Tag Archive for: Operational Excellence

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

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.

Stale Service to Award Winning Experience: Charlotte’s Transformational Journey in MLC

As manager of one of the largest client contact centres in MLC, Charlotte was well aware of the importance of delivering exceptional service. However, she felt there was something missing—an opportunity to learn this language and professionalise her skills. Despite being in a classic operational business environment where everything was measured, Charlotte lacked the frameworks and understanding to optimise her processes. They lacked fresh thinking and a deep understanding of operational management principles.

Seeking to elevate her team and take their business to the next level, Charlotte was drawn to the COE (Core Operational Excellence) program. She was eager to gain the knowledge, language, and fresh perspectives that the program promised. The goal was clear: inject new life into their operations and embrace the frameworks – teach themselves how to fish!

Before discovering the COE program, Charlotte hadn’t attempted any specific solutions to address their staleness. However, she recognised the need for change and was ready to embark on a transformative journey.

A Team Experience

COE proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle for Charlotte and her team. The program provided her with the theoretical foundation and the “why” behind operational excellence. What truly set COE apart was its experiential approach. Through hands-on activities, Charlotte and her team had the opportunity to try different strategies and quickly adapt when things didn’t go as planned. This practical learning experience was invaluable, allowing them to gain insights and enhance their understanding of the principles and methodologies.

Importantly, COE also emphasised the value of team engagement. Charlotte actively involved her team in the learning process, ensuring they were equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the transformation. Together, they embraced the COE principles and united in their pursuit of operational excellence.

Working On the Business

Charlotte’s key takeaways from the program were profound. She discovered that even in a mature operational area, there is always room for improvement and growth. The COE program provided  the tools, mindset, and fresh perspectives to drive positive change within her organisation.

Although finding time for the program was a challenge, given the demands of leading a large team with numerous operational distractions.  Charlotte organised herself and prioritised focused time to fully immerse herself in the program, understanding the long-term benefits it would bring to her team and the business.

Enduring Rewards

Charlotte wholeheartedly recommends the COE program to those seeking to transform their operational practices. The impact it had on her business was significant, leading them to win a National award from the Customer Service Institute of Australia.   Inspired by her own experience, Charlotte became a mentor, guiding and supporting other program participants, and in turn, further deepening her knowledge.

Even now, more than a decade later, Charlotte continues to refer back to her COE notes. The program’s lasting impact and the valuable insights gained continue to shape her approach to operational excellence.

Are you ready to unlock the potential of your operations and achieve exceptional results? Embrace the COE program and follow in Charlotte’s footsteps. Gain the language, knowledge, and frameworks to propel your business forward and make a lasting impact on your team and customers. Book a call here.

Unlocking Operational Excellence Through Data Driven Decisions & Knowing ‘Why’: Andrew’s Shared Services Journey

As the Head of People Services at an Australian bank, Andrew had a strong background in process thinking and operational management. However, he faced a significant challenge – his leadership team lacked the same acumen and sometimes struggled to view the business as a series of interconnected processes. This gap in understanding hindered their ability to identify the levers for improvement and make data-driven decisions. Internal customers were left wanting more, and even external providers experienced performance issues. Andrew knew that a change was necessary to elevate their operations management maturity and establish a reputation as a knowledgeable and data-driven shared service function.

Andrew attempted various approaches to solve the problem on his own, but simply telling his team what to do didn’t yield the desired results. The missing piece was the “why” behind the changes he sought to implement.

Accelerating Business Maturity

The COE (Core Operational Excellence) program emerged as the solution to Andrew’s challenges. He and three key leaders from his team embarked on this transformative journey together. The program fostered extensive collaboration, encouraging thought-provoking discussions that allowed them to explore what would work best for their specific context. They developed aligned plans and acquired a shared language for managing processes and understanding the levers that drive performance.

The program enabled his team to accelerate its progress towards achievement of its maturity targets through the delivery of a range of new tools, methodologies and frameworks for running the business more effectively on a day to day basis. Through the progressive application of these insights he laid the foundation for a process led transformation which integrated the customer’s perspective with their process management and eventually improved business outcomes.

