I was out taking my dogs for a walk this morning and came across a poor fellow who was axle deep in a ditch. As I was driving up the road I could see him frantically looking for material to prop under his tires to give him enough leverage to get out. As I pulled up he called and asked if I had any chains or a tow rope? I didn't but offered to help in any case. We tried for some time to no avail when suddenly his wife (who was manning the steering and gas while we tried to "rock" it out) discovered a fairly big tie down and a manual cinch. We hooked it up to my truck and within minutes we had his truck out and back on the road. I was glad to help out - it is what we do here in Canada - and I was glad it was successful.
How Many Are Stuck? I share this because it made me think about how many companies or groups are in the same predicament, stuck in the mud with no help in sight and wondering if they are going to make it? The situation doesn't even have to be horrid, just enough to make your tires spin but not enough to let you out of your current predicament. You might even have a tow rope but that is of little use until someone comes along. I see this with companies all the time. Their profit has just dipped into the red and they are looking for any kind of leverage to help get them out of the rut. They lay off people, trim overhead, adjust processes and try just about everything to get traction but all to no avail. All they need is that 2%, 3% or 7% boost to get them over the hump and back into the black. I imagine that right now a lot of companies are facing this kind of dilemma and it must be frustrating. You Don't Have To Stay Stuck What if I told you that like that guy I helped this morning the answer is right within your company and all you need is a little help to make it all work? According to Gallup the average worker in the western world in engaged at around 33%. What if you could see that rise to 40%, 50% or more? Would have give you the traction you need to get over that hump to get back into the black? You bet it would! Using a potent combination of continuous improvement, performance management and behavioral science I have seen companies move engagement and performance to amazing levels! Communication opens up, staff take up the cause of protecting and boosting the bottom line and the company works like the team they always wanted to be. Learn to Use What is Already In Your Company to Get Out of the Rut! Using personal metrics operations crews begin to understand how their work impacts the bottom line and they become champions for better processes or better yet, they provide new and innovative revenue streams. In one case during one of our training sessions a group of operations and leadership came up with a cost saving process that added over 10% to the company profit margin! That was before they had even begun to implement the training they were receiving. In another group we walked them through a process analysis as part of their training and discovered several key items; one - no-one oversaw the process from start to finish, two; communication between the various departments had dropped to almost none-existent and three; when they all came together to explore options they came up with literally millions of dollars in immediate and future savings and this is in this current market! You may be stuck in the mud with no help in sight but you don't have to stay there. You are closer than you realize when it comes to getting out of that rut and back on track. Performance Leadership - Think About It! Comments are closed.
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