| Where
to Throw the Dollars: Man or Machine?
Many
businesses are constantly looking to buy a "system"
that will answer all of their problems. The truth is
that normally growth does not unequivocally follow expenditure.
There is more productivity and capacity locked in the
existing employees than any new equipment or system
can offer.
A
Management One¨ client, a manufacturing company,
was considering new equipment to increase productivity
40%. Instead, after utilizing the Winning@Businessª
process for six months, without any new equipment, the
existing staff was able to increase productivity 80%.
There are dozens of
examples illustrating this issue.
The
point is that throwing money at a problem is the easy
way out. Many solutions do take some cash to implement.
The problem is that too often the leaders, owners or
executives look to the outside for a solution before
they garner the internal capabilities.
The Burden at the Top
Running
a business requires a special type of person. This person
cannot be satisfied with mediocre performance. He/she
must have a mindset about how the business should be
run and a level of expectations that is a challenge
to meet. It is this type of personality that powers
a business to excel. This personality sort is traditionally
said to have Type A behavior.
On
the other side of the coin, a Type A person experiences
frequent impatience with employees, deliveries, customers
and creditors. The same traits that caused this person
to not tolerate business imperfections make him fume
waiting for an elevator, following a slow driver or
standing in line at a store.
The
first reaction is normally to blame the driver, the
clerk or someone else. In business this blame often
manifests itself in some negative way:
1. Aggressive action
2. Rise in blood pressure
3. Release of hormones (i.e. adrenalin)
that cause negative health effects over time
Stress
management is an important part of becoming an effective
executive. Sharing the responsibility and the management
duties with a steering team can help. Empowering people
in the proper way can prevent blame and negative feelings.
Increasing the level of fun at work can work wonders
for a
executive's health too.
WIN
A
friend recently sent an e-mail claiming to be suffering
from AAADD (Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder).
This is what happens when our lives get cluttered and
one household task distracts you before the last one
is accomplished. On the way to get a wrench, we notice
the recycling needs
to be taken to the curb, but on the way, we notice the
shrub needs trimming. At the end of the day, next to
nothing is accomplished but we are exhausted and know
that we worked hard.
How
many times does that same AAADD affect us at work too?
We have so much to do that little actually gets done.
A key part of Winning@Business™ is the focus it
brings to an organization. We identify problems and
zero in on the most important.
The
first part of Winning is WIN. For us, that stands for
"What's Important Now". When a Management
One¨ affiliate works for a client whether it is
with inventory planning, strategic planning, management
or other critical issues he/she helps that client focus
on WIN.
The
next important aspect of overcoming AAADD is to monitor
how well you did at the end of every day. Did you accomplish
WIN? If not, why not? Did something come up that was
more important or was there a distraction by something
that was less critical? Questioning and analyzing these
issues are ways of addressing processes used to get
organized and to put your business back on track.
Quote of the Day
"Never
tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and
they will
surprise you with their ingenuity."
George Patton
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