This is a stand-alone overview of Scott Simmerman's approach to managing roadblocks to dis-un-engage people for workplace improvement. Using Square Wheels and LEGO, it shares ideas for identifying things that stop people from performance and ideas for generating team-based problem solving processes. Stupidly Simple.

1. Managing Roadblocks to
Improve Performance +
Engagement + Innovation
© Performance Management Company, 2015 Square Wheels® is a registered trademark of Performance Management Company
© Performance Management Company, 2015

2. There is a wonderful literature building around the issues of
thinking and how we deal with the world around us. Each of
us has built-in neuropsychological biases for how we view the
world and process ideas.
Each of us has a base of experience upon which we overlay
new information and categorize things into a manageable and
acceptable understanding. We also do things differently.
There has been so much written about teams and teamwork
and the opportunities and issues that a simple understanding
is difficult. There are the 5 Dysfunctions of teams and the
personalities of teams and the thinking patterns of themes
and other systems that it makes it difficult to see the
simplicity of teams and team thinking. After all,
All of us know more than any of us.

3. There are dozens of books and hundreds of models and all this
apparent complexity seems to get in the way of us thinking
through what we can choose to do differently.
Biases and thinking patterns and personality types all seem to
signal that there is no simple solution that a manager can take
to make improvements and involve and engage their people.
So, the driving force for the development of these ideas and
materials is simplicity. The goal is to clear the path for
changing behavior of ourselves and others.
This overview and its related toolkit float above all the theory
to drive how each of us can use group thinking and roadblock
management processes to make workplace improvements.
Just DO it!
Let’s Choose to Change how we Roll!!

5. I judge myself by my
intentions but they
judge me by my
behavior, I guess…
So, our story begins with our manager understanding that
people can choose to do something differently to involve and
engage the team and improve workplace performance.
Let’s stop and take a
look at how things
are working…

6. Once that reflection process on reality begins, it enables us to
step back from the wagon and to look for possibilities for
performance improvement.
You cannot keep doing the same things and expect things to
change or improve. And you cannot stay isolated at the front.
How things really work
Ideas for improvement that already exist
Long rope
I want to help!

7. Also remember that
the view at the back
of the wagon is
different than the
view at the front.
Improvement comes
from leaders sharing
visions and involving
people in the process
of implementing
ideas and
improvements.
Engagement comes
from being engaged!

8. We also know that change is often actively resisted. People do
NOT like to do things differently. They need to understand
purpose and reason as well as have a vested interest in seeing
attractive new possibilities. Basically, you can assume that their
ownership of the ideas and involvement in solutions are critical
factors in their acceptance of the discomfort of change.
My Ideas -- our ideas -- are better than his ideas, for sure!

9. There are lots
of reasons for
all of this, but
the basic one
is simple:
Nobody ever
washes a
rental car.
Lets do things differently!
Lets do things with people,
not to them…
This way!
This is motivating?

10. For the moment, let’s accept the reality that things could be
better, that there exist some Round Wheels that could be
implemented and that would be an improvement over how
things are done now.
• Let’s assume that the workplace dynamic is such that people
are not involved and engaged and offering ideas for
improvement.
• Let’s also assume that some people feel roadblocked, that
there are things that get in the way of them performing.
• Let’s also assume that we can do a better job of asking them
about their ideas, since statistics on the workplace often
show that people feel no one is listening.
• And, let’s assume that you can put them into small groups,
give them paper and pen and ask them for the list.
Ask, and ye shall receive.
Let’s just ask them to share their long list of things that get in the way…

11. Allow them to work in groups of four to six people and give
them paper to use to collect ideas. Give them sufficient time
to brainstorm any and all of the issues they can think of.
Ask them to share any and all. Maybe you can get them to
write on a sheet of easel paper and put them up on the wall,
allowing someone from each group to discuss each of them.
Do whatever you need to do to generate a complete list. The
important thing is to get a full list so the group can deal with
them at one time.
Then explain that you will share a simple model for dealing
with roadblocks that they can apply to what people feel it is
that gets in the way of workplace performance or
improvement.
Share this general model. Explain.
And then ask them to put some numbers on their items…

12. Type 1
Consider there
to be 4 types of
Roadblocks and
many strategies
to deal with
them.
This is a
It represents
those things that
are BIG and
difficult to deal
with.
Type One.

13. Type 1
Dealing with a Type
One often means
escalating it up the
chain of command.
Give these to more
senior managers
who have more
power and more
resources, but with
an explanation of
impacts and
benefits for
improvement,
along with ideas for
fixing it. You
generally cannot
address these…

14. Type 2 and Type 1
The Type Two
Roadblock is
also difficult to
deal with, but a
team of people
often has the
power to move
them, if they are
given the time
and resources to
deal with them.
These can be
solved and
improved!

