By Dr. Drake Beil
President, Solutions Inc.
The popular book, "If It Ain’t Broke, Break It," may have taken organizational changes too far, but what if it is broken? What if your service processes are so bad that they put off customers? Thomas Edison said, "If there is a way to do it better ... find it."
Two simple tips can help. Free up the flow of information. When a client wanted to reduce complaints, we focused on getting frontline employees informed. What were the most frequent complaints, how often, and so on.
When people understand why, it makes a difference. To begin this process, start considering yourself Chief Education Officer. Create an employee mindset that understands situations and makes intelligent decisions as a result.
Remove structural barriers. Cooperate across departments. Build a cross-functional team to combat service problems. But first determine whether the company wisdom allows for new ideas.
Is your firm aligned more by structure or by process? The more structure, the greater the frowning on original thinking. Following the rules is more important than following your intuition. Conformity is prized more than creativity.
Process-oriented organizations include almost all service industries and many product providers, so here your chances of initiating and surviving an organizational change are excellent. You may even get rewarded for the effort.
Dr. Drake Beil can be reached at drake@60secondsonbusiness.com.
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