Chapter 5

The Old Friend

It was still early Tuesday evening by the time I got home, but the week already felt like it had lasted an eternity. I seldom had such stressful days—I was not accustomed to tackling a task for which failure might be a realistic outcome—and I was drained of energy. I needed to clear my head so I could think outside the box tomorrow.

I was about to check the refrigerator for some leftovers when my cell phone rang. I did not recognize the number displayed on the screen, which meant I probably did not know the person on the other end. Should I answer it, or just let it go to voice mail? Ignore the phone and maybe the person will go away, I thought.

I looked over the contents of the fridge, but there was nothing too appealing, so I opted to go for takeout. My phone stopped ringing, so at least something was working out as planned. But then, it rang again, and displayed the same number. Maybe it is important, I thought.

“Hello, this is Pat,” I said.

“Hi Pat, this is Peyton,” came the voice from the other end. “I wasn’t sure I had the right number. Are you in the middle of something, or do you have a minute to talk?”

“Oh, hi, Peyton. I didn’t recognize the number. What’s up?”

“Well, I hate to interrupt your evening, but I have a career decision to make, and I’d appreciate your advice. I was wondering if we could meet for coffee tomorrow morning before work. I remember you told me about your favorite spot on your way to your office, and it isn’t far from my commute. Can we meet at 7 a.m.? My treat.”

That was all I needed with everything that was going on—something else to drain my brainpower. But, I did wonder what it was all about.

“If you’re buying, I’ll be there,” I replied, attempting to sound cheerful. “I’m actually just figuring out dinner for tonight so I can’t chat now, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Pat. See you soon.”

“Bye,” I said, shutting off the phone. I wondered what Peyton meant by a career decision. Maybe my recruiter had been active again.

I ran out and grabbed a pizza—veggie, for health’s sake—and could not shake the feeling from the day as I crawled into bed, exhausted. As I drifted to sleep, my mind kept jumping to different events from the start of the week, and I wondered what Peyton would add to the mix tomorrow.

As Wednesday morning arrived and the sun peeked through a thick layer of clouds, I walked toward the coffeeshop door, entered, and looked around for a remote place where Peyton and I could sit. I always liked to arrive first in any networking meeting so I could pick a seat with a good vantage point. As I checked for open tables, I noticed Peyton was already there.

“Hey, you’re early,” I said. “And I see you already have your coffee. I’ll get mine and be right back.”

“Hey, glad you could work this in. By the way, your coffee is already paid for, including Hazel’s tip,” replied Peyton.

I approached the counter, unsure of what to expect. The line was short, and when it was my turn, Hazel smiled and said, “The usual? Grande latte, two shots of espresso?”

She continued doing the things baristas do to make the morning beverage. “Here you go,” she said. “Compliments of your friend. Enjoy.”

“OK, I’m impressed,” I said, walking back to the table. “What did you have to do to arrange that?”

“Well, it wasn’t too hard to imagine you might be recognized here, so when I bought my coffee, I asked if they knew you and what you usually ordered. They did, so I paid them handsomely to take care of you when you arrived.”

“Clever,” I said, as I sat and scanned the room for anyone I might know who could be a possible interruption. “So, what’s the news? I’ve been wondering ever since you called.”

“Well, I shared my career goals with you last week at the conference,” said Peyton. “Yesterday, my boss called me in and offered me a supervisory position in the Medicare/Medicaid group, which was my targeted objective. So, now I have a shot at supervising the group that I think I want.

“I also recalled that you had the advantage of observing several management styles before you became a supervisor, and I haven’t had that opportunity. I just want to know what you would recommend to help me succeed in this new position. I need to climb a steep learning curve to be able to supervise people the way I want. Are there any good seminars or books you can recommend? I’ve heard that peer groups can help, too. Are you familiar with any? What do you think about a career coach?”

I felt honored that Peyton was asking me for advice, but after yesterday, I was far less confident that I had anything worth sharing. “Well, first off, congratulations on being offered the supervisor’s role,” I said. “Are you going to accept it? I think you should go for it, but is there any downside?”

“Yes, I’m going to take it. There’s not really any downside, but I am a bit concerned, because the performance bar has been set pretty high due to one of our company’s other departments. They’ve been making improvements there over the past few months. I don’t know much, but the bulletin board updates in the break room say they’ve really cut their lead time and improved their ability to meet their promise dates. You know, all that good stuff.