15. Type 2 and Type 1
Type Two
Roadblocks
require
planning and
collaboration
to manage
them most
effectively, in
most cases.

16. Here is Susan.
She is doing what
average employees
do in the workplace –
staring at the
roadblocks blocking
her performance.
She is un-empowered
to act, dis-engaged
and discouraged. Like
most people, she will
simply continue to do
what she has always
done and nothing will
change.
Un-motivated, un-empowered, un-involved and dis-engaged

17. Susan does not
see lots of choices
or have many
considered
alternatives.
Motivation to
improve may
exist, but it is
eventually
extinguished by
workplace reality.
The good
employees just get
tired… Unmotivated, un-empowered, un-involved and dis-engaged
but you cannot blame Susan. Blame the workplace.

18. Type 1 and
Type 2
These types of
roadblocks are
fairly common
and require
organizational
resources and
/ or political
power to deal
with them.
Often, they are
inter-
departmental
in nature.

19. Type 1 and
Type 2
Are these
roadblocks
worth fixing?
They are, in
many cases. And
addressing them
can have many
positive impacts
on people in the
workplace.
Roadblocks are
frustrating and
de-energizing to
most employees.
Often, they represent innovations.

20. Understand that
there are a LOT of
Type Three
Roadblocks in the
workplace. You can
see that little has
changed, from
Susan’s perspective,
so these also seem
to block
performance.
From her view, one
roadblock looks like
another.

21. But from our
different viewpoint
or perspective, we
can clearly see that
the three are not
all the same and
that the Type Three
is much less
formidable and
inhibiting, if we
choose to DO
something...
(push!)

22. With these Type
Three roadblocks,
you can clearly see
that a little bit of
effort could readily
move it.
But if you have
spent your life
fruitlessly pushing
against Type One
and Type Two
Roadblocks, why
would you think
you could possibly
move this one?
(Getting people to do things differently is a competency of a Change Manager.)

23. The term for this
is “conditioned
helplessness”
and it refers to
the reality that
people simply
give up trying
and just stand
there, doing
nothing to
change their
environment
even when they
can.
Push me, Push me! Just do it!
It’s not uncommon… People develop mindsets to support doing nothing.

24. Type 3
and
Type 4
Here, we add the Type Four Roadblocks, which are the
ones you THINK exist or the ones you have heard about.
You know they exist because you believe they exist.

25. Even with us knocking
down a roadblock
does not change
Susan’s reality if she is
still staring forward
and not looking for
possibilities.
As leaders, we owe it
to ourselves and to
our people to actively
look for new and
better ways to
improve working
conditions and
workplace
performance.

26. Coaching individuals
and teams on
workplace
improvement and
ideas for innovation
and change just
makes sense.
Managers and
Supervisors can do a
lot to help change
people’s perceptions
about how things
work and what can
be done differently.

27. Square Wheels® is a registered trademark of Performance Management Company
When you forget there is a wagon
back there, much less people.
ISOLATION

28. Stop the Pulling and Pushing. Talk about the Issues and Opportunities.
Hey, guys! Let’s have a
meeting and discuss some
possibilities for improvement!

29. Talk.
Look.
See.
Consider.
What can I do differently?

30. Change people’s perspectives on things through communications and play.

31. Playing
around with
new ideas
only seems
dangerous if
we are not
used to
playing
around with
new ideas…

32. And by getting
the group more
involved and
engaged, you
increase the
collaboration
and teamwork,
as well as the
ideas for
innovation.

33. Let them
knock
some
things
down
and see
what
they
discover.

34. Let their peers
offer their support
for these ideas and
behaviors.
Yay!
Yay!
Yay!Yay!

35. Realize that all of us are in this together, even them!

37. Performance Management
Company sells SIMPLE tools
you can use for improving
engagement, teamwork, and
facilitating workplace
performance results.
Our materials are VERY easy
to facilitate, inexpensive,
and flexible enough to work
in every sort of situation
where you engage people
for workplace improvement.

39. We are constantly developing
and sharing simple tools for
organizational improvement
like our complete
Roadblocks Management
Toolkit.
Pay us a visit!
www.PerformanceManagementCompany.com

40. Thoughts on Roadblocks
For the past 30 years, we have supported trainers and
consultants with simple and effective toolkits for managing
and leading change and for innovation and team building.
For the FUN of It!
Scott Simmerman, Ph.D. CPF CPT
Managing Partner
and these ideas for improving
innovation and involvement.
I hope that you liked our
www.PerformanceManagementCompany.com
© Performance Management Company, 2015 Square Wheels® is a registered trademark of Performance Management Company