Business Management - Productivity/Process Improvement

“Leonard was a timid guy and not confident in doing his job. He was constantly calling the office asking for direction. The very first time I introduced Leonard to the system—a Control Checklist—his eyes lit up and he said he couldn’t wait to try it out in the field.

It’s normal for entrepreneurs to see opportunity around every corner. But as business owners/managers, we need to focus on one “butterfly” at a time, rather than chasing every new idea. Too much “flapping” around might just lead to chaos.

This business owner was not going to leave his ideas—OR his customer’s satisfaction—to chance, so he incorporated great service right into his checklist and required his lead techs to follow them and check off the action items, prompt by prompt.

Dear Franchisee: We know what we are doing. Our model gets results when you follow it. Instead, you have decided to go it alone. You make excuses for your lack of participation and tell us we don’t understand “your unique set of circumstances.”

“Drive-by Shooting? Excuse me?” I said to Joe, the owner of a printing company with whom I was doing a Webinar demonstration of our software. I had told Joe a related story about owners or managers walking through the shop or plant and being repeatedly stopped by employees asking many of the same questions, time and again, in trying to deal with the same old issues. 

It sounds like a job anyone in their right mind would jump at! In fact, you’d think candidates would be jumping OVER each other for a job like that. But, truth is, only a very few will answer THIS ad.

One-third of the year has flown by. Assuming that you crafted a business plan for 2012, it is a good time to rethink your plans for the balance of the year. If the year is not living up to expectations, this is a good time to figure out why and what to do about it.

Working on an RFP for a prospective customer last week, I had an interesting experience. The company asked that I provide my pricing model by completing a grid of cost drivers. I declined to take part in the exercise.

Things were fine as long as I was personally overseeing a job, but as our company grew, I found day-to-day operations were more than I could handle. It occurred to me, it would be great if I could CLONE about three of me.

As an Association Professional, I am dealing with business owners and their employees every day. I hear their hopes and fears, triumphs and woes. I am often asked how belonging to the association will bring them more business.