Xator Corporation provides services on innovative security solutions in various areas: cybersecurity, national security, critical infrastructure protection, and many others. The corporation’s mission is to provide clients with a secure environment for the effective continuation of their work. The vision of the company is to be a reliable partner who will offer outstanding approaches to security. Taking into account specifics of the corporation’s work and the weaknesses and threads identified earlier in the SWOT analysis, Gemba focused on the process of developing strategies and approaches, as well as staff interaction during the process, coordination of employees. Walking Gemba is an excellent method for identifying often immeasurable phenomena or elements that are critical to the company (Petruska, 2018). Its purpose is to identify real problems, those aspects that are not given sufficient attention. Moreover, the task also includes identifying potential solutions to existing problems.
To understand the coordination processes of employees and evaluate the effectiveness of creating a product, it was necessary to take a walk through departments responsible for these tasks. Monitoring was carried out on the ways of allocating working time, exchanging information, maintaining documentation, determining timings and reporting dates for the work done, and much more. All staff involved in the processes were observed and interviewed. It was essential to understand how responsibilities were distributed and whether the principles of interchangeability and mutual assistance work to fulfill a particular task.
It was found that some staff had insufficient motivation to work, which negatively affected overall effectiveness. The reasons for this problem were identified in the SWOT analysis – inequality in the pay system, micromanagement, and the absence of a criterion for evaluation. Based on the results obtained, several areas and goals can be identified, which will help to increase the effectiveness of the coordination and interaction process of employees. The long-term goal is to create conditions for the better motivation of staff. The work of each team member must be supported by the rules for performing the work itself, the rules for interaction between workers, and motivation. Each employee should be interested in achieving the most effective practice and getting the best results.
One can also propose several short-term goals. The first goal is establishing more definite rules for communication, providing the possibility for asynchronous communication. It assumes that information is sent when it is convenient for one side, and the other part of the system receives a message and responds to it when it is convenient. Thus, the recipient workflow is not disrupted, and employees can focus on an important task. The exception can only be for urgent messages or questions.
Secondly, before starting a project or task, the staff involved in the process should have the opportunity for open discussion or even a challenge. It is essential to discuss each staff member’s plan of action and responsibilities, after which everyone will act in an agreed scenario. During such a discussion, new useful ideas may arise, and employees will feel control over their activities. Moreover, it will help to understand the purpose of the work and add motivation to its execution.
The final objective is to establish a system of evaluation and monitoring of staff activities that will not oppress their freedom but will allow them to allocate their time effectively. The credibility of staff members would have a positive impact on their effectiveness. Moreover, it will help determine their competence level, which includes knowledge, understanding, skills, and personal qualities. In case of failure to perform the required work, the inefficient employee will drop out.
References
Petruska, R. (2018). Gemba walks for service excellence: The step-by-step guide for identifying service delighters. CRC Press.