As we continue our sabbatical journey, more opportunities for the improvement of management practices continue to appear. This month, the overriding theme that I have observed is the lack of front-line performance that seems to be a result of the system. I have been reminded of the many times we as managers and leaders have blamed front-line folks for system-induced problems when, in fact, the systems we have devised have caused the problems. Here are a few opportunities I have observed on our trek.

In my May 2011 column (“Under-Promise, Over-Deliver”), I wrote about our school travel agent and the theme of meeting, and even exceeding, customer expectations. As I think about some of our encounters since then, I may have settled on last month’s theme because of my own shortcomings. Barb Hummel, a good friend and colleague of my wife, Carole, and mine, used to say we had “big eyes.” She meant we were likely to take on challenges that seemed to be beyond our known, existing capabilities. That may still be true.

 …