This is the last in a series of five articles describing the challenge of managing laboratories effectively. Today we focus on how all this gets pulled together. As a review, other topics are linked below:
- The Nature of the Laboratory
- Human Resource Management in the Laboratory
- Business Management of a Laboratory
- Technical Management of a Laboratory – Maintaining Quality
Effective laboratory management begins at the Executive level. The Executive(s) of the Company must identify the crucial
roles to be fulfilled by the laboratory. Specifically, will this be an R&D role, a production role or some kind of mix? Then they must hire appropriate technical leadership. This is where things can go very awry. Too often there is a mismatch between the talent hired and the task at hand. Hiring talented researchers into an environment that is really a commercial production or a quality control role will not work out well. Likewise, hiring dedicated technicians and expecting them to create new technology will not work. In both cases good people will be frustrated because they don’t have the proper mindset, training or skills.
The role of the Executive does not end with good technical management. It must be complimented by good business management. This can include organizational, motivational, legal and even financial skills depending on the specifics of the task(s) at hand. Often the necessary technical skills are specialized enough that it is not possible to cover both technical and business skills in the same person. When this happens, the Executive must build a functioning team. This can be very challenging and there isn’t one formula that works nor one solution that is likely to last indefinitely. Differing personalities will come into conflict and changing needs and roles will always tend to upset the applecart. Hence, the Executive will have to carefully pick individuals, artfully establish organizational roles and responsibilities and consistently monitor how the entire process is working.
One indispensable technique for monitoring the effectiveness and health of the laboratory organization is the Executive keeping in close contact with Human Resource, Quality Assurance and Health and Safety personnel. Often growing dysfunction first shows up in deteriorating quality performance. This can be quickly followed by HR complaints. If left unresolved, the dysfunction can start showing up in safety violations – both imagined and real. The growing conflicts and issues are often just symptoms of a general breakdown in communication and cooperation that cannot be resolved without addressing underlying personality conflicts, confusion over roles and responsibilities or change in mission that has made current solution obsolete.
It is almost impossible to hit upon the correct organization or team of personnel with the first try. Even the best of scoping, planning, organizing and hiring will usually miss the mark in significant ways. There are just too many complex factors to think that they can all be chosen correctly. It is also extremely unlikely that any solution will stable indefinitely. The culture of an organization must change as it goes from concept, to start-up, to rapid growth, to maturity and possibly into a period of decline. It is commensurate on the Executive to understand the match between culture and organizational challenges and manage effectively through these natural stages.
And finally, it is important for all the players in the organization to recognize the dynamics that we have been talking about these many months. Clearly the Executive must understand them in order to make good decisions. Nevertheless, if all the players understand these dynamics the health of the organization will be much improved. It is much easier to deal with certain weaknesses and frustrations if all parties recognize the potential sources of these conflicts. It is much more likely that issues can be dealt with in objective and cooperative ways. It has been my experience that frequently individuals who are the source of conflict can be helpful in resolving the conflict if they view the conflict as arising from a mismatch of skills or a misunderstanding of goals rather than “bad” performance.
This is not to ignore the existence of incompetent, highly flawed or even dangerous people. They do exist and must be dealt with effectively. They are, however, the exception and not the rule. The Executive(s) can go a long way toward creating an effective organization that naturally adjusts to challenges by communicating organizational goals to players in open and effective communication. This is especially necessary when these goals have or are about to change. It is usually quite counterproductive to keep players “in the dark” about what is going on or about to change in their world.
Stites & Associates, LLC, is a group of technical professionals who work with clients to improve laboratory performance and evaluate and improve technology by applying good management judgment based on objective evidence and sound scientific thinking. For more information see: www.tek-dev.net.
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