Creating Business Improvement
I’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in some really successful Change Programmes in my time but have also learned from my mistakes and successes along the way.
We’re passionate about sharing lessons learned from those experiences. A few simple changes can help embed good transformation methods into your everyday management practices.
Change should be a constant, evolving process of change, improvement and development to meet what is after all, an ever-changing internal and external market. Organisational Development (or continuous improvement, readiness to meet change – whatever you choose to call it) needs to form a part of your business culture. Your DNA!
Here are three simple methods that I’ve seen successfully adapted into organisations:
1. Senior Management Meetings.
Smart leadership drives business improvement; Growth in revenue in the private sector or better efficiency and effectiveness in public sector organisations.
Which ever sector you are in, build a business improvement section into your Senior Management Meetings. Include it as an agenda item, give it a decent sized slot and consider it seriously at least once per quarter.
2. Senior Executives Job Descriptions
Insert a clause into Senior Executives job descriptions that requires them to make improvements in their part of the business. You would be surprised how many Executive Job Descriptions are quiet on this crucial competence. Reward drives behaviour so align it to the Reward Structure.
Planning and managing change that achieves competitive advantage and improved performance can be very challenging, so make sure that these Senior Executives get some good HR advice when making any material changes that affect employees.
3. Learn From Mistakes….And Successes.
Companies most likely to be successful in implementing change work are the ones that no longer view it as a one off event, rather as a constant opportunity to evolve their business.
After each planned change has been completed in your business, do a quick but disciplined exercise to identify what went well and what could have been improved. Feed what you learn back in to your processes for next time.
Finally, George Bernard Shaw once said, “Some people see the world as it is and ask why; others see the world as it might be and ask why not.”
Why not be a “Why Not?”.
Written by Ruth from The Change Directors. An HR and Change Expert who is passionate about sharing her change management experience with your business.
