EP182 – Breaking the BLOW Cycle

Are you tired of striving to optimize your organization, only to fall into the same old traps? You might be caught in the BLOW Cycle. Learn how to break free and achieve real progress!

#AdvancedQualityPrograms #TheQualityGuy #BreakTheCycle

Today, we will revisit the topic of quality processes and methods. If your company wants to improve its performance, continuous improvement is essential. We explored continuous improvement and the Deming Cycle in podcast episodes 15 and 156. Now, we will examine this idea from a different perspective.

In the busy environment of corporate offices, where buzzwords are common and PowerPoint presentations abound, many organizations unknowingly follow a unique cycle. This cycle, called the BLOW Cycle (Blame, Legitimize, Overcomplicate, Withdraw), demonstrates exactly how not to improve processes.

Take, for example, the fictional company “InnovateCorp.” This company prides itself on its dedication to continuous improvement. However, it has unknowingly fallen into the trap of the BLOW Cycle.

Blame – Announce and Assign Fault

A new initiative begins with the CEO, Mr. Visionary, gathering his team. He declares, “We need drastic change! This team has been underperforming.” Instead of identifying the problem and its root causes, he blames past leadership and external factors. He says, “If only people had done things correctly in the past, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” He then sets unrealistic goals without any proper planning.

Legitimize – Justify with Buzzwords and Flimsy Logic

The management team, led by Ms. Jargon, defends the CEO’s decisions. They begin with vague case studies, stating, “A Fortune 500 company did this, so it must work!” They overuse buzzwords like synergy, world-class, make it happen, and best practices, even when these words are unrelated to the situation. They dismiss concerns by presenting PowerPoint slides filled with meaningless arrows and circles. They insist, “Our competitors are doing something similar, and we can’t fall behind!” However, they fail to provide a clear direction or a defined path for the team to follow.

Overcomplicate – Create Unnecessary Bureaucracy and Confusion

As the initiative progresses, Mr. Bureaucrat intervenes. He ensures that no task is complete without excessive procedures and unrealistic demands. He drafts a 100-page approval process that no one follows because it leads nowhere. Simple tasks now require multiple layers of approval. The team schedules meetings to plan additional meetings that address meaningless tasks. Employees spend more time creating unnecessary documentation than doing valuable work. Projects come to a halt due to endless bureaucracy, while the customer waits. At this point, team members begin arguing, saying, “We tried this in the past, and it didn’t work.” The overspecification now creates more problems than solutions.

Withdraw – Quietly Drop the Initiative and Assign Blame Elsewhere

Eventually, the initiative fails. Ms. Bias, the PR expert, takes charge to control the narrative. Since everyone is now confused and overworked, she invites them to a town hall meeting. She says, “It was a great idea, but the execution wasn’t right.” A task force is formed to “investigate” what went wrong. In reality, the initiative never reaches any conclusions, and no report or analysis is produced. Instead, a grander and flashier initiative is announced to divert from the previous failure. Ms. Bias declares, “We’re pivoting to a new strategy!” And so, the cycle begins again.

Breaking Free from the BLOW Cycle

If InnovateCorp’s story feels familiar, it is time to make a change. Organizations can avoid the BLOW Cycle by focusing on genuine process improvement.

  1. Develop a clear vision of what you want to achieve.
  2. Identify gaps and conduct a root cause analysis before making decisions.
  3. Focus on the goal and keep processes simple, clear, and effective.
  4. Involve the right people in the decision-making process.
  5. View failure as an opportunity to learn, rather than assigning blame.

The BLOW Cycle works in contrast to the Deming Cycle or the PDCA Model. For a detailed explanation of the PDCA Model (Plan-Do-Check-Act), check podcast episodes 15 and 156. For those continuing here, the Deming Cycle is a method for managing and improving processes or products. It is also known as the Shewhart Cycle, depending on whether it is attributed to Walter Shewhart or the Friend of the Podcast: W. Edwards Deming. That’s why I call it Deming cycle However, the principle and steps are what truly matter.

The principles of the PDCA Model are the following:

Plan: Define objectives and processes to achieve desired outcomes. Identify a goal, create a strategy, set success metrics, and prepare an action plan.

Do: Execute the plan and follow the process. Complete the actions outlined during the planning phase.

Check: Evaluate the data and results gathered in the Do phase. Compare actual outcomes with expected results to identify gaps or areas for improvement.

Act: Implement improvements based on the evaluation. Address problems, pinpoint root causes, and introduce changes to enhance performance.

By reevaluating strategies, simplifying processes, and adopting practical improvement methods, organizations can escape the BLOW Cycle and achieve meaningful progress.

Remember what  Ellen Glasgow said  All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.