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.
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How to find opportunity in an organization
Before we work for a client we do what we call an “opportunity analysis,” which, as it sounds, is designed to help us figure out if there is any opportunity to improve and where it might be. It’s usually conducted over two to three weeks.
Why it’s hard to eliminate backlogs
Work expands because there is no additional work available.” If people are aware that no work awaits them after they complete their current tasks, they will naturally start slowing the rate of completion to avoid running out of work. This is very common in project-based work environments.
The power of momentum
Change-management projects can be affected by shifts in positive and negative momentum. It’s the reason that most change efforts stress the need to demonstrate some “quick wins” early in the engagement.
Changing management behavior is difficult
If you put some smart people in a room and ask them to look closely at your processes and systems, they will figure out better ways to do things.
The three perspectives of sustainable improvement
When we look at organizations to understand where they might be able to make improvements, we do so from three different, but related perspectives: the process; the management system; and management behaviors.
The most dangerous kind of resistance
Lesson Learned #49
One of the interesting things we've learned is that the manager who is initially the most ...
Two ways to improve productivity in variable environments
Lasting productivity gains in highly variable work environments can be elusive. Highly variable environments are those where the work volume fluctuates throughout the day, week, month or even throughout the year.
How to make internal performance improvement groups succeed
We are often asked by our clients to help build their internal performance improvement (PI) groups. The concept of developing internal skills to reduce their reliance on high-cost consultants is appealing to many companies.
The introduction sets the tone
We were invited to make a presentation at an industry conference. We arrived in advance and checked in. Then, we were instructed to see the host, who would be introducing us onstage.
What does “implementation” mean anyway?
Lesson Learned #28
Twenty years ago, very few consulting firms wanted to implement their recommendations. This was ...
Attack the red time first
Lesson Learned #27
When we do studies in an area, the primary purpose at the highest level is to separate the ...