Tag: advice

A Pathway to Wisdom in the Business World

Mike 0 Comment Collaboration, Communication, Continuous improvement, Expert Advice, Uncategorized , , , ,
Businesswoman in office drinking coffee and looking at computer

Depositphotos_73412631_s-2015

Wisdom equals knowledge plus courage. You have to not only know what to do and when to do it, but you have to also be brave enough to follow through. – Jarod Kintz

Perhaps we think of the workplace as being too busy to spend time learning. But if we are wise, we will use every opportunity to gain knowledge. Here are some tips on how to gain wisdom during the time we spend at work:

  • Never stop learning / learn from diverse sources

Be open to learning in non-traditional ways. New information can come from sources other than books or training seminars. Being open minded and steadfastly curious will create a pathway to continuous learning. For more on this, check out my post Work and Jazz on how guitar lessons helped me understand my learning style and how to get outside of my comfort zone:

  • Find ways to apply your knowledge

Driving change and improving systems and processes is an important role for each member of a business team. Knowing that status quo is an undesirable state helps to create an environment for continuous improvement. Finding ways to drive tangible, positive change with newly found knowledge should be in the business DNA of each employee and influence his or her ways of working. Always be looking for ways to apply your learning.

  • Use new and emerging technologies to enhance your knowledge

Having an open mind about continuous learning includes embracing technology and being open to using new tools to gain knowledge. The features of today’s hand-held devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are amazing. Wifi and streaming video services have made learning much more accessible because it can take place on our individual schedules. The variety of ‘platforms’ available for learning seems limitless and will continue to grow. If trying new technology is difficult for you, find ways to understand it and become more comfortable. Being on the cutting edge can be very exciting.

  • Gather support along the way and take risks

In the business world, risk-taking is viewed differently in every organization and even varies within organizations from department to department. As we learn more and consider the use of new tools to improve systems and processes, it often takes a mentor or sponsor to gain support for improvement projects or process enhancements. Depending on the perceived risk level, getting the boss to ‘try’ something new can be very challenging. However, developing the supporting justification for a change and finding the courage to ask for support will show dedication and initiative.

  • Follow through on plans and actions

Ideas and plans are nice to have, however putting them into action will take considerable effort and courage. The people in the organization who develop the vision, generate an action plan, gather support, and then execute these plans effectively will be extremely valuable.

In the workplace, wisdom is gained by those who remain curious, stay open to new ideas, find support, and successfully execute their plans. In the business world, as in the world outside of work, the pathway to wisdom is a journey we can choose. May you find your own path to wisdom.

 

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com #73412631 gustavofrazao

Staying Sharp

Mike 5 Comments Continuous improvement, Expert Advice, Management Skills , , ,

Businesswoman in office drinking coffee and looking at computer

“Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

I participated in a Dale Carnegie course many years ago and I remember the final speech from our instructor, Debbie. The point of her speech was to say that now that we have a new set of skills from the course, it’s important to keep them sharp. Debbie emphasized the point by telling a parable: A young, ambitious lumberjack was sent out for the first time and in his first few days he chopped down an impressive number of trees. However, after a week he noticed that even though he worked just as hard as he had those first days, he cut down fewer and fewer trees as each day passed. His frustration grew and finally he asked a veteran lumberjack why his productivity was dropping. The veteran asked a simple question, “How often do you sharpen your ax?”

When we come out of academia or training programs we have a set of skills and knowledge that we want to utilize to make a difference. If we are fortunate, we are placed in a position to use some of these skills and contribute to the success of the organization. However, as time marches on and the world changes, the original set of skills will need updating periodically. As with most things worth doing, staying current takes time and effort. But as the young lumberjack learned, it’s important to take the time to sharpen your ax.

