Elevating Business Operations: True problem recognition and the comprehensive solution

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Tim Robinson’s organisation was dealing with several challenges within his business area, such as:

  • Reactive resourcing.
  • A cumbersome change management process for customers.
  • Neglect of operational data review.
  • Absence of a continuous improvement strategic plan.
  • Operating in DevOps phase 1.

Tim and his team were aware of the issues but didn’t fully recognise their extent until he joined the Core Operational Excellence (COE) program with QBS. Initially introduced to the program as one of the pioneers from his business area, the team hoped to tackle their challenges more comprehensively.  They wanted to move away from simply reacting to problems as they arose, knowing they wouldn’t lead to sustainable solutions.

A Different Lens

Participating in COE compelled Tim to step back and view his business through a different lens. It forced him to question how he allocated his time. He identified several key issues and devised solutions, such as avoiding non-value-added meetings, planning further ahead, addressing important but non-urgent matters, and documenting and sharing his knowledge.

By addressing these challenges, Tim created space to work on the business itself. This involved strategic planning, future resource planning, eliminating single points of failure, and nurturing junior team members. This allowed him to invest more time back into the business and enhance continuous improvement efforts. 

Focussing on the Vision

By focusing on a vision extending beyond the current year Tim significantly reduced the time spent on immediate concerns. His COE journey had other valuable lessons too:

  • Balancing immediate concerns with future planning is crucial.
  • Empowering and upskilling teams reduces dependencies on individuals.
  • Meaningful change requires proactive action.
  • Supportive and engaged leadership is vital.
  • Peer support and collaboration are invaluable.

Proactive Results 

Under Tim’s leadership, the team underwent a profound transformation. They transitioned to a more proactive approach to resourcing, allowing for better alignment with organisational needs. Multiple initiatives were launched to streamline change management processes, resulting in substantial time savings. Enhanced data analysis capabilities significantly improved the team’s performance. On top of that, under Tim’s guidance, the chapter successfully established a strategic improvement plan for the fiscal year. Progress was made, advancing the team to DevOps phase 2. Valuable insights gleaned from these improvements led to the conversion of contract roles into permanent positions, generating annual savings of $150,000. Perhaps most notably, team engagement surged, and a culture of continuous improvement took root, fostering a dynamic and forward-thinking environment.

“Through my COE journey, I’ve learned to strike a balance between focusing on the present and preparing for the future. It’s crucial to empower my teams, reducing dependency on me and embracing change. A supportive leader plays a pivotal role, and having colleagues on the same journey for support was invaluable.” Tim Robinson

Building Leadership Excellence: Michelle’s Journey with COE

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Michelle was a disciplined, data-driven leader, even before engaging with COE. However, she faced a challenge: her team of leaders didn’t share the same depth of analytical thinking. Gut feelings often dominated their decision-making processes. Michelle aimed to instil a common approach within her team, encompassing shared frameworks, language, and tools. Her leaders needed to adopt this mindset not just from her but from an external source. Simultaneously, she sought to enhance her own skills.

While Michelle had been inadvertently modelling Operational Excellence (OE) principles, it was an entirely different challenge to teach her leaders. Merely instructing them didn’t seem to drive the learnings into their hearts and minds. 

A Team Unified

The COE program through QBS, provided Michelle and her team with a unified language and refined, accurate tools. The trainers facilitated alignment among her leaders and equipped them with resources to analyse their business comprehensively and the benefits included:

  • A common language and tools fostered daily use for managing the business.
  • Identification of issues and opportunities within the business.
  • Transformation of business operations through collaboration and breaking down silos.
  • Introduction of other leaders to the Introductory Operational Excellence (IOE) program, further advancing progress and common language use.

“Every leader should do COE – I don’t know how a leader can do their job without it” Michelle.

Inclusion. Alignment. Common Ground

Michelle’s journey through COE highlighted several key insights:

  • The importance of recognising diverse learning styles among team members.
  • Identifying leaders who may resist change and assessing their alignment with the desired leadership model.
  • The value of a common language, alongside standardised frameworks and tools.

