A gatekeeper controls access. He has the duty to scrutinize every request for access and the authority to refuse entry. In business, a gatekeeper can be used to monitor the quality of work, validate requests, or streamline work. There are pros and cons to having a gatekeeper. Pros Consistency—the gatekeeper… [More]
Is Technology a Silver Bullet?
Deficient technology has been blamed time and again that it is a main culprit for poor performance. Many companies rush to invest in popular solutions hoping for a silver bullet to their problem. A financial service company invested in a customer relationship management (CRM) application. Its goals included capturing all… [More]
3 Communication Lessons from Home Renovation
Home renovation could be exhausting. After spending hours in selecting the design and materials, we landed a contractor to do the installation. We thought our job was done. Any technical details such as plumbing would be handled by the contractor. I was surprised to come home one day and saw… [More]
Winning Minds for Change
Resistance is a key barrier to change implementation. There is no short-cut to getting people on-side. An effective tact is to sell the case for change through winning minds.
Ownerships that Generate Exceptional Results
Great companies know how best to leverage their talent. They are cognizant that ownership is a key motivator for action. There are two components for creating ownership. Buy-in: Attaining buy-in is gaining alignment on the purpose of the work. This is an important first step. Without buy-in, employees could do… [More]
Solutions that Won’t Make the Grade
The effectiveness of a solution hinges on how well it addresses the issue and the improvement effected. Some solutions are quick to implement; others require significant effort and capital. All too often, lacklustre results raise questions about why they were considered in the first place. Here are several examples of… [More]
How to Tackle Inefficiency with a Big Picture View
A bottleneck is a juncture where things could not move through due to constraints. These constraints include inadequate resource to handle the volume, errors that result in rework, delays caused by problems with specific tasks. A bottleneck is the result of an inefficient practice. Persistent inefficiency slows down the workflow… [More]
How to Orient Your Operations to be Customer-focused
Operational excellence is more than an internal business challenge. Find out how to orient your operations to be customer-focused to build customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Does Consensus Decision-making Lead to Compromised Solutions?
Obtaining consensus involves getting an agreement from a group of colleagues on a solution. The process to obtain consensus takes time because everyone involved is supposed to have an opportunity to express his view and debate about it. Making decisions using a consensus approach is not always effective. The solution… [More]
Making Tough Decisions
A tough decision is one that you don’t feel confident about your choice. This is when you wish there is someone to tell you what is best. We all have experience with this situation. Here are three things I do when I am in such a position. 1. Look at… [More]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- …
- 54
- Next Page »