Here are some ideas for staying current and keeping your skills sharp:

  • Schedule time to specifically work on maintaining or improving your skills. Make self-improvement a priority and plan for specific activities.
  • Read as much as possible. The internet and the library make it easy to find relevant content that may help in the quest to stay sharp.
  • Read blogs related to areas of interest. Staying current in your area of interest will help to identify the skills needed to be successful. Searching for helpful blog sites can be a little tedious, but once a few are identified, they can be a great source of information for what is taking place in your industry.
  • Be open to ideas from other disciplines. Looking for information as it applies to areas outside of your expertise or industry can be an interesting way to develop alternative ideas. For example, project management techniques used in one industry may be applicable to another industry.
  • Look for tools that will improve your effectiveness. Being able to use software to a greater extent is always helpful. Understanding and practicing the use of programs such as Excel and Power Point will always be helpful when you are faced with new challenges involving data analysis and communicating ideas to an audience.
  • Be willing to spend time learning new skills. If time isn’t available during the workday to ‘play’ with a program or on-line tool, e.g. project management software, then take the time after the workday or on a weekend to work with it. The time spent exploring the use of a tool will come in handy down the road when the opportunity presents itself.

A person who has a ‘continuous improvement’ attitude will be motivated to stay sharp and will always look for ways to improve. Conversely, it is clear that having the attitude of ‘that’s the way I’ve always done it’, is a good way to start down the slippery slope of obsolescence. It’s always going to be better to say, ‘Let’s find a better way to do it’.

Attitude is very important in today’s workplace. Showing a willingness to grow and improve will go a long way toward building a successful and fulfilling career. With Will Roger’s quote in mind, stay ahead of the pack to avoid being passed by.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 4767256 by monkeybusiness

Is Your Forest Too Dense? Part 4

Mike 0 Comment Communication, Expert Advice , , , , ,

Depositphotos_33835739_xs

Effective Communication

If you haven’t had a chance to read the first three entries of this series, click here for Part 1, here for Part 2, and here for Part 3.

Your ability to communicate is an important tool in your pursuit of your goals, whether it is with your family, your co-workers or your clients and customers. – Les Brown

One thing that will help an organization as they navigate through a dense forest, aka the busy organization, is communication. Leadership must communicate effectively with everyone in the group to keep the team on the right path.

Leadership has many responsibilities that normally include generating reports and performing analysis showing their team’s progress toward meeting organizational goals. Unfortunately, these responsibilities leave little time to communicate with co-workers.

Here are 3 suggestions for enhancing communication that will improve the overall effectiveness and focus of the team.

  1. Conduct meaningful and effective meetings

If a meeting must be held, then the meetings should be considered by all in attendance to be productive and worthwhile before and after the meeting. As the meeting leader, conducting efficient and meaningful meetings boils down to a few principles:

  • Always have a clearly defined, well communicated reason for each meeting.
  • Set up an agenda that spells out who is responsible for providing information at the meeting.
  • Send out the meeting invitation as far in advance as possible so everyone can plan for it.
  • Be respectful of participants’ time by staying within the time set for the meeting.
  • At the end of the meeting, summarize the action steps and write down who is responsible for the action as well as when it is expected to be completed. Use this as the guide to check the progress of each action.

2. Set up a weekly check-in with each employee

Scheduling time every week for a quick discussion between the manager and each team member will be beneficial to both parties. There should be a simple agenda that includes the status of each project or work-stream and any potential issues. It is also a time to discuss any changes from the management perspective that will possibly impact the team member’s activities.

Once these weekly meetings are established, they become very efficient, and they can reduce the number of surprises on both sides of the relationship.

  3. Publish organizational performance results periodically

Placing a team member (preferably not Management) in charge of communicating the team’s results versus targets and metrics on a periodic basis. Knowing how well the team is performing against established goals and targets will provide motivation. Assigning a non-management team member to track and post the results in a graphical form, e.g., charts or graphs, sends a signal to the team that there is no ‘spin’ to the information being presented.

In today’s world, there are many distractions as well as a multitude of internal activities everyone on the team is expected to manage day in and day out. Hopefully the tips and recommendations in this blog series will help thin out your forest and make it a little easier to see where you and your team are going.

Photo credit: Depositphotos #33835739 by Londondeposit

Is Your Forest Too Dense? Part 3

Mike 1 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills, Metrics , , , , , ,

Meteorological red white windsock in Himalaya airport,Nepal

Meaningful Metrics

Part Three

If you haven’t had a chance to read the first two parts of this series, please click here for Part One and here for Part Two.

As we continue on our path through the metaphorical forest of a busy supply chain organization, let’s look at how meaningful metrics can be an effective way to improve your company’s visibility. Most of us prefer to avoid unpleasant information. However, well-thought-out metrics will provide useful insights that can help teams improve performance, whether the news is good or bad.