Of course, like anything it wasn’t all smooth sailing. As a senior leader, Michelle faced questions about why she took on the program.  However, she was determined to lead from the front, knowing that previous methods had not yielded the results.

Is your organisation calling out for an aligned approach to leadership? Start here with our Leadership Skills Audit and unearth the hard skills gaps in your operational leaders, and where to next. Get it here.

Unlocking Operational Excellence: Byron Brink’s Transformation Journey

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Before Byron Brink crossed paths with the COE program through Quality Business Services, he found himself navigating the complexities of Telstra’s operations with a sense of uncertainty. His daily experience centred around these concerns:

  • Lack of a clear view of the delivery pipeline, focusing solely on monthly outcomes.
  • Metrics centred around historical performance rather than anticipating future challenges.
  • Overemphasis on addressing bottom performers rather than the collective business performance.
  • A complacent team, content with the status quo.

Effective ways to serve customers

Byron’s primary aim was to find more effective ways to serve Telstra’s customers, both for his team and himself.

Previous solutions such as periodic campaigns to accelerate ageing orders had not prevented new orders from encountering similar bottlenecks in the process.

How COE and IOE Transformed the Situation:

After completing the COE program, Byron realised the critical importance of data and the narrative it conveys. COE provided him with a structured approach to evaluate his business, pinpointing root causes instead of just addressing symptoms. This transformation had several impacts:

  • A focus on proactive problem-solving, anticipating issues, and driving change early in the process.
  • A reduction in the average order age from 160 days to 95 days, freeing up substantial people capacity.
  • Improved accuracy in forecasting and capacity modelling.
  • Implementation of robust improvement programs, enhancing the customer experience during the delivery lifecycle.
  • Identification of automation opportunities to streamline order entry processes.

Valuable Insights

Getting started on the transformation wasn’t easy. There were some significant challenges to overcome in the early days, such as time management and breaking the cycle of being too engrossed in daily operations to work on the business. However Byron tackled this by allocating dedicated time for his portfolios, making incremental progress daily.

Following his COE experience, Byron enrolled all his team members in the Introductory Operational Excellence (IOE) program to ensure they shared a common language and could accelerate improvements. This move, initially met with resistance by some team members, resulted in a sense of pride and accomplishment upon completion, and they experienced some standout results.  Here are some of their insights:

  • Leaders should spend more time working on the business, enabling their teams to perform effectively.
  • Management support is essential for successful transformations.
  • Collaborative approaches, sharing ideas and findings, can drive meaningful change.
  • Metrics and value stream analysis are crucial for managing and improving processes.
  • Processes are vital to ensure a consistent and repeatable customer experience.
  • Sharing the learning journey with the team fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

“I continue to apply the tools and mindset I acquired during COE to shape my business planning. It’s been invaluable in driving improvements and efficiencies.

I’ve made it a point to encourage everyone within and beyond our team to undertake the IOE or COE programs. This not only fosters a shared language but also cultivates a common understanding of operational excellence.

Furthermore, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring fellow COE participants. This experience has not only enriched my perspective but also ensured that my peers and stakeholders are equipped with the same language and mindset. As a mentor, I find immense satisfaction in helping individuals apply these principles in their work environments, connecting their experiences to the concepts of Operational Excellence (OE) and the Plan-Do-Study-Adjust (PDSA) mindset.” Byron Brink

If you are a leader ready to work on the business, rather than in it, you might like to download our leadership skills audit to find the hard skills gaps that are preventing you from stepping up. Get it here.

Revolutionising Risk: How QBS Shift the Operations Culture at a Major Bank

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In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, the Risk Division of a major bank faced a unique set of challenges. Unlike other divisions that had embraced process maturity and business excellence initiatives, they perceived themselves differently. They believed they didn’t have processes; they had specialists. The result was an accumulation of requirements, reports, and actions, leading to inefficiency, especially with an ageing specialist workforce.

