INSIGHTS

Thoughts on strategy and operations from a Fractional COO

 

 

 

Management and culture make a difference

Management and culture make a difference

If you don’t believe that management and culture make a difference in your company’s success, you are wrong.  Let me give you an example from Toyota that I learned about from a recent podcast. When Toyota was making their first moves to manufacturing in the US, they...

High-Performing Teams Require Trust

High-Performing Teams Require Trust

Do you trust your employees?  A better question is whether they trust you.  High-performing teams require trust at all levels of the organization. A lack of trust limits innovation and collaboration.  It keeps good ideas, good processes, and good people from becoming...

The 4 C’s of Accountability

The 4 C’s of Accountability

Do you wish you had more accountability in your organization?  Business owners commonly express the need for more accountability when talking about their challenges.  I have found leaders actually mistake other issues for a lack of accountability.  Leaders build...

What is Operations anyway?

What is Operations anyway?

Lee Iacocca said “in the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product, and profits.” If you asked someone to define “operations”, what answers would you get? Probably statements ranging from “processes” to “getting stuff done” or “I’m...

Are your employees engaged?

Are your employees engaged?

According to a Gallup report, only 34% of US employees are actively engaged in their jobs.  Gallup defines "engaged" as "involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace." What about the other 66%?  13% are "actively disengaged," and a...

Creating Clarity

Creating Clarity

It's true - inquiring minds do want to know, if you are talking about the people who make your business run every day.  They crave clarity. I was reminded of this working with a client recently on some operational challenges. The client, who uses EOS, said during our...

Culture – policed or created?

Culture – policed or created?

Today I read an article that called HR the department responsible “for policing personnel actions and culture.” That struck me as odd. Corporate culture shouldn’t be policed. Leaders model and nurture it; employees create it. Culture is the environment and personality...

Growth: The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly

Growth: The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly

It’s a safe bet that if you do a quick internet search on business priorities that increasing topline revenue, improving sales performance, and increasing company value will show up in the top results.  Growth matters. To misquote Gordon Gekko:  growth is good. Growth...

Your business strategy is incomplete.  Or just wrong.

Your business strategy is incomplete. Or just wrong.

Let me clarify -- wrong for YOUR business. Your strategy should be as unique as you are.  If you can delete just a few key words and your plan is unidentifiable as yours, it may not be the strategy you need. Strategy doesn't begin with deciding what steps you will...

Is your company healthy?

Is your company healthy?

Employees long to be part of a healthy organization.  Business owners and executives reduce wasted effort and lost time by creating environments where their employees can perform their best. There are two aspects to a healthy business:  organizational health and...

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