“I don’t know if I’ll be ready to do that in my group right off the bat, but I know my boss is watching those changes very closely and with a great deal of interest. Our marketing group indicates there’s going to be a big increase in our Medicare/Medicaid market segment, which is why management agreed to add a supervisor. So, I’ll be accepting a double challenge: learning to be a supervisor while trying to make a breakthrough in the way we perform. My boss has promised to support me, so I’m encouraged about that, at least.”

I sat silently and pondered what Peyton said. A department cutting the time it takes to process claims and improving its ability to hit promise dates? I wondered how they were doing this.

When I realized Peyton was waiting for a response, I said, “I recommend you take the position with enthusiasm and mention to your boss you’d like to get some mentoring and training in management skills. Your company should offer that support for any internal change in position where different skills are expected. But, most of all, keep your head up and your eyes open to see the big picture at all times.”

Do as I say, not as I do, I thought. After another pause and some more contemplation, I decided to confess.

“I have to be honest, though. I don’t really feel too qualified to give advice this week. I’m in the middle of a department trend that’s not headed in the right direction. I can tell you all about assuming a different position, adapting to a new role with associates that used to be peers, and administering management policy. Been there, done that. But, when performance trends need fixing, apparently, I’m still a novice.

“Things aren’t going well at my office. We had a big problem last week while you and I were at that conference. My boss had to get involved and expedite a claim, and it was still late. The incident triggered a request for a report from the information technology department, which revealed that our trend in timeliness was bad and getting worse. I got called on the carpet to provide a corrective action plan, which got shot down yesterday. So, I’m back to square one. Like you, I’m determined to find a way forward, but I don’t have a clue where to start—at least not yet. That’s my challenge for today.”

“Wow, now I am concerned about taking this position,” replied Peyton. “What if I find myself in your shoes? Then what? You’d better figure it out quickly so I can just copy you.”

“Well, it sounds like your boss has been watching the improvements in that other department, probably knows the details of their progress, and will provide you some assistance in your own efforts,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll get my answer from what you implement, so you’d better learn fast!”

“I wish I could help.”

“Hey, this is your treat and your meeting. We should spend the limited time we have discussing your opportunities. Then, I have to get back to reality.”

Peyton sat quietly for a few moments, then said, “I have an idea. Let me ask my boss about the things they did in that other department, and I can let you know how they changed their trend. It’s the least I can do.”

“I appreciate the help. Thanks, Peyton. And thanks for the coffee. If others are making improvements, then it’s possible at my company, too. Speaking of changes, congratulations again on your new position. It seems like it’s what you want to do, so it sounds like the right move. It’s going to take a lot of effort, but you appear willing to make it work and learn as you go. And, you have a savvy boss who’ll support you with what you need.”

We simultaneously stood, moved toward the exit, and separated, each to our own vehicle. While still within hearing range, Peyton reiterated, “I’ll talk to my boss and call you later today.”

“Thanks,” I said. “That’d be great. Whatever you can share is appreciated.”

Peyton disappeared from sight as I carefully placed the remaining coffee in my cup holder as I got into my car, then headed to work. Soon enough, I found myself in the parking lot, sandwiched between the usual meld of clustered cars, gathering my things, and making my way into my building.

I was excited about what Peyton had told me and was looking forward to what I might find out later in the day. However, I did not know how much I could count on that for today’s meeting with Chris. What if Peyton could not convey the plan that department used? What if it was not transferable? It could not be simple, and perhaps it was even proprietary. It would be really frustrating to know a solution existed but not have access to it.

I rode the elevator to my floor, stepped off, and decided to check in with Chris before beginning the day.

“Morning,” I said as I got to the door. “I’ll check back with you in a few hours, if that’s OK. I have some reviewing to do before we meet again to discuss how to improve the timeliness for all of our customers. Does that work for you?”

“Can we make it later, maybe even after lunch? My boss has asked me for a quarterly report this morning, and I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to put together, especially since it’s not the end of the quarter. I need to project the last month, which sounds a lot like guessing to me.”

“No problem, I’ll be plenty busy on this project. Let me know when you’re ready.”

