 00:00:56.437 You got a minute? Sure. Come on in. 00:00:56.851 --> 00:00:59.008 Look, this just isn't working. What isn't? 00:00:59.033 --> 00:01:02.464 This "ship same day" guarantee. It looks good on paper. 00:01:02.489 --> 00:01:04.996 But I'm the one that has to make it happen. 00:01:05.021 --> 00:01:07.484 I'd been wrestling with it for about six weeks. 00:01:07.509 --> 00:01:09.213 Trying to make it work. 00:01:09.238 --> 00:01:11.880 But I couldn't. And I knew exactly why. 00:01:11.880 --> 00:01:13.696 The problem is that it's a stupid decision 00:01:13.721 --> 00:01:15.716 that shouldn't have been made in the first place. 00:01:15.741 --> 00:01:19.190 And if somethings don't change. I'm out of here. 00:01:34.145 --> 00:01:38.064 We all run into situations where we've got to deliver results, 00:01:38.065 --> 00:01:42.250 but it seems like everything is conspiring against us. Thanks. 00:01:42.275 --> 00:01:46.124 Not enough time. Not enough resources. Not enough cooperation. 00:01:46.253 --> 00:01:50.552 You get the idea. So, what is the solution? 00:01:51.044 --> 00:01:55.859 Solving a problem often begins with being able to put negative feelings aside; 00:01:55.884 --> 00:01:58.783 in this case, resisting the urge to blame. 00:01:58.962 --> 00:02:02.143 This is because our natural instinct to protect ourselves 00:02:02.168 --> 00:02:05.715 may limit our ability to clearly think things through. 00:02:06.148 --> 00:02:10.620 That's why the ACE model works well here. It helps us get out of the need to blame 00:02:10.645 --> 00:02:14.385 and into the skill of asking about what's really going on. 00:02:14.885 --> 00:02:20.368 It gets us to transition from self-protection and into productive action. 00:02:20.941 --> 00:02:25.044 Okay. We know the problem. Now let's see how we can ACE it. 00:02:25.465 --> 00:02:27.496 The problem is that it's a stupid decision 00:02:27.497 --> 00:02:29.429 that shouldn't have been made in the first place. 00:02:29.454 --> 00:02:32.592 And if somethings don't change. I'm out of here. 00:02:33.276 --> 00:02:34.684 I understand where you're coming from, Tom. 00:02:34.685 --> 00:02:38.372 But, let's talk about this for a minute. What, exactly, is happening? 00:02:38.649 --> 00:02:41.384 Well, I'm having to constantly re-pull orders, 00:02:41.385 --> 00:02:45.215 which means somethings aren't going out on time. I'm not meeting our guarantee. 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:47.107 And why are you having to re-pull orders? 00:02:47.132 --> 00:02:49.530 Because - no offense - like I said, 00:02:49.555 --> 00:02:53.324 whoever thought up this ship-same-day stuff is in fantasy-land. 00:02:53.671 --> 00:02:56.385 Sure, I could understand his frustration. 00:02:56.410 --> 00:02:58.585 But I also knew that if I was going to help him out, 00:02:58.586 --> 00:03:00.816 I needed to find out what the real issue was. 00:03:00.841 --> 00:03:03.286 Let's just set the guarantee thing aside for a minute. 00:03:03.311 --> 00:03:05.206 Why are you having to re-pull these orders? 00:03:05.231 --> 00:03:07.383 Because the inventory codes are all fouled up. 00:03:07.408 --> 00:03:08.256 And why's that? 00:03:08.281 --> 00:03:12.012 Because we added two product lines three months ago and they use different formats. 00:03:12.037 --> 00:03:15.087 I take it you're not too happy about that? Ah..no. 00:03:15.112 --> 00:03:17.292 It's been a nightmare trying to sort things out. 00:03:17.317 --> 00:03:19.604 So, what you're saying is... If the stock codes were straightened out, 00:03:19.605 --> 00:03:22.479 this wouldn't be an issue. Right? Well... yeah. 00:03:22.504 --> 00:03:23.823 In which case, would you agree that 00:03:23.848 --> 00:03:26.524 the real cause of the problem isn't the guarantee policy; 00:03:26.525 --> 00:03:28.705 it's the incorrect stock codes? 00:03:28.730 --> 00:03:33.131 I've got to tell you, that was one of those "well, duh..." moments for me. 00:03:33.156 --> 00:03:37.837 Like, how come I couldn't see that? But then I thought... Hey, wait a minute. 00:03:37.846 --> 00:03:41.388 I'm not going to be able to fix those codes. IT handles that. 00:03:41.429 --> 00:03:42.793 And they're swamped, too. 00:03:42.818 --> 00:03:45.795 So, IT's schedule is an issue we need to factor in here? 00:03:45.820 --> 00:03:49.206 Yeah. But, I can't wait the six weeks it's going to take for them to get to it. 00:03:49.231 --> 00:03:53.364 Okay. But, if the goal is to get those stock codes right, then what are the options? 00:03:53.389 --> 00:03:55.084 There aren't any options. 00:03:55.888 --> 00:03:57.881 Look, there's almost always options. 00:03:57.906 --> 00:04:01.456 Maybe it would help to just talk through the process of pulling an order. 00:04:01.481 --> 00:04:04.690 What do you do when you run into a problem with the codes? 00:04:04.715 --> 00:04:07.792 He probably felt like I was taking a step backward at that point... 00:04:07.817 --> 00:04:11.416 but, in my experience, dealing with an issue like that is a little messy. 00:04:11.441 --> 00:04:14.242 You take a couple steps forward and you take a half-step back. 00:04:14.267 --> 00:04:15.834 That's just the way it works. 00:04:15.859 --> 00:04:18.868 So, you're saying create a daily error log and send it to IT. 00:04:18.893 --> 00:04:22.398 I don't know. It's your call. But it is one of the choices on the table. 00:04:22.423 --> 00:04:24.462 You know what would be even better? 00:04:24.656 --> 00:04:27.740 I just pick up the phone and call them when I see a pattern starting. 00:04:27.765 --> 00:04:30.587 So we have two choices; a daily error log and a call-in. 00:04:30.612 --> 00:04:34.283 Which do you think is the best? Well, I could do both. 00:04:35.017 --> 00:04:36.524 But if I just call in errors 00:04:36.549 --> 00:04:39.060 I don't want them to think I'm whining about things all the time. 00:04:39.085 --> 00:04:40.546 It's understandable. 00:04:40.641 --> 00:04:45.738 But, then again, I would rather them think I am pushy about our guarantee 00:04:46.457 --> 00:04:48.664 and getting our jobs out on time. 00:04:49.218 --> 00:04:52.729 And if it works, I can get the rest of the team doing it, too. 00:04:52.754 --> 00:04:56.965 Sounds like you just came up with a third option - get the team involved. 00:04:57.593 --> 00:04:59.757 Yeah. Maybe. 00:04:59.782 --> 00:05:03.759 Look, I still think making that guarantee was premature. 00:05:03.893 --> 00:05:06.509 But, once we got focused on what the real problem was 00:05:06.534 --> 00:05:12.103 and what we could do about it... well, it still isn't perfect. 00:05:12.563 --> 00:05:14.325 But we're getting there.