The Hard Truths of Operational Excellence
What 150+ transformations teach us about success—and why exceptional results require exceptional commitment.
The Deceptive Simplicity of Excellence
After analyzing over 150 Mission-Directed Work Team implementations across six continents, one truth emerges with startling clarity: the companies that achieve extraordinary results do fundamentally different things than those that achieve ordinary ones.
It’s not about industry, company size, or market conditions. It’s about the willingness to do hard work consistently, over time, in ways that feel uncomfortable at first but become competitive advantages later.
When you see results like Dorbyl Automotive’s 3× productivity improvement or Century Bottling’s 228% per-person output gain, it’s tempting to think there’s a secret formula. There isn’t. But there are patterns—rigorous, demanding patterns that separate successful transformations from failed initiatives.
MIT’s Edgar Schein found that organizational culture change requires a combination of psychological safety and learning anxiety. Harvard’s John Kotter’s research emphasizes that 70% of change initiatives fail, primarily due to insufficient leadership commitment and lack of sustained effort.
The Five Non-Negotiable Success Factors
1
Leadership Presence, Not Just Support
Every high-performing implementation featured leaders who didn’t just endorse the program—they showed up, consistently, where the work happened.
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Shatterprufe’s leadership conducted regular “walkthroughs” and gave direct feedback
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UTC Fire & Security managers spent more time at the gemba, attending daily huddles
2
Measurement That Matters, Not What’s Easy
Successful implementations measured what teams could actually control and influence, not just what was easy to count.
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Nestlé sites shifted from lagging financial metrics to real-time operational indicators
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UTi Material Handling discovered their existing KPIs were “not meaningful for team-level performance ownership”
Research shows that leaders who “model the way” achieve 2.3× better results than those who merely communicate vision. Organizations using leading indicators show 2.5× better financial performance over three years.
The Five Non-Negotiable Success Factors (Continued)
1
Coaching Over Commanding
Transformational leaders developed others rather than directing them. This shift from “knowing” to “developing” was often the most difficult for managers.
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GKN Armstrong Wheels shifted managers from “caveman management” to values-based leadership
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Nestlé Malaysia leaders moved from “command and control” to coaching and enabling
2
Sustainability Through Systems, Not Heroes
Organizations that sustained results for 3+ years built systems that didn’t depend on individual champions or external consultants.
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Fruitique developed internal training modules and embedded MDW into daily work
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Nestlé Global integrated MDW into their management system across 480 factories
3
Cultural Integration, Not Cultural Addition
Successful implementations didn’t add MDW to existing culture—they used MDW to evolve the culture they wanted.
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Louis Dreyfus made MDW the “DNA” of their global operating model
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BHP Billiton integrated MDW into their Aluminum Operating System (BAOS)
The Hard Truths About Excellence
Leadership TruthYou cannot delegate transformation. If you’re not willing to change your own calendar, location, and daily habits, don’t expect others to change theirs.
Measurement TruthGood metrics feel hard at first—they expose problems you’d rather not see and demand actions you’d rather not take. Easy metrics feel comfortable but drive comfortable results.
Coaching TruthCoaching requires patience, humility, and the willingness to let others succeed (and fail) while you watch. Most managers find this harder than making decisions themselves.
Systems TruthBuilding systems feels slow and bureaucratic compared to heroic individual efforts. But heroes leave, burn out, or get promoted. Systems compound.
Culture TruthCulture change requires destroying old habits while creating new ones. This feels like going backwards before going forwards—and most organizations quit during the uncomfortable middle.
The Failure Patterns: What Doesn’t Work
The “Pilot Purgatory” Trap
Organizations that pilot endlessly without committing to full implementation rarely achieve breakthrough results.
Research Insight: Stanford’s Chip Heath and Dan Heath’s research shows that small changes feel safe but often fail to create enough momentum to overcome organizational inertia.
The “Program of the Month” Syndrome
Companies that layer MDW on top of multiple other improvement initiatives dilute focus and confuse priorities.
Academic Support: Harvard’s Michael Porter’s research emphasizes that competitive advantage comes from choosing what NOT to do.
The “Results Without Relationships” Mistake
Organizations that push for quick wins without building trust and capability see initial gains that quickly plateau or reverse.
Research Foundation: Google’s Project Aristotle found that psychological safety was the #1 predictor of team performance.
The ROI of Rigor: Why Hard Work Pays Exponentially
Short-term Thinking (6-12 months):
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Focus on quick wins and visible improvements
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Typical results: 5-15% improvement
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Sustainability: Low—gains often reverse
Long-term Commitment (18-36 months):
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Focus on capability building and cultural change
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Typical results: 25-300% improvement
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Sustainability: High—gains compound over time
The Compound Effect: Organizations that commit to rigorous, sustained implementation don’t just get better results—they get exponentially better results. Pioneer Foods’ Craft Box achieved 300% profit improvement over five years. Century Bottling increased per-person productivity by 228% while reducing workforce by 60%.
Research Validation: Academic Support for Practical Wisdom
Jim Collins’ “Good to Great”
Research showed that companies achieving sustained excellence had Level 5 leaders who combined personal humility with professional will—exactly the leadership pattern observed in successful MDW implementations.
Amy Edmondson’s Psychological Safety
Demonstrates that teams with high psychological safety and high performance standards achieve the best results—the exact combination MDW creates through structured empowerment and clear accountability.
Daniel Pink’s Motivation Research
Shows that autonomy, mastery, and purpose drive higher performance than external rewards—precisely what successful MDW implementations provide through team ownership, skill development, and clear mission connection.
Our findings from 150+ implementations align with decades of management research, validating that the patterns we’ve observed are not coincidental but fundamental to organizational transformation.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Excellence
Here’s what 150+ implementations teach us: exceptional results are available to any organization willing to do exceptional work. But “exceptional work” doesn’t mean working harder—it means working differently, consistently, over time, in ways that feel uncomfortable at first.
The companies that achieve breakthrough results share one characteristic: they’re willing to be beginners again. Leaders learn to coach instead of command. Managers learn to measure what matters instead of what’s easy. Teams learn to solve problems instead of escalate them.
The Comfort Choice
Incremental improvements, temporary gains, and gradual competitive decline. Feels safe in the short term but creates long-term vulnerability.
The Excellence Choice
Transformation that feels difficult at first but becomes a sustainable competitive advantage. Requires short-term discomfort for long-term dominance.
What This Means for Leaders
If you’re considering operational excellence initiatives, ask yourself these questions:
1
Are you willing to change your own behavior first?
If you’re not prepared to model the changes you expect from others, don’t start.
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Are you committed for 18-36 months?
If you need results in six months or you’ll move on to something else, save your time and money.
3
Are you prepared to invest in capability, not just results?
If you want quick fixes rather than sustainable transformation, hire consultants to solve specific problems—don’t attempt culture change.
4
Are you willing to be uncomfortable?
If you want change without discomfort, you want something that doesn’t exist.
The same rigor that makes transformation difficult is exactly what makes it sustainable. The discipline required to achieve exceptional results is the same discipline that protects those results from competitive threats, economic downturns, and organizational changes.
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