Before engaging with QBS, the Risk Division encountered several challenges:

  • Resistance to Change: There was resistance to viewing the Risk Division as an operational entity that could benefit from operational management principles.
  • Accumulating Complexity: Operational complexity increased with time, while little was removed or redesigned.
  • Ageing Workforce: The specialised workforce was ageing, and there was a lack of systematic operational improvements.

A culture shift was missing

Prior efforts involved appointing a specialist black belt to improve credit risk processes. While results were positive, they were limited in scope compared to the broader accountabilities of the Risk Division. What was missing was a shift in culture that would make every function contribute to operational excellence.

QBS introduced a structured approach to address the barriers within the Risk Division. The journey began with a three-pronged approach:

Leadership Engagement: QBS conducted introductory sessions for senior leaders, who then selected candidates for the COE program within their teams.

Collaborative Leadership: One leader partnered with an operations management specialist to demonstrate the potential improvements, achieving quick wins.

Customisation and Co-Design: Recognising that the standard program wasn’t entirely suitable for Risk’s unique processes, QBS adapted by emphasising skills and tools relevant to Risk’s operations.

Key Outcomes and Learnings

The Risk Division underwent a transformation that led to remarkable outcomes:

  • Business maturity scores that quickly rose to be amongst the highest in the organisation.
  • A 25% uplift in productivity.
  • A 6% reduction in rework.
  • Capacity savings of approximately $1 million through process standardisation and role realignment.
  • Additional savings of $250,000 by investing in continuous improvement within a year.

Key takeaways included the growing understanding of operational and business excellence within Risk. Operational goals became an integral part of their language, with 80% of leaders actively participating in training and selecting candidates for improvement initiatives.

This won’t work here!

Not unlike many other organisations QBS has led through this leadership transformation, several barriers had to be overcome to achieve this outcome.

Changing belief systems, such as “Risk doesn’t operate processes” and “this won’t work here – we are different.”

Securing funding through negotiations and involving leaders in candidate sponsorship.

Maintaining credibility through QBS and the coaches, who facilitated issue resolution and prioritised impactful tasks.

The success of their transformation journey underscores the value of addressing business needs, overcoming belief barriers, and obtaining strong stakeholder engagement. A “leader-led and professionally executed” program was crucial, with QBS and COE coaches playing pivotal roles.

It was a revelation how beneficial this was to the division

The Risk Division’s experience demonstrates the transformative power of QBS’s operational excellence program. By addressing belief systems, fostering leadership engagement, and focusing on high-impact initiatives, they achieved substantial improvements, making operational excellence an integral part of their culture and operations.

“I would recommend COE to anyone who runs a team and wants their operation to improve, even a small team of three or four professional services will benefit from this approach. It was a revelation how beneficial this was to the division, contributing to engagement and collaboration as well as tangible business outcomes.” Jo Cunningham (Head of Operational Excellence Risk)

If you are a leader ready to work on high impact initiatives and address the belief systems in your team, you might be ready to book a call with QBS here.

Transforming Incident Management: Nicole Blackwell’s COE Journey

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In telecommunications, the pressure to deliver excellence while constantly reducing staff and resources is a familiar challenge. Nicole Blackwell, an Incident Management professional, was in a situation where her team’s voice was going unheard.   Pressed to deliver large projects, the team juggled a multitude of improvements, yet it was hard to remember what they had accomplished.

Significant Challenges Faced

Nicole and her team faced a myriad of challenges.

Resource Constraints: Continual pressure to reduce staff and deliver more with less.

Lack of Recognition: The gut feeling that their concerns and achievements were not being heard or acknowledged.

Project Pressures: Struggling to meet the demands of large-scale projects.

Focus Diffusion: Spreading their focus across numerous improvements, making it challenging to measure progress.