Throughout the program, Andrew gained valuable insights and learnings. Despite his experience in process thinking, he discovered that there is always room for improvement and learning. The program’s design accommodated different learning speeds and styles, ensuring that participants could grasp the content effectively. What proved particularly invaluable was having internal customers participate in the program. Their presence allowed Andrew and his team to test their thinking, gather feedback, and refine their approaches. The program’s emphasis on hands-on work helped solidify the learnings and ensure their practical application.

Undoubtedly, Andrew faced some resistance from certain leaders who questioned the necessity and time commitment of the program. However, he made the decision to proceed with the willing participants. As the results began to manifest, other leaders observed the positive outcomes and eagerly joined the journey.

Sustained Impact

Andrew wholeheartedly recommends the COE program to those seeking to unlock operational excellence within their organisations: “A true indication of the success of a program is when the leaders are leading a change of behaviour in the workplace – the operations management program facilitates (with the right leadership) that change occurring in a sustainable manner.  If I could have put all of my leadership through the program I think it would have moved our changes from an evolution to a revolution, within the function”.    It provides practical, hands-on knowledge and application of operations management principles and practices, enabling sustainable improvements and continual business growth. The program’s curriculum empowers experienced leaders to adapt best practices, offering a comprehensive framework for managing and enhancing process performance.  “Anita, as the driving force behind the program, is not only a technically skilled professional but also a values-based leader in the field of operations management.”

Anita’s expertise and dedication have made a lasting impact on Andrew’s journey and the success of the organisation’s operational transformation.

Join the ranks of those who have unlocked their operational potential and witnessed remarkable improvements by embracing the COE program. Your path to operational excellence awaits, guided by Anita’s expert knowledge and the transformative power of the COE approach. Speak to Anita directly by booking a call here.

Unleashing Structure and Success: A Journey from Guesswork to Data-Driven Decision Making in an IT Function

Luke, the Head of Testing in a large IT function of an Australian bank, faced several challenges within his department before engaging in the COE program. The team lacked structure and a systematic approach to managing their business, despite their strong technical backgrounds in IT.  All this in a rapidly growing function.  This led to a considerable amount of guesswork. The issues they encountered were often fundamental management problems, such as a lack of insightful metrics, undefined processes, and unclear expectations for team members. Luke realised that they needed to find a more sophisticated way of managing their business to regain control in a rapidly evolving business model.

The Learning Solution

In their quest for a solution, they had previously sent team members for process improvement training, but it did not produce the desired outcomes in terms of leadership development. They also explored talent leadership training for their high-potential leaders, but it fell short in developing the specific skills they needed.

Luke found the answer in the COE program. He and his second-in-charge (2IC) enrolled together, allowing them to tackle their operating model transformation on multiple levels. The COE program introduced them to best practice frameworks, such as the ecosystem and the business excellence assessment, which uncovered the gaps responsible for their challenges. This newfound structured approach to workload management and team capability, supported by data-driven insights, brought clarity and common sense to their decision-making process. Their conversations within the team and with external stakeholders became more deliberate and proactive as they focused on managing patterns and trends.

Operational Excellence Meets Agile

Throughout the program, Luke gained key takeaways and valuable learnings. Despite some early scepticism about the applicability of certain concepts to their technology-focused organisation, he soon realised that adaptation was key to success. Embracing this new management approach proved to be initially challenging but ultimately far superior. By analysing data instead of relying solely on anecdotes, Luke and his team were able to dispel numerous myths and make well-informed decisions. They also discovered that this approach perfectly complemented, even improved, their agile operating model.

To fully benefit from the COE program, Luke moved past the belief that their function was ‘special’ or different. Additionally, as an IT function, they lacked many of the metrics commonly found in operational businesses and they decided to develop these metrics themselves rather than accept the status quo.

Luke loved the COE program, particularly for the IT function and subsequently volunteered to speak to other clients about the experience. He considered it a game-changer for their leadership team, enabling them to manage their business more effectively. They also successfully applied the learnings to one of their external service providers, encouraging them to improve their performance. Luke greatly appreciated the expert and independent feedback he received throughout the program, as it challenged his thinking and fostered continuous improvement. If your journey feels like Luke’s, it might be time to get a scorecard on the hard skills gaps in your business. Check out our Leadership Skills Audit here.

The Art of Giving Yourself Permission to Think

Introduction: A Leader’s Guilt 

It’s an all-too-familiar refrain from leaders – they simply don’t have the time to pause and think. Oddly enough, this essential act often carries a heavy burden of guilt. 

