When evaluating the causes of business complexity, we often find poor communication at the heart of the problem. How people communicate needs to evolve as the business grows – transitioning from the informal to a core business process. Communication processes are effective when they support how people work – providing them feedback and information in a practical way. …
Business owners and managers make decisions based on information that is available to them. When information is filtered or interpreted by others in an organisation, the facts behind that information become less visible. Examples of filtered information include: production data that is delayed or aggregated, paper-based forms that are too difficult to search and view,…
We all recognise the importance of training. However, most business owners and senior managers don’t have the means to easily assess if training and licensing is up to date. Traditionally, keeping track of training plans and records is time-consuming and difficult to administer. It usually involves excel documents, paper records and filing. Consequently, training is hidden…
We often think of meetings as something that slows down the real work of the business or project. We frequently hear people say, ‘we haven’t got time to meet weekly, so let’s do it monthly or fortnightly’. Research suggests the opposite to be true. Teams are more likely to achieve their goals on time when…
In many companies, decisions are made ‘top-down’. Owners and managers think through improvements, make decisions and rally their teams to implement them. Although this approach is valid, it has a number of downsides. Most businesses suffer from information asymmetry. This occurs when people at the top have less information than those closest to the work….
The top 5 symptoms experienced by business owners and staff when operations go off track: 1) Constant Follow-up You are constantly following up on things for fear of letting down a client, losing money, and damage to your reputation. 2) Missing or Delayed Shipments Clients continually tell you that you are either missing shipments or delaying the service, and they may be seeking alternatives….