Previous efforts to tackle these challenges resulted in escalating customer concerns and dissatisfaction across multiple business sectors. Though the issues were acknowledged, sustaining momentum for lasting change remained a challenge. What had been missing was the ability to furnish compelling evidence that solutions would yield benefits for both customers and the business.

COE-Transformed

COE, however, marked a transformative turning point. It introduced a data-driven approach, arming Nicole and her team with the evidence to substantiate their proposed solutions. With this newfound data, they could convincingly illustrate the positive impact their recommendations would have on both customers and the bottom line—a true win-win scenario. The key takeaways from COE became evident:

Data-Driven Decision-Making: Armed with data, Nicole’s team could make more informed decisions and present solutions backed by compelling evidence.

Agile Delivery: Implementing a small, agile approach enabled them to see quick wins and measure progress effectively.

Visual Progress Tracking: Having a visual representation of completed work kept the team focused and motivated.

Key Takeaways and Learnings:

One crucial learning was that not everyone within the organisation was equally invested in the team’s success. However, presenting well-researched data that illustrated straightforward solutions garnered the attention of decision-makers.

 

COE should be the first course all new leaders take on 

– their teams will be so much better for it!

 

Nicole’s journey to COE was made possible thanks to funding from another business unit—a stroke of luck that enabled her to participate and create significant change.  At the same time, she observed a shift in the mood regarding female leadership in the operations field, which had been predominantly male leadership.  COE empowered her to navigate and impact this shift positively.

“Inspiring and incredibly generous Anita makes such a difference in the working lives of others. Anita is a highly competent professional whose passion for business excellence radiates through the entire team resulting in training programs that deliver practical lessons, allowing people to realise changes that have a long-lasting impact on all around them.  It takes much dedication and talent to provide high-quality programs such as these, and Anita’s passion for her work takes her programs to another level.” Nicole Blackwell

Nicole Blackwell’s COE journey exemplifies the transformative power of structured operational excellence programs. By providing the tools, data-driven insights, and a compelling narrative, COE enabled Nicole and her team to bring about meaningful change, making operations more efficient and driving positive shifts in organisational culture.

If you agree with Nicole that COE should be the first course all new leaders are enrolled in, then you might be ready to book a call with QBS here.

Transforming Field Leadership: Luke Freeman’s COE Journey

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In the world of telecommunications, field leadership plays a pivotal role in ensuring smooth operations and high performance. Luke Freeman, Senior Field Lead at a leading telco, found himself facing significant challenges before embarking on his Core Operational Excellence (COE) journey. The issues were pressing, with low team engagement, unit cost rate reductions needed, and production falling short of stretch targets.

Challenges Faced:

Facing numerous challenges, Luke and his team grappled with low engagement levels, adversely affecting both morale and productivity. The imperative to reduce unit cost rates added financial pressure, while consistent production shortfalls hindered operational efficiency. Key performance indicators languished at a mere 55%, falling far short of the coveted 95% target. Previous attempts to address these issues through discussions and performance evaluations fell flat, leaving the underlying issues within the ecosystem unaddressed.

How COE Made the Difference:

COE provided Luke with a structured and scientific approach to managing his team, instilling a sense of engagement and purpose. The results were nothing short of remarkable:

Boosted Engagement: Luke achieved the highest engagement levels in the field, an impressive increase to +81%.

Reduced Unit Cost Rates: Rates dropped to their lowest, surpassing expectations by 25%.

Exceeded Production Targets: Production soared, consistently exceeding stretch targets.

Enterprise SLA Focus: The last quarter saw a significant focus and improvement, with the Enterprise SLA rising to 70% and beyond.

Key Takeaways and Learnings for Luke and his team:

Luke’s COE journey yielded several valuable takeaways:

Permission to Lead: He learned to give himself permission to lead effectively and make impactful decisions.

Leadership Support: The COE journey was greatly supported by his leaders, emphasising the importance of leadership backing.

Succession Planning: A structured and visible approach to succession planning not only enhanced leadership development but also created opportunities for career progression among team members.

