A Boost to Recovery?

Some of our customers have been asking us our advice about things they can do to keep their people active and engaged as this period of austerity seems to be dragging on endlessly. Many are concluding that after a period of serious cost cutting and frugality, it is time to shift the focus back onto the issues their people care about. I wonder if you are feeling the same way?

We decided to look at what we have learned from the 200 or so managers and other professionals who have completed Excellence Audits during this difficult period. The Excellence Audit invites people to consider a broad range of excellence characteristics, and to identify those which they think present the best improvement opportunities in the upcoming period.

Here are those characteristics which appear at the top of the list of the survey participants who are not managers – those aspects of the business in which they see most need for improvement:

1. Having a “lean and mean” structure, reducing hierarchy, simplifying decision making, and shortening lines of communication.

2. Seeing effort being put by leaders into making the work place a demonstrably great place to work.

3. Having clear, efficient, elegant, and distinctive processes, procedures, and methodologies that support seamless work execution.

4. Exploiting the latest IT and Web-based systems to deliver products and services more efficiently, and to expand our offering through new online products, features, and/or services for our clients/customers.

5. Rewarding and recognizing people based on the impact of their work and the legacy they create for the company and for their clients.

Does this list ring any bells with you? Can you set up mini projects to identify and nail down some quick wins that will send the message to people that you want to make their work life more bearable and rewarding? Surely there must be something you can do?

Watch out for the June edition of the TP Times for more information about this study, and join in our FREE Webinar on 7th July.