I left and went to my office, then unpacked my bag, sat at my desk, took a deep breath, and decided to look at the big picture.

Where did I go wrong? Most important, I did not have confidence that we could improve the entire customer base, so I narrowed the scope to our major customers. With all of our customers now in mind, maybe I should look at my list of reasons again and reevaluate them. I was not sure this would be any more strategic than what I did the day before, but it was a starting place at least, and I was not really sure what else to do at this point.

I spent some time poring over the list of reasons I had generated, but after an hour or so of thinking about it, I did not feel like I was getting anywhere. I went down to the cafeteria to grab a snack, and when I got back to my office, the phone was ringing. The number on the screen was not familiar to me, and I debated whether I should answer. Curiosity prevailed, however, so I accepted the call.

“Hello, this is Pat.”

“Hey, this is Peyton. Do you have a few minutes to talk? I have something I think you’d like to hear.”

I was glad I answered my phone.

“Sure. But first, did you accept the offer?”

“Yes, I did, but that’s not why I’m calling. I spoke to my boss about the department that’s making all the improvements. It’s claims processing for our industrial market. Different than what you do, but similar enough, I suspect. They handle policies that include buildings, liability, fleet insurance—stuff like that. I asked if I could get some understanding of what they did to improve their performance so I could share it with you and, get this: I was told that I had been invited—actually, expected—to become familiar with their efforts because they want me to replicate the results in the Medicare/Medicaid group. How about that!”

“That’s great,” I replied, although I actually felt a bit deflated—waiting for Peyton’s report was not going to help me in a timely fashion. “Did you find out what they do differently?”

“No, not yet. There’s a good news, bad news element to this call. First, the bad news. I tried to find out what changes they made so I could relay the information to you. My boss told me they were all commonsense changes but would take too long to explain. Instead, he arranged for me to spend some time in that department to see for myself what they do differently, which will then be followed by training and some mentoring.”

“Good for you,” I said. “I guess I will have to learn everything from you but, unfortunately, not soon enough. I still don’t have any insight on what to do here.”

I was really disappointed. If a department could accomplish such a turnaround, then there had to be a strategy that worked, and it might be applicable to my situation. I desperately wanted to know what they did, and I thought Peyton would be able to tell me.

“You mentioned a good news element, too. Care to elaborate on that?”

“Oh, that’s right. I did, didn’t I? What do you have planned for tomorrow? Can you break away from your work to accompany me on the orientation? The group feels very confident about their progress and is willing to act as a benchmark for other companies. I asked if you could join me and, since our companies don’t compete in the same market, both my boss and the industrial market department manager agreed to have you come. They think it’ll be good for the associates in the department to talk about the differences between how they do things now and how they used to do them. They feel they’ll gain confidence in their progress and actually recognize how far they’ve come. Can you make it?”

“Wow, give me a minute to understand this offer. You’re telling me that tomorrow, I’m going to be allowed to enter your company and participate in a benchmarking tour, where I’ll learn about the changes your industrial market department has made, bring that knowledge and information back with me, and then apply it? Is that what you’re asking? Yes, of course I want to go, but I’ll have to clear it with my boss. When do you need to know?”

“Actually, I anticipated that you would be coming, so I tentatively committed for you. You should come by at 8 a.m. tomorrow. I’ll give you directions later. When you get here, go to the front lobby, sign in, and someone will come out to meet you. The tour could take the whole day, and we’re counting on you asking a lot of questions. With you probing to understand how and why things have changed, the associates will have to explain it to you, and they’ll better realize their own understanding. So, we gain from this as well.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll let you know if there’s some reason I won’t be able to make it, but I can’t imagine what could keep me away. If needed, should I call you at this number or your cell?”

“Call my cell,” replied Peyton. “I don’t expect to be spending much time at my desk in the next 2 weeks.”

“Thanks, Peyton,” I said. “I owe you one. I sure am glad we met up at that conference last week.”

This could be the breakthrough I needed to get things moving. I had to do this the next day, no question.

As I was musing over my newfound fortune, I suddenly realized that Chris needed to know about the plan and agree to it. I began to generate a document that would illustrate the importance of this opportunity. It took some time, but when I was done, I had something I was confident would do the trick.