Overcoming Challenges:

One of the primary challenges Luke had to surmount was effective time management, a crucial skill for any leader.

Luke Freeman’s COE journey serves as an inspiring testament to the transformative power of structured operational excellence programs. By addressing critical challenges and fostering leadership excellence, Luke not only achieved impressive results but also contributed to the growth and development of his entire team.

“It has really been a great journey, one that was very challenging I must admit, but also of great value to me being new in this senior lead role when I started it.  It certainly gave me many valuable tools and practices to apply in my day to day work and benefitted not only myself, but I feel also the whole team. It is something I am proud to have accomplished (at times I doubted I would). There is great support.  The facilitators have a fantastic way of teaching and making the sessions so engaging and a lot of fun.” Luke Freeman

 

If your low engagement levels, morale and productivity challenges sound like your everyday experience, then it might be time to get strategic in solving the problem. Book a call with QBS here.

Transforming Project Management: A COE Success Story

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In the fast-paced world of telecommunications, project management is a critical discipline, ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of customers. Nathan, Portfolio Manager at a leading telco, faced significant challenges in this realm before embarking on his Core Operational Excellence (COE) journey. The issues were mounting, with projects running behind schedule, resource shortages, and a pressing need to align operations with cost-cutting objectives.

Before COE, Nathan encountered a series of challenges. Resource allocation delays plagued the organisation, leading to significant project timeline risks. Consistent risks in operational expenditure (Opex) led to financial concerns, while customers faced dissatisfaction due to poor delivery experiences for standard products and services. Project managers (PMs) struggled with inefficient time allocation, hindering overall productivity. Additionally, there was a notable disconnect between revenue and cost targets, causing confusion and impeding strategic alignment. The reporting structure, where PMs reported to non-functional managers, impacted their ability to drive operational excellence. Nathan was primarily focused on delivering to the business’s customers, often overlooking operational efficiency. These issues collectively challenged the organisation’s effectiveness and performance.

Prior efforts to address these challenges seemed to accept the situation rather than tackle it head-on. Stress levels increased as the team grappled with the relentless demands of their roles. Occasional restructures merely shuffled responsibilities without fundamentally addressing the underlying issues.

How COE Made the Difference: 

COE provided Nathan and his team with a structured approach to analysing their issues against best practices. It compelled them to pause and reflect, offering tangible techniques to quantify problems and practical solutions to overcome them. The transformation was notable:

  1. Resource Allocation: Improved lead time for resource allocation through the introduction of new tools.
  2. Budget Alignment: A revised budget cycle better aligned revenue and cost based on shorter cycles.
  1. Shared Services Model: Introduction of a broader shared services support model.
  1. Resource Transparency: Implementation of the Revenue Resource Interlock for transparency between sales pipeline and resource planning.
  1. Management Restructuring: Transition to line and functional management of resources.
  1. Cultural Transformation: Nathan developed a passion for operational excellence, promoting tools and principles to drive cultural change within his business unit.

Key Takeaways and Learnings:

Through COE, Nathan learned valuable lessons:

Promoting a Common Language:  He continues to advocate COE to peers and teams, emphasising the importance of shared language in achieving business excellence.

Overcoming Resistance: While some senior leaders initially pushed back, Nathan’s personal commitment and results-driven approach convinced them of the program’s value.

“The coach and facilitators are amazing. Very generous with their time and expertise to help me on the journey. The program changes your mindset – for the better. I have been a passionate advocate for COE in my business – everyone should do it.” Nathan

Nathan’s COE journey exemplifies the transformative power of structured operational excellence programs. By addressing key challenges and adopting a strategic mindset, Nathan and his team have not only enhanced project management but also instilled a culture of operational excellence within their organisation. If you feel like Nathan, it might be time to measure the hard skills gap, or Operational Intelligence (OQ) in your business. Check out our Leadership Skills Audit here.

