Why Simple Concepts Win Over Complex Models and Frameworks?

Models and frameworks like TQM, ISO, EFQM, CMMI, Six Sigma are like the same wine in different bottles.

They may try to create the impression of being unique in both their value proposition and orientation but are essentially one and the same.

What they are good at is making simple concepts appear and sound complex.

It need not be that way.

There is a cottage industry of consultants, auditors, trainers, etc. who have a vested interest in promoting and propagating these complex models and frameworks.

Terms and jargons like TQM, ISO, EFQM, CMMI, Six Sigma seem to suggest the person uttering them is some expert.

The reality is far away from the above.

No one can openly and honestly accept that though.

We all need to be hypocrites to maintain the fake decorum.

In many of the conferences on these complex models and frameworks this kind of stupid behaviour is on open display.

There are those venerable folks who are experts in verbal diaorrhea.

They keep on saying many things, unrelated and mostly silly in nature.

These folks are more vulnerable than venerable since they are under pressure due to their hidden need to maintain their standing in such forums.

They somehow end up joining all and every meeting.

And say things like we need to improve humanity, we need to work for the welfare of the society and the country, we need to have this for prosperity or that for prosperity.

You can never be in agreement with their thoughts in a genuine sense but must wear the facade of being respectful and attentive.

And unfortunately, such folks say that same thing again and again and again.

When you clear the clutter and remove the flab wrapped around the Models and frameworks like TQM, ISO, EFQM, CMMI, Six Sigma what emerges is something very simple yet beautiful and powerful.

The simple concepts win over complex models and frameworks.

Any day.

What are these simple concepts and why is it important to understand them accurately?

The answer is this - these are the guiding and the driving forces for any organization that wants to succeed and sustain that success, not just tomorrow or day after but for ever.

The simple and powerful concepts are the heart of how to make an organization successful.

For understanding these, one needs to go back to the basics, the very fundamental elements of business success.

All models and frameworks end up unnecessarily complicating the fundamental elements.

They put too much of dirt and grease to the simple concepts.

The fundamental truth is that an organization needs to fully take care of the interests and needs of its stakeholders.

Nothing more to that and nothing less to that.

Period.

The high-sounding terms and models cannot obfuscate this simple truth.

The simple concepts are as encapsulated below.

As a company you just need to focus on the following simple concepts:

Keep your customers satisfied and if possible, delighted

• Not because you can charge them more money but because you can charge them for more time
• Because they can act as powerful references for you to get more customers

Keep your employees happy and if possible, engaged

• Because they will give their 100% without imposing too many controls on them
• Because they will stay longer with you

Keep your investor's financial interests safe and if possible, make them really rich

• Because they will continue to stay invested and maybe invest even more
• Because other investors will also get interested to place their bets on you

Keep the government agencies content with your level of compliance and corporate ethics and if possible, become a perfect corporate citizen

• Because the authorities will be mindful of your strong reputation when dealing with you
• Because this will attract certain select group of highly successful investors who only invest in ethical companies and once they invest the market capitalization goes up steeply

The above simple concepts are more than enough.

There is no need of the complex models and frameworks like TQM, ISO, EFQM, CMMI, Six Sigma in the real sense.

They can still be used though.

They don't provide any news fundamental concepts but can provide some useful ideas.

They are still important in some sense as they provide work to the cottage industry of consultants, auditors, trainers, etc.

How Much Value Do Model-based Appraisers and Consultants Add?

The question "how much value do model-based appraisers and consultants really add?" is an interesting one.

In fact, it is quite a fundamental question.

But the more fundamental question is this:

"Do they actually add much value?"

And perhaps the most fundamental questions of all would be:

"Do they actually add any value?"

Most of them do little or no value addition.

Appraiser and Consultant - No Value, No Need

The consultants and appraisers are, at the core, mostly one-trick ponies who regurgitate the same set of nonsense whichever organization they go to.

The work like a pair of clowns who ask dumb questions and expect you to think they are smart.

They re-phrase and paraphrase your questions and ask them back.

That's very irritating, to say the least.

They have some rigid notions about the concepts and terms and refuse to see the underlying logic that governs those concepts and terms.

They have no concrete and specific solutions to offer.

So you can expect them to only say this much:

"We ask questions".

Well, what else would someone do when he or she doesn't know the basic stuff?

They know something is crystal clear.

But they would go on and on and repeatedly raise the same, silly and invalid questions.

And to prove their point, they repeat a falsehood again and again.

In every discussion, they hover around the same set of points like:

• You must understand the pain points
• this is a completely nonsensical point 
• you would start an initiative only when you have a business need, real or perceived
• no one would allocate budget for an activity if there is no business case for it
• You must articulate the business problem clearly
• this is another utterly nonsensical and comical point
• articulation of a business problem is not a linear thing and is done based on the context and the level of the person it is being communicated to
• Also business problems may not always be straightforward, number-based statements but may involve complex, subjective issues with multiple dimensions
• You must have the data for this and for that
• one big question is why should you collect the data without any thought to the overall burden of collecting that data?
• ignoring the ROI of data collection is a clear reflection of the ignorance of the consultant and appraiser who suggest get the data for this and for that
• data should be seen in the context of process and should not be used to blindly infer and conclude anything about the process
• You only would need to define the right approach for doing this
• then what are you doing and why are you needed?
• the consultant and appraiser need to be a part of the solution and not offer arcane and generic and non-implementable suggestions
• everyone knows the usual stuff and if you can't suggest the specifics then you are good for nothing as a consultant and appraiser

It is interesting to note here that many, if not all, pairs of consultant and appraiser are actually good for nothing.

It is, therefore, very important for an organization to thoroughly evaluate the competency of the consultant and appraiser they are hiring.

You are paying them to be a part of the solution and not to just give you some kind of gyan.

You have to set the context and clear the situation by calling a spade as a spade.

You are paying them.

So you better ask them to listen to you.

You have to manage and drive them.

What if they refuse to get the signal?

There is a very simple answer to that.

Change your consultant and appraiser next time around.

They should not become like a millstone around you neck.

They better add value.

Or you kick them out.

So if there is no value from a consultant and appraiser then there is absolutely no need of such a consultant and appraiser.