What on earth is a Sustainment Champion?????

[rest have risen above me]

The clue is in the title, this is in relation to a Rapid Improvement event.

What is the role of the Sustainment Champion, in plain non management speak?

Please.

 

[MontyPlumbs]

Put it into Google, this thread is the first hit.

Says to me Flt Lt Badminton-Racquet has just invented a new buzz word.

 

[rest have risen above me]

I've just done a bit of a deeper search and I feel sick. The amount of leeches spouting pish like Kaisen Workshops, rapid improvement training etc that are directly targetted at hospital management is amazing. No wonder the NHS has no money if they spend it on that rubbish.

 

[John Lloyd]

I bought a book on Saturday called 'Unspeak' by Stephen Poole. It dissects and analyses the destruction and abuse of the English Language by the introduction of management speak and use of the euphemism to cloud clear and concise language.

I hate, and I really mean hate the use of smug management speak. I make a point of asking the spouter of drivel 'What exactly do you mean, in plain English please'.

I first came across it from a Sales Director who knew basic principles but did not understand the business, his management speak and invented phrases were purely used to disguise his lack of knowledge and prevented him being held accountable for any specific actions. Everything he said was non specific and open to interpretation.

Sound familiar?

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

Sounds like more lean type nonsense. Stuff that's great in manufacturing but not so hot in a repair environment.

 

[Ex-Bay]

I bought a book on Saturday called 'Unspeak' by Stephen Poole. It dissects and analyses the destruction and abuse of the English Language by the introduction of management speak and use of the euphemism to cloud clear and concise language.

I hate, and I really mean hate the use of smug management speak. I make a point of asking the spouter of drivel 'What exactly do you mean, in plain English please'.

I first came across it from a Sales Director who knew basic principles but did not understand the business, his management speak and invented phrases were purely used to disguise his lack of knowledge and prevented him being held accountable for any specific actions. Everything he said was non specific and open to interpretation.

Sound familiar?

For my crimes, I was once employed as a Technical Writer.
Once I was in a location, documenting an interesting piece of hardware, but they wanted a blow-by-blow account of the software underpinning its operation.

After a week of badgering, I finally got the head honcho (software) to talk to me.
His previous spoutings had meant nothing of any real substance - certainly not the sort of thing I could put in the book), so I got him in the canteen with a coffee.
I put my little recorder in front of him and said "how's it work?".

He used very arcane words, so I said "Can I have that in simple words please, because I am not a programmer and the people for whom this book is intended aren't either."

It took him over an hour. It was as if he'd had to re-learn simple English.

I still have the tape somewhere. It's a good giggle.

 

[Tin basher]

The clue is in the title, this is in relation to a Rapid Improvement event. What is the role of the Sustainment Champion, in plain non management speak?

I may be wrong but here's my take on it and I feel dirty for typing this but here goes. When you have been subjected to the utter pish of a rapid improvement event then all changes and improvements (sic) have to be sustained. So you need a sustainment champion to monitor such things. In other words some snivelling greasy little oik who will grass you up to the boss if you dare put anything back how it was, or go back to doing things the way you used to, before things were so massively improved by the guru's orchestrating your rapid improvement event.

 

[rest have risen above me]

I may be wrong but here's my take on it and I feel dirty for typing this but here goes. When you have been subjected to the utter pish of a rapid improvement event then all changes and improvements (sic) have to be sustained. So you need a sustainment champion to monitor such things. In other words some snivelling greasy little oik who will grass you up to the boss if you dare put anything back how it was, or go back to doing things the way you used to, before things were so massively improved by the guru's orchestrating your rapid improvement event.

Oh dear,

I may not have been the right person to d&*k for this job. I'm a firm believer in "If it's always been done that way then perhaps that is the best way of doing it, now bugger off and change somebody elses train set because mine is set to pre Beeching and it's staying that way".DT_Xtremez_25:

 

[Max]

I'm one of those who also feels sick when faced with this utter P**h.