Bringing Operational Excellence into a Consulting Practice: Damien’s Journey with COE

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Damien (a Consulting Principal in a large technology provider) and his business were under significant cost pressure driven by external market changes. Prior to engaging in Core Operational Excellence (COE), Damien observed a lack of continuous improvement focus, plus data and reporting were not consistently utilised to drive performance enhancements.  

To address these issues and achieve their goals, Damien sought solutions beyond simplistic staff reductions, which were having adverse effects in other areas. While external consultants had provided guidance on lean practices, it didn’t seem sustainable for long-term improvement.

Thinking Differently

COE proved to be a challenging yet rewarding program that allowed Damien to further develop his leadership and operational management skills (the EQ and the OQ). Through workshops and feedback from Anita and the QBS team, he was pushed to think deeper and get the maximum benefit from the program’s activities. The practical nature of COE, coupled with the use of straightforward business language, made it engaging and effective. Collaboration with various stakeholders uncovered the direct impact they had on the business, fostering joint problem-solving efforts.

Impressed by COE’s outcomes, the organisation extended participation to both leaders and emerging leaders across their organisation. Senior leaders underwent a shorter version of the program, equipping them with the necessary language and knowledge to support operational excellence initiatives.

Achieving Real Impact

Following Damien’s COE journey, several positive changes were observed within the organisation.

  • Skills matrices were developed across teams to facilitate training plans.
  • Documentation of processes improved delivery reliability, and knowledge of continuous improvement (CI) processes increased leading to a CI mindset across the teams. 
  • The organisation’s drive to improve processes intensified, and individuals felt empowered to drive change within their teams and across the business. 
  • Team engagement increased by over 15 points.

Damien’s key takeaways from COE emphasised the importance of alignment among leaders and teams. By participating in similar programs, they ensured a shared understanding and commitment to operational excellence.

Despite initial scepticism from some within the consulting business, COE proved its efficacy in driving tangible results. Concerns about reducing total headcount were countered with the argument that enhanced skills and value would make individuals more valued rather than less.

Spreading the Word

Damien highly recommends COE to others seeking operational excellence. With many of his peers and team members having completed the program, his business is advancing even faster with an operational excellence mindset. COE has become a game changer for Damien and his team, providing a clear understanding of why they operate the way they do. They have also recommended COE to their clients, recognising the need for organisational alignment and efficiency.

In addition to his own growth, Damien took on the role of coaching other graduates, an experience he found highly rewarding.

Damien’s journey highlights the transformative impact of COE in driving operational excellence, fostering collaboration, and empowering individuals and organisations to thrive in a challenging business landscape.  If your journey feels like Damien’s, it might be time to measure the hard skills gaps in your business. Check out our Leadership Skills Audit here.

Cost pressures to Driving Operational Improvement: Alan’s Experience with QBS

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Alan, an executive in a large IT&T organisation, found himself facing significant challenges as the NBN (National Broadband Network) approached full rollout. Additionally, there was a strategic push for implementing lean practices within the organisation. In search of a solution to achieve goals in an organised manner and reduce his involvement in day-to-day operations, Alan turned to QBS.

Before engaging with QBS, senior executives in his organisation had engaged consultants to guide various improvement initiatives. However, these consultants provided recommendations or told leaders what to do – without fostering sustainable change or empowering the organisation’s leaders. The approach seemed costly and failed to sustainably address the underlying issues. Attempts at implementing process owners had also proved ineffective, leaving the organisation feeling stuck.

Leader-Led Transformation

QBS, with its clever 70/20/10 design and emphasis on 360 engagement, provided the leaders with the tools and mindset needed for improvement. The program offered a profound improvement in their knowledge of the levers within their respective parts of the business. Leaders gained the ability to articulate status and problems in a data-driven manner, facilitating objective discussions that transcended emotional biases and organisational boundaries. QBS instilled a mindset for continuous improvement, enabling organic progress without Alan having to drive every initiative.

