Step 3 - Design
Now it’s time to design the plan. What are you going to do, how will you do it, and what will success look like?
View a short training on this topic.
Define your goal
What would you really like to have happen? What did you identify as your target for improvement? Based on your target, develop a plan with the team to work toward and achieve that target. Is the goal to reduce strain injuries? Improve morale among workers on the nightshift? Reduce fatigue within your workforce during high demand production season? Make sure your target goal is specific.
Path to success
Any road to success has a clear path and milestones along the way to let you know you are getting closer to your destination. What milestones (or objectives) would work for your path to success? Make sure you consider milestones that help mark small successes and show that you are moving in the right direction. Remember to include some leeway so you can adjust your plan in case there are unexpected challenges. For example, you hit your first milestone (a survey of questions sent to all workers), but you fall short on your second milestone of getting a 70% response rate. Include in your plan what you might do. Plot your path and create milestones that will help you measure when you are getting close and when you hit your target.
Where to start
Design your plan so that the first step is pointing toward your target goal and all other steps move you forward. If the first step is to establish a baseline to measure success, how will you do that? If your top priority identified by the worker survey is to reduce back injuries, purchasing a piece of equipment, moving equipment, or redesigning a workspace could be your first step. Remember to use a layered approach – actions at the organizational level will be more effective than those only targeting individuals. For example, redesigning a production area to be more ergonomically friendly is more effective than only training workers on proper body position. Doing both would be even more effective. Whatever it is, write it down and map out your next steps and milestones to make it happen.
Focus on policy and practice
Focusing on policy and practice have wider reaching impacts. Are there things you discovered when beginning this process that need to be addressed? Perhaps work-life policies need to be updated and communicated. Updating policies and expecting leaders at all levels to begin practicing more supportive behaviors is essential to creating cultural change.
Keep it up!
Consider how you will maintain momentum once things get going. Will you have a check-in after a certain milestone or time period? Are there things you can plan for now that will encourage continued effort? Communicate achievements as you go, so workers know that things are moving in the right direction. A message from leadership is a great way to communicate support, and keep everyone engaged and moving on the path forward. Design your process in a way that motivates your workforce throughout the process.
Resources
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