From COTS to CHAOS

I’ve been part of a COT (Critical Operating Tasks) system, the means by which individual performance is gauged, for a number years. Never have I developed or been given a COT that said, “Don’t change anything”. COTs, by their very nature, require a task to be completed that yields a measurable improvement (a change).

The change seldom has an impact only on the changer. And, the higher you go in the organization the more “changee’s” there are in your drop zone. If you are in a support organization (staff function) the change is almost always internally focused. So let’s have some math fun: 20,000 employees with 5 COTs each affecting 10 other employees on average equates to 1,000,000 changes (per performance year!).

Of course, if you work in any type of matrix organization, I am sure there is no COT conflict between work groups and people. And even if there was, I am sure the company has invested in excellent processes and resources dedicated to resolving conflict. And, of course, COTs never change within a performance year either.

COTS are the undiscovered source of stress, waste and distraction. In the aggregate, they destroy more than they create. Customers don’t buy COTs. They are looking for great products at attractive prices. At the end of the day, what do we want to be asking ourselves? “How did I do against my COTs?” or “How did I serve the customer today?”.