We’ve had some leaders in our COE program go as far as to request us block out half-days in their calendars, to give them “permission” to dedicate time to work on their business – and I’m not talking newly crowned team leaders. So the problem runs deep. It seems that if you aren’t producing, you aren’t working. If you don’t LOOK busy, you mustn’t be effective.

The Deep-Rooted Causes: A Closer Look

A deeper dive into this phenomenon reveals a few common threads:

  1. The belief that leaders must always be entrenched in the day-to-day grind alongside their teams.
  2. A pervasive notion that leaders must be visibly “doing” something to prove their worth.
  3. A sense of obligation to be perpetually available, with everyone else’s needs taking precedence.

Digging Deeper: Uncovering Critical Issues

As we delve further, we uncover more critical issues such as:

  1. Single points of dependency within the team.
  2. A lack of a second-in-charge (2IC).
  3. The team is overly reliant on the leader.

The Impending Consequences: Stress, Disengagement, and Business Impact

The consequences of this guilt-driven mentality are substantial. Leaders and their managers fail to learn from the past, they grapple with mounting stress and pressure, team members will lose engagement, and, ultimately, business performance will suffer. But it doesn’t have to unfold this way.

Crafting a New Cadence: The Operating Rhythm

Regaining control over one’s time is achievable through the development of consistent habits, much like individuals starting a new exercise regimen. By establishing a dependable operating rhythm, you can begin to reclaim your precious time. Tracking your time expenditure over a week can serve as a foundational step in shaping your ideal operating rhythm, understanding that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

Building Reserves: The Bench Strength Strategy

Quickly draft and put into action a second-in-charge (2IC) plan – possibly even multiple 2ICs, considering the various facets requiring delegation. This presents an excellent coaching opportunity.

Breaking Free: Reducing Single Point Dependencies

Take decisive steps to eliminate single point dependencies, even if it takes time to pinpoint them and determine the best resolution – whether that’s through people, processes, or a combination of both.

Mastering Your Clock: Effective Time Management

A wealth of resources is available on the subject of time management, but the key takeaway is to establish and safeguard your thinking time. Determine when you’re most productive, whether it’s in the morning or afternoon, and align your thinking time accordingly. Make sure both your manager and team are aware of your plan and respect it.

Seizing Control: Carving Out Thinking Time

Seize ownership of your time by activating an out-of-office message, disabling email notifications, silencing Microsoft Teams, redirecting your mobile, muting notifications, and powering down social media. The sky won’t come crashing down – most “urgent” matters can afford to wait a few hours.

Conclusion: Embrace the Discipline of Leadership

Leadership is often a high-stress role, but with discipline, organisation, and planning, it can become far more manageable and effective. Grant yourself this invaluable permission to think, facilitated by a consistent operating rhythm, a robust team bench, and astute time management. Embrace the principles of Plan-Do-Study-Adjust, as rarely does perfection come on the first attempt. Study your progress and adjust as needed.

Explore the Transformation

Our COE graduates have discovered the life-changing potential of these practices. Join them on this transformative journey, get all your questions answered here.

The Evolution of Core Operational Excellence

If you’ve worked across different organisations, you’ve likely noticed that each one has its own unique personality, strengths, and weaknesses. My last corporate role at General Electric profoundly influenced my journey with QBS and the development of the COE program.

Lessons from GE

During my time at General Electric, I gained a deep understanding of operational excellence and continuous improvement. The company had a culture marked by operational clarity and discipline, something I hadn’t encountered before. It operated with a strong customer-centric and data-driven approach, providing an ideal foundation for its relentless pursuit of improvement.  It wasn’t flawless but GE lived and breathed operational intelligence (OQ).

The Stumbling Blocks

This experience opened doors for me in the world of business improvement consulting and training with several prominent Australian corporations. However, we began to notice a common trend: initiatives frequently stalled, and it took a long time to pinpoint the core issues.   Too often the issues pointed to poor operational management practices. We witnessed a lot of spinning wheels.

Bridging the Gap

Even when improvement initiatives were successful, their effects often faded quickly, failing to address broader systemic issues. It became evident that the robust operational disciplines that thrived at GE, serving as a solid foundation for improvement activities, were missing elsewhere. Simultaneously, we realised  these critical skills were not part of most existing leadership programs as they tended to have a focus on soft skill development (eg EQ). This presented a double challenge – a significant gap with no foreseeable solutions.

