ProTrain China Work Out approach

What is WorkOut?

WorkOut is a process developed by General Electric for bringing together a large group of people to pursue an urgent and challenging business goal. The aim of WorkOut is to involve all levels of employees in a rapid effort to improve business results significantly in key areas of strategic or tactical focus. Applied on a larger scale it is also a powerful way to transform the culture and performance of organizations.

Why is WorkOut different?

WorkOut is different from other change processes in a number of important ways:

• It drives simultaneous operational and cultural change.
• Efforts are results-focused and visible.
• It facilitates the mobilization of large groups both inside and outside the WorkOut event.
• Emphasis is on acting quickly, and achieving goals in a few weeks or months.
• Senior management must make decisions immediately.
• The WorkOut event and implementation of recommendations cut across organizational boundaries.

Overview of WorkOut:

The process consists of three parts:

1. Design
The first element is a design phase, where senior leaders set the performance target for the WorkOut and design the session, often with the help of a small design team. In the case of some forms of WorkOut this can take place in one work session. For more complicated WorkOuts -- ones that examine processes, or involve customers or suppliers -- the design phase can take a few weeks.

2. Event
The second element is the WorkOut event itself -- a two-to-three day work session involving from 20 to 100+ participants. This session compresses together many of the elements of successful change. Participants then work in small teams over much of the session to brainstorm, prioritize and select a few ideas for achieving the performance goal. They then develop detailed presentations and plans for putting these ideas into action. At the end of the session teams present their recommended plans to the sponsor, other key leaders and all the other WorkOut participants in a "Town Meeting" discussion/debate and receive an immediate "Yes/no" decision.

3. Implementation
After the event, teams have 4-12 weeks to implement their approved plans. This period involves regular team meetings, structured review sessions with senior management, and a formal meeting to close out the work at the end of the period, and reflect on what has been learned.

Case Examples

To meet the particular challenges and capabilities, WorkOut means:

For the Financial Service--WorkOut as the centerpiece for financial turnaround and cultural transformation.

For Manufacturing-- WorkOut to make major improvements in bottom-line profitability across four facilities and functional groups from sales and marketing to production, inventory control and customer service.

For Public Utility -- WorkOut to transform line crew efficiency and save millions in costs.

For Government Agency -- WorkOut to start a focus on customer service and bureaucracy reduction.