It also became evident that some individuals within the organisation were more suited to technical roles than leadership positions. As a result, personnel adjustments were made, transitioning individuals into specialist roles where their expertise could be better utilised.  

To fully embrace the benefits of QBS, the organisation had to overcome resistance from leaders who were resistant to change and stuck in traditional ways of thinking. Difficult discussions were necessary to drive the necessary transformation. Despite requiring the use of his own budget, Alan recognised that the investment was worthwhile with over 60 COE graduates and nearly 90 Introduction Operational Excellence (IOE) graduates.

Lasting Impact

Alan wholeheartedly recommends QBS to others seeking operational improvement. Over the course of five years, QBS has played a central role in driving his operational business forward. The program’s remarkable nature lies in its ability to empower leaders, enhance knowledge, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Those who are eager to transform their organisations and achieve sustainable progress would greatly benefit from QBS.

Alan’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of QBS in enabling organisations to overcome challenges, optimise operations, and achieve long-term success. If your journey feels like Alan’s, it might be time to get a scorecard on the hard skills gaps in your business. Check out our Leadership Skills Audit here.

From Field Technician to Global Leader: Grant’s Journey to Operational Excellence

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Grant, the General Manager of International Field Services, embarked on a transformative journey when he enrolled in the Core Operational Excellence (COE) program. With a technical background and over 20 years of management experience, Grant sought to enhance his leadership skills and find effective solutions to the challenges he faced in running his global function.

Before COE, Grant’s team operated in a reactive manner, dealing with issues as they arose and lacking a structured approach. They faced constant cost pressures and struggled to progress initiatives that needed wider stakeholder buy-in. Siloed ways of working and a lack of knowledge on how to drive improvement further added to frustrations.

Grant hoped that COE would help him achieve his budgetary goals without compromising customer satisfaction or team engagement. Additionally, he sought to boost his confidence and professionalise his skills as a leader. While previous restructuring and attempts at cascading the budget challenges had fallen short, Grant recognised that COE could provide the practical tools and feedback loop needed for sustainable improvement.

Accelerating Functional Transformation

COE proved to be a game-changer for Grant and his team. The program equipped him with best practices to assess and measure his business against, bringing clarity and strategic focus to his role. Extensive support and coaching provided a confidence boost, and the involvement of his leaders in the program fostered a collective learning experience. By actively engaging with his team, Grant saw his own leadership skills develop, leading to a more engaged workplace and improved performance.

Among the key takeaways from COE, Grant realised that management is both an art and a science, and authentic team engagement is essential for driving improvement. Impressed by the impact of COE on his own performance and the success of his team, Grant took the initiative to train all his leaders and their successors in COE over a two-year period. He also extended the program to key field staff, recognising its value in enhancing cross-team conversations and driving business improvement.  By the end, Grant had 18 COE graduates in his business and 39 graduates from the shorter Introductory Operational Excellence (IOE) program.  

Mindset Matters

Grant acknowledges the challenges of finding time for the program but emphasises that the rewards outweigh the difficulties when tangible differences become apparent – in his case, over $500k in external cost savings. He highly recommends the COE program to leaders who are seeking personal growth, team development, and sustainable business improvement. Grant credits Anita, the program facilitator, for her exceptional knowledge and ability to make the content relevant and engaging for participants. Under Anita’s guidance, COE came to life for Grant and his team, sparking numerous “aha” moments and creating an interactive learning environment.

As his organisation faces increasing pressure, Grant’s endorsement of COE and its application in driving change is invaluable. With a growing number of leaders across the business recognising the language and approaches of operational excellence, implementing transformative initiatives becomes a smoother and more successful endeavour. In fact, it has unleashed a movement with a core of his team banding together to drive ongoing and relentless continuous improvement.  Grant’s journey stands as a testament to the power of COE in enabling positive change and delivering tangible results. If your journey feels like Grant’s, it might be time to get a scorecard on the hard skills gaps in your business. Check out our Leadership Skills Audit here.