As we approach 2010, I'm sure big plans are underway for businesses of all types. Sales goals are being doled out, cost reductions are under review, pricing strategies are being evaluated, cost of new development and expenses are being reconsidered, personnel is being looked at and on and on.
I get it. Times are tough out there. Business is slow, prices are falling, competition is crazy, ... You just want to get through this recession and come out the other side.
What a perfect time to take stock in how you do things and to make improvements. I'm talking about evaluating everything you do. What would happen if you made "improvement" a major goal for 2010? Would it help you succeed in this tough economy? Would it make you stronger on the other side? Is it worth spending precious resources on doing this now? I say yes, yes and definitely yes!
When I talk about improving things, I'm talking about processes, procedures - how everyone performs their piece of the business puzzle. Every single company out there can do something better - improving their efficiency, costs, customer service, product performance, yields, ... The things upon which we can improve are almost endless.
I have done this with clients when I did Quality Management work - as part of the journey toward ISO registrations. I worked with each department, meeting with people who understood the way things were currently being done and brainstormed about things that they thought went smoothly and things they thought needed improvement. Then I would bring in people who worked with that department and ask them what worked well and what might be improved upon. You see, no department works in a vacuum - they all interact and provide things for each other. When you do your job well, your department, your internal 'customers' and the company all benefit.
After this series of meetings and brainstorming sessions, we reviewed the practices and procedures followed in each department and made some changes. We documented what we were going to do and went over everything, including expectations, with each employee. We then let the updated system work for a while.
The key to true success with this type of plan is to have management buy-in, to support the implementation and time commitment needed for this. The other key thing is to do a follow-up. It is important to re-group some time after the new procedures have been in effect (6 months maybe) to go over the progress and tweak anything that is still not quite right. This also reaffirms that this is not a passing fad or a management whim. It is a real commitment to change and progress.
Although it is extremely helpful to bring someone in from the outside to facilitate this type of activity, it can be done with your own people. Someone from a different department could take the lead for each area - asking questions, being the 'moderator', noting the good things and the things that are not working well. This person would guide the department toward new objectives and focus on procedural updates that will make each department more effective and efficient.
Why not make IMPROVEMENT an objective for 2010?
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