To generate an accurate view of performance, there are a few basic metrics that every supply chain organization will need. The first group of metrics should be associated with Customer Service. The second set will show Inventory position and a third set will focus on Production reporting. A final consideration is for Management to openly share the metric results with the entire organization.

Customer Service –

Most manufacturing organizations make products and sell them to customers, who in turn sell them to their customers. A useful customer service metric is a measurement called ‘case fill’. This is the simple percentage of how much product was delivered divided by the quantity ordered. It is also important to know if the order was fulfilled by the promised delivery date.

Although this may seem like an obvious choice for a metric, attention must be paid to the details. This metric requires clear guidelines on what is considered successful order fulfillment to allow for useful insights into issues as they arise.

Inventory –

Having a visual representation of predicted inventory levels is extremely helpful. It should be based on production plans and forecasted shipments (to customers) for the length of the forecasting cycle. A ‘snapshot’ of the inventory level of multiple items can be achieved by using a spreadsheet with conditional formatting as shown below:

Mock DOH Chart 121514

Production –

Being able to obtain accurate information regarding production output is a key metric. There are a few aspects of this measurement that may not be apparent: It is important to know how much was produced and the quantity scheduled to be produced. Dividing the quality made by the quantity scheduled is called schedule accuracy and most companies would consider 90% to 110% of the plan to be acceptable.

Schedule accuracy is a metric that can provide valuable insights. For example, if the quantity produced is substantially lower than planned, understanding the root cause of this will help find gaps in other systems, such as inadequate maintenance. On the other hand, if more product was made than scheduled, then resources (with time being the most valuable resource) are being spent on items not needed at that time.

It is best to focus on a small number of meaningful and accurate metrics. Having too many disparate metrics will dilute the team’s focus. Team members may spend time generating reports instead of performing root cause analysis to determine why targets are not being achieved.

One last consideration is to publically post the key metric information in a common area and on-line where all employees can see how well the organization is performing. Even if the news is not always good, it’s best to communicate the information and create a sense of transparency. Discussing what the metrics indicate can open up a healthy dialogue amongst the workforce that can lead to improved problem-solving activities.

Meaningful metrics will display both positive and negative results regarding the performance of an organization. Facing facts and addressing issues identified as a result of using a robust set of metrics will make it simpler to guide teams through the thick forest of intense pressure experienced in today’s supply chain organizations.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com #27194263 by kaetana

Is Your Forest Too Dense?

Mike 1 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills , , , , , , , ,

nature. pathway in the forest with sunlight

Part One

I’ve always appreciated the adage about not being able to ‘see the forest for all the trees.’ I have experienced this phenomenon from within the forest and from the outside. At times I find myself getting bogged down in the specifics, unable to see what is going on around me. At other times I feel it’s my colleagues who are lost in the forest.

In business, as in life, there has to be a balance between having a handle on the details and seeing the big picture.

“Having the big picture in mind enables us to overcome the day to day routines that attempt to distract us from pursuing our dream.” ― Assegid Habtewold

From my perspective seeing the big picture is the ability to consider the connections between actions and the consequences, intended or otherwise. When considering actions to take and various alternatives, decisions need to take into account both short-term and long-term ramifications.

Leadership must keep the team focused on the activities contributing to the goals of the organization. Leaders need to see and understand the forest around them to help guide the team forward. The success of the plan executed today will impact the organization’s success tomorrow and well beyond.

The next three blog entries will explore specific areas where leaders can keep their teams focused and productive while keeping the big picture in view. Here are the areas we will explore:

Establish Meaningful Goals

Look for the second entry titled, ‘Goal Management for Success’.

To paraphrase the poet Robert Burns, ‘The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Setting meaningful and tangible goals is essential to the success of all business. It is also very important to recognize that changes taking place within the business climate will drive the need to adjust the goals from time to time. I will describe a simple process for setting goals and adjusting them to drive the business forward.

Select Essential Metrics

I will address the why and how of establishing metrics in the third blog entry, ‘Meaningful Metrics’.

“What’s measured improves.” Peter Drucker.

Once the goals are set, it is important for leaders to choose the metrics that can be used as markers for the progress of the business toward achieving the goals, and that can accurately measure the health of the organization.

