When organizations make the decision to transition from capital investments to human capital investments, DB&A’s model of intensive coaching at all levels of management can maximize the financial return and provides the sustainability to continuously improve on a foundation built from “grass root” efforts. Here are three distinct examples:
Example One
A Tier 1 Automotive Supplier was superb at engineering products, assembly lines, machining, and other processes. We became successful as partners because of our focus on front-line leaders in executing the work. Initially, the client thought that they could learn the lessons and apply the training on their own. However, after experiencing the speed at which we operated and the “human engineering” skills we deployed, the client decided to expand our services to their ten remaining facilities. It was a perfect match. The client brought Deming’s principles and right processes to the table, and we helped them execute well by building the skills of the front-line leaders and by developing the overall organization.
Example Two
A few weeks after an analysis and starting a project, one of our top clients shared that we had undersold the human behavior side of our coaching. He was surprised by the amount of vigor we brought to the investment in human capital. He was amazed by our “critical eye” and frank conversations to improve leadership skills.
Example Three
At a molding facility, the client had made millions of dollars in capital investments over the years in new presses and new technology but did not invest in the development of their leaders. The decision to bring DB&A in for a project implementation resulted in individual leaders developing the skills needed to get the most out of their capital investments. While the rate of return (over 3:1) exceeded the client’s financial commitments, the senior leaders appreciated the individual leadership development and growth of the supervisors and managers most of all.