The Birth of Core Operational Excellence

The concept of Core Operational Excellence emerged as the remedy for this identified gap. Instead of enrolling a multitude of individuals in business improvement training (typically frontline team members), the focus shifted to developing leaders in the principles of operational excellence, raising their OQ. This approach provided a strong groundwork for future improvement endeavors and naturally complemented existing leadership programs – a harmonious pairing.

Our Recipe for Success

We observed that as leaders navigated through the daily challenges, they gained a clearer perspective on the deeper-rooted issues that demanded further attention. Much of the program’s success can be attributed to its design, delivery, and coaching by experienced leaders, for leaders. We speak your language, understand your pain points, and happen to excel in facilitation and coaching as well!

Learn more about the facilitators of the Core Operational Excellence programs that QBS run here.

Effective Workload Management: Why hiring isn’t the answer to your resource shortages

Too much work, not enough people.

How often do leaders complain about being under-resourced? Chances are, you’ve probably said it yourself at some point. We are in a crisis of talent, and it seems there are never enough people to get it all done. 

We hear it all the time, working with leaders across some of the largest organisations in Australia.

But things aren’t always what they seem!

When was the last time you ever heard someone say they have too many resources? 

It has likely NEVER happened, right? And it’s almost Law that it won’t ever happen. And by Law I mean, Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson’s Law is a concept stating that work tends to expand to fit the available time (or contract, if the time is limited).

So even if you had the budget to hire more staff, if you could get your hands on them, you could still have a disengaged and inefficient workforce. Or in some cases, they’re so disengaged they are searching for new opportunities!

The struggle is real

While your team struggles to keep up with the workload, your customers become dissatisfied, and as always, the business demands increased efficiencies. 

Perhaps you’ve tried:

  • Setting challenging targets for your team or launched campaigns to clear the backlog. However, like a crash diet, the problems tend to resurface. 
  • Discussing with your team the possibility of discontinuing certain activities? Admittedly, saying no is never easy.

But failing to find ways to achieve this can lead to it being imposed upon you, often in the form of supplier savings or staff reductions, particularly in service-based organisations. It feels like a never-ending cycle, doesn’t it?

So if hiring isn’t the answer, what is?

This challenge is a familiar one, but exceptional leaders take proactive steps to manage demand and capacity effectively. Here are some starting points:

Data-Driven Insights: Before requesting additional personnel, you need to understand where your current team is investing their time. While people aren’t machines, it’s crucial to have some data, even if it’s an approximate estimate. Be transparent and realistic but avoid time sheets, which can reinforce Parkinson’s Law. Identify all the tasks, their frequency and how long the tasks should take, accounting for team proficiency. Don’t conceal rework. Find the right level of granularity to gain valuable insights without getting bogged down.

Responsive Planning: Armed with insights into your team’s workload, you can make informed decisions regarding training and managing annual leave. Recognise that your employees aren’t at work every single day of the year, with as much as 30% of their time potentially spent elsewhere. It’s a significant percentage that warrants careful management and strategic investment.

Reducing Waste with Collaborative Systems Thinking: When cost-cutting becomes necessary, think of it like a balloon. Squeezing the balloon will cause the air to escape between your fingers. Instead, aim to take the air out of the balloon entirely – eliminate the need for the cost. Your data can help prioritise where to start. Begin by addressing “failure demand” through collaborative root cause analysis. Failure demand refers to the time spent due to a failure somewhere within the ecosystem, such as fixing, chasing, or responding – it’s essentially wasted time. The data will also highlight activities consuming a significant amount of time, making them ideal candidates for collaborative value stream analysis.

In conclusion, by combining analysis, proactivity, and collaboration, you can effectively manage your team’s workload and overcome cost challenges. This approach will result in increased productivity, higher engagement, and happier customers. It’s a smarter way of working – less stressful and more efficient.

Ready to read more about building team morale, try this blog about harnessing the zen of leadership here.

Tackling Backlogs with Queuing Theory: A Strategic Approach

Do you find yourself facing several operational challenges?

Here’s the scenario:

  • Your team’s backlog is growing, even though there doesn’t seem to be an increase in demand.
  • Your team is putting in a lot of effort.
  • You’re consistently missing delivery targets, and cycle times are expanding.
  • Efforts to enhance efficiency are falling flat.
  • Adding more personnel isn’t an option, and even if it were, it wouldn’t happen quickly.

