The sudden departure of a handful of skilled employees is detrimental to any business. The impacts are wide. Employee morale takes a hit. Immediate workload redistribution is inevitable. Projects are put on hold. While leaders attempt to maintain operations at the same level, customers are impacted as a result. Despite… [More]
Leading like an Opera Conductor
Seated in the Opera Bastille watching the performance of La Boheme in Paris, I was fascinated by the orchestra playing in the pit. The different instruments delivered perfectly synchronized music accentuating the dramatic moments of the opera. This was made possible by the conductor, who led the ‘team’ to deliver… [More]
3 Ways to Accelerate Business Success with Customer Feedback
As part of the strategic planning process, I conduct customer interviews to gather feedback on satisfaction with the products and services delivered, key success factors and future positioning of a business. The conversations are revealing. Customers are delighted to be consulted. They are open to share how they utilize the… [More]
Do You Engage the Frontline Workers in Your Operational Improvement Efforts?
Customer reps are often overlooked as a source of pragmatic ideas and customer insight for re-engineering operations. As the face of your business, frontline workers play a significant role in building solid customer relationships, which ultimately affects customer loyalty, your brand, and the growth of your business. The following examples… [More]
Advancing the Yardstick for Transformation Success
Operational transformation is an undertaking that spans across different facets of a business. There are the general goals of automation, cost reduction, and better service. Businesses have no problem in identifying the improvements they desire. However, the level of success hinges on how well they define the improvements. The approach… [More]
Bridging the Frontend with the Backend
Businesses face a constant challenge in bridging the gaps between systems. When there is an overhaul of the customer-facing technology, it usually requires modifications to the existing approaches to facilitate the completion of a customer inquiry or a transaction. Any disconnects between the new technology and the legacy backend systems… [More]
From Functional Excellence to Integral Collaboration
Paper maps have been a staple in my luggage when I travel as I rely on them to get myself oriented in a new city. In my recent trip to France, I managed to rely fully on my smartphone. Prior to departure, I did some research to get myself oriented… [More]
What to Do About the Bottlenecks
Bottlenecks are choke points where the available capacity is not able to handle the demand. Customers don’t like bottlenecks because it means they will be queued to get served. Businesses don’t like them either for they are signs of poor management. There are three main types of bottlenecks. They are… [More]
5 Ineffective Practices with Rules You Want to Avoid
Running an effective operation requires rules. Businesses need to establish rules for acquisitions of materials and labour, capital requests, quality control, and other operating procedures. These rules formulate a framework that enables smooth execution. A lack of them, or failure to follow these rules, would lead to adverse effects. Here… [More]
The Resolute to Succeed
Hitting a hole in one was such an ego booster to a beginner golfer. I was thrilled when that happened half way through a 9-hole golf course. That summer, I thought I would only get better at this challenging sport. That was ten years ago. For the past few years,… [More]
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