Plan, Do, Assess, Adjust
By Keith Hartman – Interim CEO of Botetourt Chamber of Commerce
Plan, Do, Assess, Adjust is a guiding principle that I have tried to follow for years. It is a modification of W. Edwards Demings’ famous continuous improvement circle, Plan, Do, Check, (or Study) Act. Demings was an eminent statistician, teacher, and consultant who taught and wrote on many subjects, from statistics to production systems to psychology, but was best known as a master of the concept of continuous improvement of quality.
Deming’s pioneering work in Japan helped the Japanese industry rebuild after World War II on a foundation of continuous improvement. Demings only went to Japan after finding no takers for his concepts domestically, for reasons that were based mostly on perceived need, and driven by the conditions of the time.
Plan, Do, Assess, Adjust, resonates with me because in my experience the line from Point A to Point B is seldom straight. Life is a series of zigs and zags, based on how others respond to the things that we do, and how we respond to conditions and others. We start out with a plan, and then implement the plan. Next, things happen in response to the stimulus of the implementation, both expected and unexpected. Lastly, we pause and assess what happened and why, and then finally adjust. And repeat the cycle. Moreover, the agility inherent in this process can in turn result in creativity and innovation that would not have occurred without that need to make an adjustment and change in the first place.
Sometimes the changes in conditions occur over a long period of time. An industry in which we spent our entire career declines, or even dies. Consumer tastes change. Distribution patterns and purchasing methodologies change.
At other times, the changes can occur much more quickly. A competitor opens or closes. A large employer leaves, or arrives, because of changes in conditions. And sometimes once-in-a-lifetime things happen, like a pandemic.
When these things happen, when you have to adjust, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. I have always been intrigued by how the different parts of a community interact with and impact one another, and how in working together they truly become a community, a place where people and businesses want to come, and to stay.
Within that holistic view of a community, chambers are ideally positioned to be the hub through which all of the individual spokes connect. Chambers can facilitate cooperation and collaboration, and help to compound individual impact. Chambers can connect you with resources, make connections, or guide you to someone who might be in someone else’s network and who may be able to help. Chambers can expose you to new ideas, new perspectives, and new friends or acquaintances. Dots that may connect, sometimes in unpredictable ways.
Plan, Do, Assess, Adjust. Let’s go far together!
