Idea Ownership Doesn't Matter Until It Does

November 29 2021
By: Shawn M. Galloway

When consulting on how best to implement a safety improvement process, I received candid feedback from an employee. The client, located at the Port of Los Angeles, had one of the best 5S approaches I've personally witnessed. I tend to see more 4S programs as the 5th S (Sustain) is the most difficult to obtain.

As the implementation process would affect how people perform their work and would depend heavily on employee involvement, it made sense to have this be the 6th S - Safety. After assessing the systems and culture, this made sense to the safety manager and me. We pitched this idea to the hourly Chairperson of the 5S committee. His response, "It is like we built this successful new harbor, and now here you come with your new ship to tie off to it." Ouch. Message received.

In parallel, we stood up this separate committee. After a year of great success, it was time for me to disengage and ensure the committee's longevity was structured well without my support. When doing this, I'll audit the efforts and ensure they have a robust plan for the following year. The 5S Chairperson asked to sit in on the close-out meeting. Afterward, he wanted to speak with the safety manager and me. Following his positive feedback on the last 12 months, he proposed, "Wouldn't it make sense for us to merge these two approaches? I feel we are going after similar things, and it isn't very efficient." The safety manager, and I quickly looked at each other and, almost in harmony, replied, "That's a great idea!"

"True ownership of anything requires time."" - Barbara Holland

"Share ownership of your ideas. The more people who lie awake in bed thinking about your idea, the better."" - Scott Belsky