Effective Communication

Finally I will discuss the team’s ability to communicate successfully. Check out the fourth entry, ‘Effect Communication’ for more tips on improving communication.

“Good leadership starts with good communication.” Unknown

Communication amongst the team and across the organization is a key to success. Providing frequent, succinct, and useful information to the team will keep everyone engaged in the business. The manner in which meetings are conducted can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of the team. One on one communication is also very important between the leader and each team member. Lastly, communication associated with business performance results can motivate the team.

So look for the next three blogs as I provide advice on how to ‘thin out’ the forest and make a positive impact on your organization.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 7985468  by vovan13

That Hammer is Around Here Somewhere…

mcalisterts 0 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills, Project Management , , , , ,

What's In Your Toolbox Red Metal Tool Box Skills Experience

“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” – Abraham Maslow.

Sometimes an organization can get stuck in a bad situation and since they only have access to a limited number of tools, they are often frustrated when they are faced with a new challenge. I’m sure this story is not unique:

An organization is faced with an increasing workload and limited resources. This ‘good problem’ is due to new opportunities for additional sales, but the Operations team is overwhelmed with the increasing number of requests. Subsequently, the Sales team is frustrated because new opportunities are not being addressed on a timely basis and there is the loss of potential revenue. Faced with these challenges, the Operations team is frustrated because the methodology and tools at their disposal for managing new product requests require the process to take a 2 to 4 months (or longer) to go from concept to the marketplace, regardless of the urgency.

In essence, the tools currently available to manage the new product process and drive the projects are limited in flexibility and functionality. The Operations team is only able to approach project management the same way they did when the workload was smaller; their toolbox is sparsely populated.

It’s best to think out of the box if the current systems are not meeting the expectations of the business. In this particular situation, there are limited resources and a need to improve project management capabilities.  A possible solution to their problem is to look for new tools to help with project management. From my experience, the world of integrated project management tools is quite extensive. There are many aspects of a project to manage and various solutions offer ways to focus on what is important to each company.

Here are a few factors to consider when investigating potential solutions:

  • There are many creative solutions in the marketplace.
  • Make the time to investigate the possible ways to improve your situation.
  • There are firms in the marketplace who specialize in helping you find a solution. These firms use an approach similar to real estate agents working to find a residence that meets your needs. They represent many companies and after learning your requirements, they can recommend a variety of solutions to review.
  • Take the time to review the potential solutions and determine the best fit. Get a free trial version and experiment with ‘real life’ information to see if it works in a way that will help your company improve the situation and help you reach your business goals.
  • If you are too busy to investigate a new system, consider hiring a consultant for a brief period of time that can perform this evaluation relatively quickly and efficiently. Spending a nominal amount of money for a good consultant to provide guidance on possible solutions will pay off rapidly when the right system is implemented and projects are being completed effectively and efficiently.

I recommend TechnologyAdvice.com as a possible resource for gathering information on possible software/system solutions. I found them to be efficient and their recommendations very helpful.

If you have several tools in your toolbox, all problems won’t look like a nail. Using readily available resources to help you locate and evaluate the best tool for your situation is the key to making real progress.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com #31285409 by iqoncept

Is Nero Fiddling?

mcalisterts 0 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills , , , ,

Depositphotos_29889739_xs

At a company conference several years ago, Leadership asked for anonymous comments from team members about concerns they had for the business. I wrote, “Sometimes it feels as though management is like Nero fiddling while Rome is burning”. This may have been harsh. My point was that there were issues in the organization that I felt were not being addressed that could cause major problems for the company.

Working in the quality side of the business I developed a keen sense of how the right (or wrong) combination of situations could severely damage a company’s image. Although we had not experienced a product recall situation, I felt Leadership was not taking the ‘close calls’ we had the previous year seriously enough. We all have a responsibility to keep the consumer safe while protecting our company and brand image. The best way to do this is to prevent problems from happening.

Today the news of a product recall is instantaneously broadcast to the world via the Internet. Within a few hours, social media will pile on and before you know it, the problem is broadcast nationally and beyond on multiple media outlets. Think of Toyota and the uncontrolled acceleration in some of their cars: the combination of a few minor design flaws impacted the safety of the product. Whether the situation was under control or not, Toyota’s reputation was damaged almost immediately after the announcement of the product recall.

