52 Observations

The red flags of management system changes

Management system changes often entail tightening up the planning standards that are used to schedule the operations, and then providing managers with tools to control, monitor and report on attainment to the plan.

The red flags of process changes

Implementing change requires re-configuring processes - and modifying the management systems and behaviors that need to accompany them. But as anyone who has ever tried to instill change knows, maintaining those gains can be very difficult

They myth of working smarter, not harder

It’s not easy for any operation to go through a performance improvement change. Consultants love to say that people should: “Work smarter, not harder,” but that can be a false dichotomy.

Two ways to sequence a findings presentation

We've written frequently about the need to look at operating problems from three vantage points: the actual process of how things get done; the management system that is used to control the process; and actual management behaviors

The fuzzy logic of planned sales growth

Sales growth comes from some very specific sources (e.g., price increases, new customers or distributors, new products or markets, increased volumes from existing customers, better retention of base customers).

The insidious nature of complexity

You simply can't be great at everything. There are not enough hours in the day, and companies would come to a grinding halt if they managed entirely by this edict.

To whose benefit?

There’s a Latin expression that will resonate with anyone who has struggled to implement change in an organization: “Cui bono?” Commonly attributed to the Latin orator Cicero, it means “To whose benefit?”

The analytical side of management behavior

We tend to zero in on management behavior, as opposed to employee behavior, because we find that management behavior is critical to a well-run organization and, in turn, significantly influences employee behavior.

The “X-Factor” paralysis

The X-Factor means problems that were initiated externally (i.e., outside the department) and were therefore difficult, if not impossible, to fix because local managers had no authority.

The secret to making internal performance improvement groups succeed (part 2)

A few more thoughts on some of the problems we have seen that can limit the effectiveness of PI groups.

“Cushman bait”

Employees are often initially worried that our watching them work is some kind of "Big Brother" intrusion and that the outcome won't be beneficial to them.

The secret to making internal performance improvement groups succeed (part 1)

A large part of our business comes from referrals from satisfied clients, so helping them build internal capability is actually more self-serving than it appears.