It was near enough to when we were supposed to meet, so I printed my document and headed to Chris’s office, stopping in the doorway and waiting to be noticed. After a moment, Chris looked up and said, “Hi, Pat. I was just thinking about you. How’s it going? Have you made any breakthroughs?”

“My new plan is to copy another company’s success,” I blurted out. Well, nothing like cutting to the chase.

“Let me try that again.”

I handed Chris the document, then realized I did the same thing yesterday before promptly losing control of the meeting. Determined to be a participant in this one, I said, “Let me take you through the list and offer my thoughts as we go.”

Not waiting for approval, I began to read: “The original plan didn’t work because, one, we lost sight of the big picture, and two, we had the wrong scope and focused only on our major customers.”

I stopped reading from the list and added, “So, the scope was inappropriately limited because I wasn’t confident we could accomplish what we need to. I’ve changed my thinking about that and realize now that we’re going to have to figure out how to handle all of our customers.”

Chris nodded, and I continued.

“I reviewed my list of reasons, but I was unable to come up with any additional insights. Last week, I attended a conference and reconnected with an old college acquaintance, who works at another company with similar processes to ours where they’ve made great progress in both the time it takes to process claims and their ability to hit their promise dates.”

“OK, I’m listening,” said Chris.

“We can determine how feasible it is for us to implement a similar process,” I said. “Can it be done here? I hope so, yes. Tomorrow, I’ll be allowed to benchmark that company’s processes and gain exposure to what they do.”

“That sounds fine,” said Chris. “I agree you have a great opportunity to benchmark another company, and there’s no crime in copying what works.”

“So, I have your approval to go tomorrow?” I asked, a little surprised.

“Yes, most certainly. I hope you find something there you can bring back and apply. But, if you don’t, we can discuss other options. I have confidence in you, Pat. That’s why I hired you 8 months ago, and that’s why I’m keeping you on this project.”

“Thanks, Chris,” I said. “Anything else?”

“Nope, that’ll do it. Let’s meet on Friday to review what you find tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “See you then.”

Now that was a good meeting, I thought as I left the room. I was able to participate, and Chris was supportive. I guess I tend to be more convincing when my arguments have some substance to them. I had to let Peyton know I was confirmed for the next day.

I called Peyton’s cell phone and got no answer, so I left a voice mail stating I would be in the lobby by 8 o’clock on Thursday morning. Later that afternoon, Peyton called back to let me know the best route to the company considering the construction, traffic patterns, and road conditions. It was a nice touch, and it left me feeling upbeat at the end of the day. I packed up, grabbed my driving directions, and left the office, excited for the next day.

From the Author

A common approach utilized by companies to solve their problems is to benchmark what others have done. It seems like a logical strategy: If other organizations have faced similar problems, it makes sense to visit them and see what they did to solve them. Once the visit is complete, the attendees then take what worked at the host organization and apply it at their own business.

While benchmarking tours can be useful in helping companies gain insight on how other companies addressed issues and solved specific problems, they can also drive a “cut-and-paste” mentality that can have limited value when attempting to design a complete system of information flow. In this mentality, the thinking would be, “We need a visual board just like that.” Rather than look for solutions, a good benchmarking visit asks why a company did what it did, takes a deep dive into the process used, and examines how the company approached improvement.

Complicating matters further is that on a typical benchmarking tour, the participants are only able to observe the results of what was done. It is often challenging to see (as in physically see with your eyes) the process that was applied to achieve those results. It is also usually difficult to observe or understand any iteration that had to transpire to achieve the finalized state that is being showcased on the benchmarking tour. Normally, the only iteration available to the benchmarking participants is the one currently in use during the normal day-to-day running of the business; the other iterations that came before it have been either refined or eliminated.

A good benchmarking tour would include an educational component with the tour, preferably before the tour. The more information flow-level education that can be taught, the better, as this enables the attendees to understand the rationale behind why the process was applied in certain ways, not just how it was applied.

With this understanding, participants can then also identify key differences between their businesses and work out how to adapt the process when they go to implement it at their own business. This makes it less likely that attendees will attempt to “fit a square peg into a round hole” by trying to apply solutions that simply will not work at their organizations. Instead, providing information flow-level education and understanding the principles and guidelines used increases the likelihood that there will be tangible takeaways from the benchmarking tour, ones that can then be applied by the participants at their own organizations for positive results.