Single Points of Failure

Running a business seems to get more complicated on a daily basis. There are many moving parts involved in keeping the trains running on time and to meet client expectations. One observation is that as issues come up, they tend to get addressed immediately and are resolved — usually by the most experience person in that area. Tomorrow comes and that issue comes up again. Yet again, that person resolves it. The cycle continues and then they become the go-to person every time this comes up. This could be an IT issue, a customer issue, or even a maintenance issue.

People leave, and people retire. When these things happened, the institutional knowledge they had often walks out the door with them. This happens because issues were handled as individual occurrences, as opposed to creating a scalable and repeatable solution that not only resolved the issue, but could actually prevent it from repeating. The solution should also be documented. What were the five steps that person took to resolve the issue? What was the decision making process that they used each time? Are there three other people that can be taught how to resolve these issues?

Business and client expectations are more involved than ever. Take a hard look at your people, their skill sets, and how your business relies on them daily. Make a list of those situations where only one person is able to address a particular problem. Those become single points of failure and should be addressed.

Make a list of the single points of failure in your business at the next leadership team meeting. Identify the scope of the issues, and create a path forward that will resolve the situation. Every company has these concerns. The leading companies are the ones that acknowledge that they exist, and actually work to minimize the impact it could have on their business. The good news is that you can start on this today!

Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.