PDSA: The Magic Key to Success

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” – Amelia Earhart

Although we are only a few weeks into the New Year, we should be able to answer one key question: "Am I taking planned and consistent action toward the goals and objectives I've set for 2017?" This assumes of course that we've taken the time to write down our goals and objectives, our personal resolutions, and a plan for achievement. If not, make it priority to get this done as soon as possible. It is difficult to take effective and consistent action without a clear understanding of what we want -- and the benefits of our accomplishment -- or the consequences of our failure.

Ask most business professionals "how's it going?" and you're likely to get the response, "busy" a large percentage of the time. Shouldn't the logical follow up question be: "Busy doing what?" This is not to imply the person is in any way being untruthful, for there is little doubt that he or she really is -- busy. Rather, it is an opportunity for a little inward reflection and honest appraisal of our progress -- not our intended progress, but our actual results. It isn't always easy or comfortable, but the rewards of success rarely are. If we carefully observe the most successful people we know, we'll usually see a pattern of courage, stick-to-itiveness, and a commitment to a cycle of continuous improvement.

A great model for such improvement comes from quality and engineering guru, W. Edwards Demming. The PDSA Cycle, first introduced by Demming's mentor, Walter Shewhart, "is a systematic series of steps for gaining valuable learning and knowledge for the continual improvement of a product or process." As business professionals, we represent and embody both product and process as we travel down the narrow road to success. So, it makes sense to take a look at how PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) can help us make better decisions as to which actions we should take. Here's how it works:

Plan: The first step is to clearly identify a goal or meaningful objective. In making this plan it is important to include needed resources as well as, success metrics and financial impact. I recommend this be written down in the form of an annual business plan with 90 day mile markers to track and evaluate progress.

Do: As its name would indicate, this is the implementation step. While it makes logical sense that this step is a given, it is not always the case. Think back to how many ideas and plans you've never actually taken action on. Perhaps it was an underdeveloped plan, or fear that stopped you from moving forward. If you're like me, there are still a few of these rolling around in your head or sketched out on a napkin or notepad. To think is not to do. Make the commitment to implement the plan, and then be prepared to measure the result at intervals of no more than 90 days.

Study: At this step, outcomes are monitored or checked to test or verify the validity of the plan. It is an honest look at our progress and a point at which we may have to ask ourselves some tough questions about our performance, our successes, our failures, and our true commitment to our goal. It is also important to identify problems, and areas of significant improvement. But it can't stop here. It is important to use the information we've just acquired to improve our results.

Act: This is the crucial step in which the discoveries and observations from the entire cycle are put into an action plan and fully implemented. It is here where we may need to adjust the plan, refocus our actions or even scrap the plan altogether in favor of a better one. For the most part, the goal remains the same while the plans, resources, or implementation changes.

When implemented as a continuous cycle of systematic improvement, The PDSA Cycle can help streamline the success process by directing our attention and our actions toward our highest priorities. Give it a try.

Also published on LinkedIn.

About the Author: Terry Crouson is the Owner and Head Coach at Silver Coach Solutions, LLC and is currently doing business as The Growth Coach of West Metro Detroit. He is dedicated to helping business owners, executives, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and self-employed professionals find their way by finding their why. He is a highly respected business coach, speaker, facilitator, and community builder. Terry is certified in the Strategic Mindset Process, and is also a DISC Certified Behavioral Consultant.