In the last year, there are few companies who’ve not had to react in some way to the recent turbulent economic events.  In fact, many still are operating from their heels.  Perhaps your organization is still in a reactionary mode.

At what point do you and your employees realize it’s time to look for different ways of doing the work — and getting back into a proactive stance?  Maybe the time is now to start implementing a Continuous Improvement (CI) initiative to help your people get back on their toes again.

Other than the obvious financial reasons to implement such a program (e.g., cost savings — by doing more with less) there are a few other factors to consider.  1st – awareness will never be higher among your employees for why change is needed.  Today employees are thankful to still have a job; they’re also looking for new ideas and resources to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

2nd – the economic crisis is providing the prefect motivation for all parts of the company to work together towards a common goal.

3rd – everyone in the organization is aware of the need to add value to your customer to ensure that the customer continues to do business with your company.   Whatever the reason, based on my experience implementing improvement initiatives (both as a business owner and as a consultant) — there is no better time than right now.

So, where do you start?

Assess – you must start to see how your organization adds value to the customer and where the waste exists.  We’re not used to thinking this way – we do our jobs everyday and don’t always think about the little things that can add up quickly.  Assess which functional areas are most critical at the moment – those that can add the most value to the customer or that are your biggest risks.

Train — provide tools, resources and training to all your employees.  That may simply be accomplished by providing articles and blogs like this.  Or you may choose to utilize outside resources such as consultants or facilitators.  Whichever way you go – your employees will need to gain knowledge that effectively implements changes in your company.

Plan – Next, plan out your CI initiative.  Start with small improvements that will help to get your people up to speed.  If the improvement seems too big to bite off at one time, then break it down into smaller pieces.  Also, start with a smaller group of talented people who come from diverse parts of the business rather than with bigger groups.  In my experience, trying to implement CI programs company-wide is a recipe for disaster.  Once the initial group gains experience and confidence, then expand the size and number of CI teams.

Implement – This is where you try a lot of different things.  Just like anything else – it takes failing to find success.  As someone once told me — fail fast because that means you’re close to success.  Also, be sure to to identify the specific targeted improvement metrics (e.g., 30% reduction/improvement) you would like to get.  If you don’t put a number down, then it’ll be difficult to gauge your success level with the improvement initiative once it’s completed.

Validate – Verify your results.  Did you gain the improvement you expected?  If not, why?  Don’t give up on the work even if you’ve gained some benefit but not your target.   There’s always room for more – so don’t stop until you find the additional corrective measures that get you to your goal.

Standardize – Once you’re satisfied with your improvements, then memorialize them and make them your new standard.  This includes building in systems to verify that all employees are trained on the new standard and that you take the time to spot check each other’s work.  Improvements are difficult means to create new habits, so building systems into your CI program will help new improvements stick over time.  Don’t let the old ways of doing the work creep back into your organization.

The bottom line is this: there is no end point.  CI programs are iterative processes of assessing, training, planning, implementing, validating, standardizing your activities.   Now is the perfect time.  Start making improvements now – you’ll be impressed with how much opportunity exists inside your businesses today.

Like a number of people, I’ve spent a good part of my life feeling like I just didn’t fit in. This feeling first started when I reached that awkward age of adolescents and, ever since then I’ve never seemed to be able to shake that it.  Not too long ago A friend recently sent me the following definition from a fridge magnet.

ARTIST (ar’tist) noun

1. a) One who practices an art in which conception and execution are governed by imagination, style and taste

b) a person skilled in one of the fine arts

c) a craftsman that executes his art with individual style

2. Often their work is judged according to the culture and the attitude placed on art at the time.  Although they may earn recognition during their lifetime, they are usually not recognized for their accomplishments until after death

3. Lives a life of unstable economic means.

4. Many theories have been put forth regarding their creativity, the most common one being that is it inherent, although if not developed & tested will remain dormant

a) they seem to create during moods, often intense, mostly lasting only a short while

5) They have a feeling of brotherhood with each other that is timeless.

6) Thought to be haphazard, having no sense of order, plan, or direction, yet are known to be perfectionists when it comes to their own work

a) they make decisions on feeling rather than reason

b) have problems with concentration

7. They are stereotyped as mentally unbalanced.  One artists cut off his ear in a passion of creativity combined with frustration about his art.  It has not been determined whether their creativity has anything to do with this.

8. They are sensitive, aware, and alert.

9. They are tolerated by society, which allows them to live in accordance with their own natures

I realize what many people today call entrepreneurs are more like our modern day artists.  We are driven to create work that has value which others see and are willing to pay for. We use our imaginations, and then set out to bring to life that concept that was born in our minds.   I mean no disrespect to artists.  I’m only trying to make a point – entrepreneurs today are motivated to do more than just make money.  And, now more than ever, we need smart, creative people dreaming up new ideas and ways out of the mess we have found ourselves in.

What does your employee feedback program look like?  Do you have one of these boxes in your office?  How do you gauge the mood of the employees in your organization?  Do you know what’s getting in the way of your people’s performance?  How do you know?   Let’s start over – why should you care? 

First, I’ll start with why some  employee feedback programs don’t work:

• Feedback systems are black boxes.  Ideas and suggestions either never get seen or fall on deaf ears.    If you aren’t willing to take action, then DON’T ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS.
• Feedback isn’t timely.  If the system is designed to gather information, but it’s not noticed or acted on immediately, then the problem either already did its damage or has grown into a bigger problem. 
• Suggestions are poorly defined.  Too often, employee feedback systems are only used to vent personal issues about peers, managers and customers and don’t identify the core operation or process that is broken.  
• Lack of accountability.  Most systems don’t provide any feedback loops to ensure corrective measures are identified, implemented and standardized.
• Feedback is ad hoc, not systematic.  If you don’t make it a priority everyday, or every week – then feedback systems won’t stick long-term.