You might hope that these issues will somehow resolve themselves, but what will you do when they recur? What kind of impact does it have on your customers and employees? Where is the breaking point? If you can’t regain control of the situation, the damage to your business could be substantial, and you might lose control over it entirely – not an ideal scenario.

We’re here to help by shedding light on the science of queuing theory, offering practical insights into the factors driving these challenges. While it’s a complex field, we’ll demystify it for you in a straightforward way.

Understanding All Work as a Process

When we view all work as a process (even if it doesn’t resemble a production line), we begin to think about flow. Every process involves an input, a transformation (involving people, systems, or machines), and an output. Our ecosystem comprises numerous processes, each with its unique characteristics.

The Role of Variation

Variation refers to changes or slight differences that are commonplace. For instance, it could involve variations in input volume or quality, team members’ skills, or the process they follow. The impact of variation can vary across different processes and ecosystems – some are more affected than others. However, one thing is clear: if left unmanaged, it significantly impacts your end results, especially in terms of cycle time, turnaround time, or end-to-end time – essentially the same thing.

The Science of Queues

When we talk about queues, we’re referring to the same queues you encounter at the supermarket, in the emergency department, on the phone, or at traffic lights – situations where something or someone is waiting. Queuing theory has given rise to various formulas used to estimate queue times. Instead of delving into the formulas, we’ll provide you with the key takeaways:

Queue times increase when:

  • You have less people available (a rather obvious factor).
  • The time required to complete the work increases, often due to increased complexity.
  • Demand surges, driven by factors like growth or seasonality.
  • Utilisation (i.e., how busy you are) rises. When it approaches 100%, queues can spiral out of control – picture filling a bucket; if you keep pouring water when it’s already full, it overflows, and there’s no capacity to contain it.

Now, here’s the kicker

Queue times increase EXPONENTIALLY with variations in inputs or processes. Think differing motivation levels, demand fluctuations, or varying case complexities.

The impacts are far more severe when operating at higher utilisation levels. We often see organisations striving for efficiency by operating at high utilisation settings, but if there’s a lot of unmanaged variation, it comes at the expense of customer experience.

Conclusion: Strategic Solutions

There are systematic and strategic ways to address queuing theory challenges – either by reducing or managing the sources of variation within your ecosystem. In our Core Operational Excellence program, we teach and coach leaders to do just that in real time.

The Leadership Gap: Setting Your Leaders Up for Success

Do you remember your first leadership role? I do. 

In an instant, I shifted from managing my own tasks to overseeing a national team of 8 staff and 30 contractors. My responsibilities now encompassed OPEX, CAPEX, and the successful delivery of customer contracts. You might have excelled at the technical aspects of your team’s work, but that’s history now, and the transition can be unnecessarily challenging.

Fast Forward to Your Current Leaders

Are you grappling with leaders who seem to struggle with achieving their set goals? They might be stuck in the relentless cycle of crisis management, reacting to present and immediate demands, or operating at the level of team members, without taking that essential step up. Perhaps they’re making poor decisions or, worse yet, not learning from these missteps.

How Will This Unfold?

In response, you might find yourself shouldering additional coaching and guidance duties. As a result, business KPIs and goals could slip through the cracks on your watch. If this situation persists, you might find yourself facing imposed changes.

The Training Dilemma

Your leaders have likely completed the standard leadership training, usually focusing on compliance essentials. Some may have received specialised training in areas like coaching, conflict management, or emotional intelligence. The fortunate few might even have had opportunities for leadership development as emerging leaders. But this scenario is all too familiar – well-trained leaders often find themselves ill-prepared for the complexities of their roles, and it’s not their fault. Your leadership development hasn’t equipped them for success as they usually lack developing operational intelligence (OQ) skills.  As a result, they will resort to familiar ‘doing’ tasks rather than focusing on strategic business aspects.

Acumen and Action

To effectively and efficiently deliver business outcomes, like enhancing customer satisfaction, boosting productivity, and elevating employee engagement, leaders need the insight to recognise the right levers to pull before it’s too late. This involves identifying early warning signals and selecting the appropriate response while avoiding overreactions. It’s a combination of science and art, honed through practice and self-reflection.