Having knowledge of a situation that could potentially create a product safety issue and damage the reputation of the brand and the company is a call to action. It can take courage to make a case to Leadership in order to prevent a severe problem from developing. It is also essential to demonstrate credibility, produce supportive data, and offer a solution when possible.

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you are right” – Henry Ford

Have Credibility

When it comes time for the rubber to meet the road, the discussion will come down to credibility. It takes time to build up enough trust to have difficult conversations with your superiors. To make a difference within an organization, one has to be trustworthy and have a track record of solid performance. Do what you say you are going to do and do it well.

Use Solid Data

When developing a case for discussion, have solid data behind your claims. It is not enough to say, “I think there is a problem.” Any reasonable manager will ask for evidence. What I found over the years is that sometimes when going through the due diligence of building a case, we find that the issue isn’t as dire as we originally thought. On the other hand, sometimes it’s worse. Do your homework to clearly and fairly prove your point.

Develop a Feasible Solution

“Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining.” – Teddy Roosevelt.

Finally, put together a feasible solution or action plan that will mitigate the situation. It will make the case more credible if Leadership is presented a specific set of activities that clearly identify the current risks along with corrective actions. Nobody likes to have problems dumped on their doorstep, so when the person making the case suggests a solution, the chances of being heard will greatly improve.

Whether it is a critical product safety issue, or a significant business situation that needs to be brought to Leadership’s attention, summon the courage to make the case for improvement. If you believe the bosses are ‘fiddling’ or just focused on the myriad issues of the day, take the initiative to make a difference.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 29889739 by: ronjoe

Work and Jazz – First Verse

mcalisterts 1 Comment Collaboration, Expert Advice, Management Skills , , , ,

jazz guitar player

Although I started playing guitar when I was 13, I took my first formal guitar lessons as an adult. Along with learning about Jazz and improving my guitar playing skills, I have noticed several parallels between Jazz guitar, learning styles and successful teamwork.

Learning Style – Understanding How to Learn and Teach

The most commonly discussed modes for learning, are Visual, Auditory, and Tactile. It turns out I’m mostly a visual learner. I have discovered that even after hearing a guitar lick many times, the only way I can reproduce it is by watching my fingers make the correct movements on the strings. Although playing guitar requires auditory skill, I primarily learn how by seeing my fingers move on the fret board of my guitar.

This got me thinking about the training I’ve received over the years; the most effective method for me was hands-on. Listening to an instructor explain how to use the system did not work for me, but using software with dummy data, I could see the system perform the task, and effectively learn it myself.

Knowing how we learn, and looking for training programs tailored to that learning mode can enhance our job performance. It is also important to keep learning modes in mind when putting together training programs for others. If we expect to successfully teach our audience a task, the procedures must be presented in all modes: auditory, visual, and tactile.

Jazz – Simultaneously Simple and Complex

Most of the basic rules for music are not particularly difficult to understand. Jazz uses a subset of the rules that make jazz what it is, but once these rules are understood, the chords and melody for most jazz standards are relatively simple songs that a novice can play. However, advanced Jazz players understand the subtlety of the structure and are able to enhance the music with their own personality and style. They understand how to improvise around the melody and use chord substitution to create a much richer version of the song.

Work organizations, like Jazz bands, follow relatively simple rules of operation and protocol that are easy to learn. However, it is within the basic work structure that high performers understand the complexity of the organization and how to enhance operations with their own personalities and style. In the example below, I followed the basic rules of the organization and worked with all of the appropriate people to get answers to my questions. My experience and understanding of the operations was useful because I knew the right questions to ask of my co-workers.

  • At one point in my career I was in charge of investigating consumer complaints. Based on my experience, I knew that there could be many facets of the situation that possibly contributed to the complaint. I worked closely with various co-workers to obtain additional information such as production data, maintenance logs, and the results of raw material inspections. By performing this level of ‘due diligence’, every consumer complaint was viewed as an opportunity to ensure all procedures are being followed and to ultimately enhance the overall strength of brand.

Look for my next blog as I continue my thoughts on work and Jazz.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 46950533 by estudiosaavedra