If you’re still unsure as to the benefit of good feedback systems – then perhaps you can read a bit more about world-class organizations that implement feedback systems that produce results (Thanks, Verne!).  

Now the good news.  This doesn’t have to be rocket science – here are  a few tips to get you started:

• Make it a habit.
• Keep it anonymous.
• Make it about what, not about who.
• Good systems ask for feedback on corrective measures that will work; good systems are not just looking for complaints.
• Don’t shoot the messenger – if you aren’t ready to hear the brutal facts, then go to another website.
• Make sure the issues are visible so EVERYONE can weigh-in on what issues need addressing first.
• Never, ever stop!  It’s continuous improvement.
• Offer rewards when improvements save the company time, energy and money.  It only works if everyone has a stake in the outcome.
• When you listen – don’t defend but keep an open ear and mind to what your people have to say.

Today more than ever we all need to work together to identify and solve the issues that are holding our performance back.   Employees and owners can no longer look to the other for the answers - we need to work together to make our organizations and ourselves stronger, better and more effective.

Hill wrote this in 1937 – Think and Grow Rich.   As much as we may want to believe that we’ve made progress as a society I can’t help but think we really haven’t.  We seem to be struggling with the same problems, and if we really believe that using the same solutions will result in different outcomes, we’re just kidding ourselves.  Maybe it’s time to use a different approach.  Maybe it’s time to use a different model. 

Teamwork is when someone must subordinate personal aspirations and the leader wins.

Teamwork is a joint action by 2 or more persons or a group, in which each subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group.  This does not mean that the individual is no longer important; however, it does mean that effective and efficient teamwork goes beyond individual accomplishments.  The most effective teamwork is produced when all the individuals involved harmonize their contributions and work towards a common goal.  In order for teamwork to succeed, one must be a team-player.  A team-player is one who subordinates personal aspirations and works in a coordinated effort with other members of a group, or a team, to strive for a common goal.   Businesses and other organizations often go to the effort of coordinating team building events in an attempt to get people to work as a team rather than as individuals.

Collaboration – there are no leaders.  Everyone wins.

Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together toward an intersection of common goals — e.g., sharing knowledge, learning, and building consensus is an intellectual endeavor that is creative in nature.  Collaboration does not require leadership, and can sometimes bring better results through decentralization and egalitarism. 

This is an image of a structure that was used to create a philanthropic organization based on the idea of collaboration.  Project Red Dot (www.projectreddot.org) was established in 2008 as a way for individuals to work towards a common goal – in this case, to help people in Ghana, Africa connect to the world.  It has produced incredible results while using a minimal amount of resources because the model is based on collaboration.

I’ve recently reconnected with Doug Mendel and I’m attempting to set up a similar structure to help his orgainzation (www.dougmendel.com).  By combining the right combination of talented, motivated and resourceful people, a tremendous amount of progress can be made while using little or no resources.  In the case of Project Red Dot, they’ve been able to re-deploy laptops that would have ended up in a landfill.  In Doug Mendel’s case, he moved a fire truck from Colorado to Cambodia.  Both used the same model.  Both yielded amazing results.

My question is – how can YOU use this model to reach your goals and aspirations?

I was first exposed to the concept of “core values” when I attended The Birthing of Giants program hosted by the MIT Enterprise Forum.  The facilitator, Verne Harnish, was instrumental in my entrepreneurial growth, and is someone I consider to be one of my top 5 influences.  It was Verne who first introduced me to the concept of core values and ideologies — what they mean and why they’re important.   Suffice it to say, I started to drink the Kool Aid by the gallon. 

Over the last eight years, I’ve worked tirelessly to define my own set of core ideologies, and incorporate them into each of my businesses.  Throughout this process, I’ve found it equally difficult to accurately portray a statement of core ideologies, as well as  effectively communicate that to all stakeholders.  If I had to give myself a grade, it would be a solid C+.  This isn’t because I’ve not given it time and energy, but because it’s difficult to find the exact words that tie to the concepts and the ideas that exist in our minds.  I believe this is because our ideologies are closely related to our purpose in life.  Not only is it hard to find the words, there is also the inability, for many of us, to articulate what our purpose is. 

My experience shows that any organization that grows and does not have a clear definition of their core ideology is putting their people and their future at significant risk.  As the organization grows, employee and partners are forced to “translate” the information they have to  make choices and decisions.  Sometimes the choices they make are not well aligned with what’s in the mind of the organization’s CEO.  Anyone who’s grown a business understands this dynamic.  The more you grow, and the faster you grow, the more you rely on your people to make the right choices and decisions – the ones that would be most consistent with your own ideologies.

Today I found the best example of someone who has brought their core ideology to life.  This is a picture of the core ideologies GotVMail.  David Hauser and his team have been able to bring to life – through a picture – the essence of their ideology.  I can only imagine the impact this will have over time.  If they’re able to effectively communicate this picture to as many people as possible, their success will be unlimited.  I am going to do the same for my new business because a picture is worth a thousand words.  Thank you for the inspiration, David!

Panasonic Mood Phone

What if there were a way to systematically gather feedback from people within your organization that would provide you with immediate information on their mood – specifically, the level of energy they are exhibiting, their trust in the company and their peers, and how focused they are on their work at the moment?  Think of it as the ultimate feedback loop for organizations.   

Say you were able to walk into someone’s office and immediately know their mood (based on physiological functions), and then adapt your approach to fit their current state.  Does that seem like a far fetched idea?  Maybe it’s not so far off.

In late 2006, Panasonic and NTT DoCoMo designed a cell phone called the “Feel Talk.