Plan, Do, Study, Adjust

In pursuit of continuous improvement, leaders must cultivate a habit of reflective practice. Whether reviewing a critical decision, addressing a complex issue, or evaluating a coaching session, setting aside time for study and adjustment ensures incremental improvement. It demands discipline, especially in a fast-paced environment where immediate action often seems like the only option.

Data-Driven Leadership

The research is compelling – the World Economic Forum’s 2018, 2020 and 2023 “The Future of Jobs” report emphasises that analytical thinking is the most crucial skill gap. DeakinCo’s L&D research echoes this, identifying three of the top five skill gaps as directly linked to analytical thinking:

  1. critical thinking and problem-solving,
  2. data analysis, and
  3. data literacy.

Encouraging analytical thinking in your leaders is a must. Empowering your leaders for success will revolutionise your business, your team, and your own role. Conversations with your leaders will become more productive and less filled with surprises, perhaps even eliminating them entirely. Your business will continuously improve, consistently meeting its targets, and confidently embracing new challenges as they arise.

If you resonate with what you’ve read here, and think there might be some hard skills gaps in your organisation, then it’s time to check out our Core Operational Excellence program.

“The Ask” and How It Will Transform Your Organisation

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organisations face numerous challenges, from declining employee engagement to ineffective leadership. Traditional management approaches often fall short, leaving organisations searching for effective solutions. In this blog, we delve into the power of an Ask environment as a transformative approach that empowers employees and drives organisational success. If you’re looking to achieve operational excellence for leaders, enhance productivity, improve customer experience, and boost employee engagement, keep reading.

The Pitfalls of Telling: Why Directing and Commanding Fall Short

In many organisations, leaders rely on a command-and-control management style, where they tell employees what to do without fostering problem-solving skills or independence. However, this approach creates dependency, stifles creativity, and fails to tap into the collective knowledge and insights of the workforce. If you’re seeking to improve productivity and achieve operational excellence, consider alternatives that unlock the true potential of your people.

The Illusion of Short-Term Fixes: Unpacking Failed Strategies

In the pursuit of improving employee engagement and leadership development, organisations often resort to short-term fixes. Campaigns, target-setting, and training courses are commonly employed but ultimately prove temporary and ineffective. These approaches neglect the underlying causes, drive unhelpful behaviors, and fail to provide the practical knowledge and skills necessary for sustainable change. To achieve lasting improvements in customer experience, employee engagement, and operational excellence, it’s essential to address the root causes.

Enter the Ask Environment: Empowering Employees and Fostering Engagement

Imagine a workplace where leaders shift from telling to asking and listening more. This is the essence of an Ask environment—a transformative approach that empowers employees, fosters engagement, and unlocks the collective intelligence within your organisation. By recognising the expertise of your workforce, encouraging problem-solving, and building a culture of trust and collaboration, you can improve customer satisfaction, enhance productivity, and drive operational excellence.

The Benefits of an Ask Environment: Driving Transformation and Results

When organisations embrace an Ask environment, remarkable things happen. Employee engagement soars as individuals feel empowered and valued for their contributions. Decision-making improves, as leaders tap into the collective wisdom of their teams. Problem-solving capabilities thrive, as diverse perspectives are embraced and innovative solutions emerge. By nurturing an Ask environment, you create a sense of ownership, foster innovation, and drive transformative results, leading to business excellence and operational optimisation.

Unlock the Power of an Ask Environment with Leadership Training and Consulting

The time has come to shift the paradigm of traditional management. Embracing an Ask environment is not only about transforming your organisation—it’s about empowering your people to reach new heights of success. At QBS, we are consultants specialising in operational excellence, offering high-impact practical management and leadership training. We provide training in systems thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving, and operations management. Our expertise in business improvement, process optimisation, and culture change will help you improve productivity, enhance customer experience, and boost employee engagement.

Conclusion:

In a world where employee engagement and effective leadership are vital for organisational success, the power of an Ask environment cannot be overstated. By moving away from telling and embracing a culture of asking and listening, you empower your people, unlock their potential, and drive transformative results. The journey towards an Ask environment begins with a mindset shift.    Speak with QBS about how we sustainably change mindsets in our leadership programs.   Together, let’s empower your people and transform your organisation into a thriving, engaged, and innovative force in the business world.