If a process has been in place for any real length of time maybe it has evolved to a point where it works well. Why don't they just say they're here to cut manpower and call it progress so as to be unquestionable.

 

[Hu Jardon]

A sustainment champion is a long winded way of saying:

Snitch, Jobsworth tawt or Management Lackey and most likely the next in line for a job on QCIT

a bit like a
Coppers NarkDT_Xtremez_42:

 

[Sixty Percent Overlap]

Now I somewhat appreciate that QCIT, a pain it can be, might have its place in our normal working environments here at home for continued improvement etc, but what I can't grasp is it's relevance in austere environments such as Bastion.

Understandably, factors such as H&S are important and unavoidable (more so when on detachments) but after witnessing my Det IC at Bastion last year go through so many irrelevant hoops to appease the QCIT WO, the whole process was nothing short of a huge paperchase which led my IC's attention away from more important tasks.

I'm sure a Battle Group Commander would rather have a couple of more brown jobs with boots on the ground for the price of a QCIT bod in theatre.

 

[Kryten]

Here in the sunny North West we have Waste Champions, Ethics Officers and.....wait for it....even a FOD Champion as well. The latest gimmick is the Health and Safety "Good Spot" - an activity that makes me want to vomit into my own lap.

People get awards for this, you know....

 

[Rigga]

Right.... I'm one of those QA oiks you so dearly love.

It's my job (when allowed) to be that snake in the grass that rats on people not doing what they're supposed to do or not doing what they said they would do.

However, I too am not endeared to new business speak and high-fallutin' drivelley nonsense or pretentious "new" business techniques that call something old by a new name.

In the company I work in, I have to deal with managers who can't effectively communicate with the shop flooor because they can't "do" plain english. The managers expect the shop floor to read how the managers have been taught to write - it simply does not work.

I equate the champion thingy to the QA guy.

As for things being left as they are?...
Sometimes the rampant stagnation that is described here is the cause of problems further down the line. Just 'cos you haven't changed doesn't mean that all the things around you haven't changed. We all have to move with the times and all aircraft work, at all levels, is continually changing. Most of us are here to provide a service - not to maintain a time machine that constantly travels backwards.

I am devoted to making changes (and making people like you change!) but only where that change is to make things better - not just for someone's promotion plan or for change's sake.

 

[Tashy_Man]

A sustainment champion is a long winded way of saying:

Snitch, Jobsworth tawt or Management Lackey and most likely the next in line for a job on QCIT

a bit like a
Coppers NarkDT_Xtremez_42:

Ooooohhh rhram will be very good at that DT_Xtremez_42:

Crack on .................DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[rest have risen above me]

Right.... I'm one of those QA oiks you so dearly love.

It's my job (when allowed) to be that snake in the grass that rats on people not doing what they're supposed to do or not doing what they said they would do.

However, I too am not endeared to new business speak and high-fallutin' drivelley nonsense or pretentious "new" business techniques that call something old by a new name.

In the company I work in, I have to deal with managers who can't effectively communicate with the shop flooor because they can't "do" plain english. The managers expect the shop floor to read how the managers have been taught to write - it simply does not work.

I equate the champion thingy to the QA guy.

As for things being left as they are?...
Sometimes the rampant stagnation that is described here is the cause of problems further down the line. Just 'cos you haven't changed doesn't mean that all the things around you haven't changed. We all have to move with the times and all aircraft work, at all levels, is continually changing. Most of us are here to provide a service - not to maintain a time machine that constantly travels backwards.

I am devoted to making changes (and making people like you change!) but only where that change is to make things better - not just for someone's promotion plan or for change's sake.

Ooooohhh rhram will be very good at that DT_Xtremez_42:

Crack on .................DT_Xtremez_09:

Right Rigga, it doesn't matter how many times you try to touch me innappropriately I'm not going to change into some CI ******y queer.
On a serious note I am not against change, but ffs give me the time to work out how to implement it, rather than foist RIE,CIE, IQA, SQA etc on me (that I am expected to do as well as my primary job) and then complain about late jets.....



