WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:09.320 Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of performance through strong human relations, 2 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:13.560 team building, and goal of giving. This is the seven Minute Leadership 3 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:23.359 Podcast with your host Paul fella Aldo. Hello everyone, and welcome to the 4 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:29.679 Seven Minute Leadership Podcast, Episode one sixty two, and today I want to 5 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:36.640 talk about why policies fail. As an EMS chief and creator of many policies 6 00:00:36.679 --> 00:00:41.000 that have failed over the years, I can certainly provide you with some insights 7 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:47.759 on why policies may fail. Policies can fail for various reasons, and understanding 8 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:54.200 these factors can help you avoid the same mistakes I made, identify potential pitfalls 9 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:58.840 of your policy, and improve your chances of success. So here are some 10 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:03.840 common reasons why policies fail. The first one is lack of clarity. So 11 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:11.079 policies that are vague, ambiguous, or poorly communicated can lead to confusion and 12 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:17.920 misunderstanding. It's essential to ensure that policies are clearly defined, easily understood, 13 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:26.159 and effectively communicated to everyone involved. Number two is inadequate stakeholder involvement. So 14 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:34.000 policies crafted without considering the input in perspectives of key stakeholders are more likely to 15 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:40.760 face resistance and opposition. Engaging relevant parties early on in the policy development process 16 00:01:41.480 --> 00:01:48.280 increases the likelihood of successful implementation and adoption in the NEAT tie in to this 17 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:53.680 point is just today on the FAA, the Federal Aviation Administration social media, 18 00:01:55.079 --> 00:01:59.920 they put out an article talking about how these new air taxis are coming very 19 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.680 very soon, and they put out a call to the entire aviation community and 20 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:10.360 all the pilots within the FAA system asking for their input on how they feel 21 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:15.560 that these pilots should be credentialed. So it's very important to get your stakeholders 22 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:22.199 involved early on instead of just coming out and saying here's the policy, no 23 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:27.639 ifans or butts, and no input required. It's going to be more successful 24 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:34.400 the more people that you involve. So number three is unrealistic or unattainable goals. 25 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:42.800 Setting unrealistic or unattainable goals within a policy can demotivate individuals or departments responsible 26 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:47.479 for implementing it. Policies should be designed with a thorough understanding of the available 27 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:54.560 resources, constraints, and capabilities to increase their chances of success. And number 28 00:02:54.599 --> 00:03:00.719 four is lack of accountability. So policies need a clear system of accountability to 29 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:07.439 ensure that they are followed and enforced, and without appropriate mechanisms to track compliance 30 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:14.080 and hold individuals or departments responsible, policies can easily fall by the wayside. 31 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:21.240 Number five is inadequate resources, and again, policies often fail when there is 32 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:29.680 insufficient allocation of resources such as funding, personnel, or technology required for the 33 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:36.439 effective implementation. It's crucial to assess the resources, requirements and secure the necessary 34 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:42.680 support to ensure policy success. Number six, and this is usually the biggie. 35 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:47.960 It's the resistance to change. Because people naturally resist change. Your employees 36 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:54.680 will resist change, and policies can disrupt establish routines and workflows. Failures to 37 00:03:54.719 --> 00:04:00.599 address and manage resistance to change can hinder the policy implementation, and a comprehensive 38 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:08.639 change management strategy that includes communication, training, and support can help overcome resistance. 39 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:14.039 Seven is lack of flexibility. So this is policies that are too rigid 40 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:20.279 and fail to accommodate changing circumstances or evolving needs are more likely to become obsolete. 41 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:29.160 Building flexibility into policies allows for adaption and adjustments is necessary increasing their longevity 42 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:32.120 and effectiveness, and this is why You'll generally see a lot of policies with 43 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:36.240 a lot of big companies come out that will say, you know, ninety 44 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:40.680 days from now, this goes into effect because they want to give that ninety 45 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:46.319 day buffer zone for everybody to get used to it. Number eight is inadequate 46 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:53.439 monitoring in evaluation. So without ongoing monitoring in evaluation, it's challenging to gauge 47 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:59.920 the effectiveness of policies and make necessary adjustments. We see this far too off, 48 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:02.560 then that policy goes live and no one ever follows up on it. 49 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:06.399 No one ever gauges it, no one ever measures a to see is it 50 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:15.360 actually working. So regularly assessing the policy's impact and collecting feedback can help identify 51 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:20.519 areas for improvement and ensure its long term success. Number nine another biggie's lack 52 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:28.439 of leadership and support, because policies require strong leadership and support from management and 53 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:34.000 other decision makers. When leaders do not actively champion the policy, provide guidance, 54 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:41.519 and address the obstacles its implemmation can fail pretty quickly. In number ten, 55 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:48.560 insufficient communication and training. Policies need clear and consistent communication to ensure understanding 56 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:55.079 and buy in from everyone. Additionally, Providing adequate training and support to individuals 57 00:05:55.120 --> 00:06:03.079 responsible for implementing the policy can enhance its chances of success. So by considering 58 00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:10.000 these factors in addressing them proactively, you can increase the likelihood of policy success. 59 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:14.720 Remember that policies are not static, but should evolve and adapt is needed 60 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:19.839 to be changing circumstances and goals. Don't be discouraged if a policy of yours 61 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:26.079 fails. People are not going to jump for joy at every policy that gets 62 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:30.279 created. Don't take it personal and don't let it become a setback for you 63 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:36.279 and your leadership. This has been the seven Minute Leadership Podcast and I thank 64 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:42.839 you for listening. For more Paul Fellovalito podcasts, visit Paul Fellovalito dot com.