There is always a weak link in the chain! But how do you discover it?

Organisations, teams and business processes all have ‘weak links in the chain’. What I like about this saying and analogy is that it highlights two very important points. The obvious one is that when the link breaks the chain is no longer useful. But the second point is that without non-destructive testing you cannot identify the weak link before it breaks.

Often within organisations and teams we complete our diagnosis after the chain has broken. Key team members leave the organisation, projects fail, sub-contractor agreements breakdown and enter dispute. We have all experienced the post ‘broken chain’ review and reflections.

The problem with these reviews are that only ‘fix-up’ or ‘make-good’ solutions emerge. How can a new member seamlessly join the team and create strong ties to re-link the chain back to its old strength? We often believe our ‘fix-up’ and ‘make-good’ solutions will easily restore the link. Sometimes we even believe it will make our chain better.

So how do we carry out non-destructive testing to determine where the weak links are?

Start by shining the spotlight upon your high performance areas. Often these areas of strength create the greatest risk of failure.

We naturally enjoy areas of strength and from strength comes success. As the success grows, so does the organisation’s expectations and reliance upon these strengths. Recently I have worked with a team that had become heavily dependent upon a few highly capable individuals. These team members were very good at winning work and delivering projects. Their success increased everyone’s workload and the team’s commercial performance. But their success was beginning to emerge as a possible weak link in the chain.

As you begin to shine the spotlight across the strengths of your organisation, teams and business processes ask the following questions;

• How can we protect our strength?

• How can we grow our strength?

Answers to these ‘non-destructive testing’ questions will begin to protect your organisations, teams and business processes against failures from the weak links.

At Joseph Consulting we are passionate about enhancing and protecting team and organisational strengths. Please call Joseph Consulting if you would like to discuss how to ensure you don’t experience a weak link failure.

Jason Gallagher

Director

Joseph Consulting