Tashy,

Get tae.............

 

[Tin basher]

Right.... I'm one of those QA oiks you so dearly love.... I equate the champion thingy to the QA guy. As for things being left as they are?... Sometimes the rampant stagnation that is described here is the cause of problems further down the line. Just 'cos you haven't changed doesn't mean that all the things around you haven't changed. We all have to move with the times and all aircraft work, at all levels, is continually changing. Most of us are here to provide a service - not to maintain a time machine that constantly travels backwards. I am devoted to making changes (and making people like you change!) but only where that change is to make things better - not just for someone's promotion plan or for change's sake.

Now if every use of change could be replaced by an actual improvement then I might listen. Change does not equal improvement usually change simply equates to change. Any twit in the right chair can implement change to implement improvement requires an understanding of what we are doing, a skill sadly lacking in many in the management chain. But the sustainment champion must be ready to back the rapid improvement event changes regardless of whether such changes actually bring any improvements.

 

[Rigga]

...Change does not equal improvement usually change simply equates to change.

I think you should re-read all of the bit wot I wrote.

But the sustainment champion must be ready to back the rapid improvement event changes regardless of whether such changes actually bring any improvements.

So you say that even if the Lean event is a total waste of time the sus' champ' is to enforce bad decisions made by it?


...And I don't know who you think I am - but even I can't make people "improve". I can only change what they are supposed to do and hope that they catch up with where I'm directing them.

 

[rest have risen above me]

Now if every use of change could be replaced by an actual improvement then I might listen. Change does not equal improvement usually change simply equates to change. Any twit in the right chair can implement change to implement improvement requires an understanding of what we are doing, a skill sadly lacking in many in the management chain. But the sustainment champion must be ready to back the rapid improvement event changes regardless of whether such changes actually bring any improvements.

Interesting take on things there.
Who is involved in an RIE? ----A selection of people, on the whole a junior selection of people.

Now a bit of arrogance (or is it experience and training?) a committee of people who on the whole haven't the experience can make incorrect decisions. As sustainment champion there is no hope on earth I am going to allow innappropriate practises get through. Where does that sit in the whole CI system then? Committees make wrong decision as displayed by our government? Let's play spot the U turn.

Does this RIE result get above SO2 probably not? but the shop floor has to endure work practise thought up by committee.. Forgive me ... THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY THIS IS THE MILITARY.... If you've a good idea pass it through the CoC and await to be rewarded or put back in your place.

 

[Fat2at]

A sustainment Champion sounds to me like a good alternative name for a porn film 'fluffer' - before they were replaced by viagra.

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

If you take sustainment at face value, if an 'improvement' isn't working it is not being sustained and should be subject to review and then whatever is the appropriate change process. It may be that the change is simply to revert back to the original state, but if the culture is to force change for the sake of it and never have the courage to admit a misguided (though probably well intentioned)change and return to the pre-change state; then the system is at fault and systemic failure is a waste which has to be eliminated. A Sustainment Champion should have the minerals to recognise it isn't working and kick it back for review, anything less and it becomes a non job filled by somebody who could be better employed elsewhere.

Whatever you call Continuous Improvement it can and will work in ANY environment as long as it is based upon improvement bound by SMART and not some half assed idea that change in all shapes is good. It is adaptable and proven but only when the vision is created, communicated, supported by all and challenged constantly.

As far as I can see the MBA students who have tried to introduce it to the RAF have failed on all those counts. Until these basic tenets are put into place the whole CI programme in the RAF is doomed to failure, but it will take somebody very high up to put the brakes on the situation at the moment and carry out a careful review of the way forward. As I see it this will not happen as too many officer egos and reputations will take to big a pounding and therein lies the problem with the perception of LEAN etc regularly espoused on here. Without buy in at ALL levels it will fail and continue to fail and if your CI practitioners cannot grasp that simple principle they are not worth their wages.

Jimps