Listen to Your Small Irritations

Computerworld - Loan volume was up 147%, IT costs were down 1%, staffing levels were stable, and we were moving forward with two exciting new projects.
But I still had a problem. I was frustrated by the frequency with which our call center opened late because of delays in early-morning processing. (The irony is that if the early-morning team hadn't been so good, I'd probably have no documentation on the numerous delays that they were facing.)
I discussed this with a colleague, and in summary, this is what he suggested:
1. Keep a diary for two weeks. Write down everything that irritates or frustrates you. Use these minor annoyances as signals of small problems.
2. At the end of two weeks, review each situation that came up and place it into one of three categories: people, processes or technology. For those situations that are people issues, determine which of these three questions apply: Do you have good people doing the wrong things some of the time? Or do you have one person doing the wrong thing most of the time? Or is everyone just doing things wrong? Write down your answers.
For those situations that are process-based, ask yourself: What would my best person do? Would he have followed the process? Or would even he have done something else?
As for items that land in the technology category, hold them aside until you've resolved the people and process issues.
3. Add up the number of situations in each category. If the largest number is in the process category, then it's time to review your implementation and audit plans. If people dominate the list, begin by taking a closer look at the people involved. If, as you think through various situations, you keep coming back to the same person, it's time to talk to HR. If there are a large number of people on your list, then maybe it's time to listen to HR. They could have some very helpful advice.
4. Formulate a plan of action for one item on your list. Make validation your first step by checking with your peers, HR and perhaps your boss.
I applied this technique to my problem in the call center. My plan of action included asking people why they thought we had opening delays. What I found out is that not everyone shared my belief. Some of the staff believed that the early-morning delays weren't that material. So, knowing that our bonuses are built around costs, I asked HR if I could publish a