Specialised Management and Leadership Services

operating philosophy

Proven methodology

Our proven methodologies and uniquenesses include:

•   Authentic, comprehensive, process-based approach. Use a structured plan. Respectful yet disciplined methods develop accountability. A complete, holistic process for improving specific business performance metrics (productivity, costs, safety, …) and not merely implementation of a plan. Clients make more money. Structured steps include proven seven-step improvement methodology;

•   Identify Basic and Key systems driving people's behaviour. Align these with core processes. Specifically, align the most powerful driver of behaviours, the Measurement, Analysis and Reporting system. This becomes the foundation for improving leadership, developing teamwork and lifting accountability, satisfaction, retention, consistency, safety, work quality and productivity.

•   Incorporate practical understanding of Human Development, Human Behaviour and the Human Condition. This successfully manages change, develops people and aligns accountability with core processes. Enables use of extensive knowledge and experience already within client's people. Methods deepen and sustain understanding. Develop skills and understanding within client organisations so that skills, tools and methods remain with clients' people. Early introduction of communication fundamentals aligned with Universal Human Needs to give people a common language and connection.

•   Rigorous leadership behaviour assessment tool as foundation for developing practical applied effective leadership.

•   Improve productivity rather than production. Efficiency not volume. That lifts profitability and leads more quickly to sustainable higher volume at lower unit cost. The key measure of productivity is unit cost combined with quality and customer satisfaction;

•   First reduce both types of variation. Provides easier and faster productivity improvement by reducing waste of key resources: time, human energy and creativity, natural resources, money, facilities, customers and community resources. Reducing variation gives stability and consistency of processes. The Taguchi Loss Function confirms that reducing variation immediately reduces waste to increase productivity. Accelerates use of creativity. Understanding variation is the key to giving people effective control over processes and lasting real accountability. Ironically, in a world obsessed with levels of performance reducing variation builds a solid foundation for sustainably and more rapidly improving performance. Understanding variation is key to understanding and controlling processes and businesses;

•   Use Statistical Process Control. Simple, practical ways for gathering, analysing and communicating data graphically in one combined step. Essential for understanding both types of variation. Simple ways and guidelines for presenting data enable people to collect data and analyse it to quickly produce information, then knowledge and then understanding and wisdom. These develop accountability and self-discipline at all levels. They develop trust.

•   Work in accordance with an agreed implementation plan divided into phases to minimise and manage risk. Our strength of character, authenticity and determination lead us to directly advise clients of shortcomings and areas needing personal attention. People feel comfortable and at ease knowing where everyone stands and what is expected. Client holds us accountable.

At heart it's about the quality of leadership.

Other features:

•   Our work is guaranteed;

•   We hold leaders accountable to ensure progress implementing the plan to achieve results and support leaders on-the-job;

•   The plan is not aimed at improving systems or leadership or implementing a joint plan: these are merely components for improving specific results. The aim is to improve productivity and performance levels in client's business metrics;

•   Skills are developed within the client and remain in the client and its people

•   Developing leadership on-the-job and on the run to respond to rapidly changing situations in accordance with timeless values.

 

Other important concepts:

 

•   Culture is the most powerful determinant of productivity

•   Systems drive behaviour

•   Changing systems changes behaviour to change attitudes and culture

•   People learn by using and doing. Learning occurs on-the-job. To change what people do, change systems.

•   A picture is worth a thousand words. Graphical presentation of data provides context, meaning and understanding.

The Basic systems - to ensure people can work effectively:

•   Roles and Responsibilities - including organisation structure based on, and aligned with, the business' core processes;

•   Communication and Planning systems;

•   Measurement, Analysis and Reporting system - the most powerful driver of behaviour;

•   Standards - work and behaviour standards;

•   Personal Feedback and Personal Development System.

Design of all systems is based on eleven questions including the most fundamental:

•   What are the core process' needs?

•   What behaviours are desired?

The remaining system design criteria depend on each specific system and client needs.

 

The Key systems on which to focus are:

•   Overall Plan and schedule for organisational improvement - guides development of Basic systems and all other work. Agreed with client and built in phases;

•   Methodology for Performance Improvement and Decision Making structure;

•   Involvement systems;

•   Recognition;

•   Pay systems.

Other systems are built in accordance with client needs and philosophy. eg, Safety management systems.

Leadership and managerial development is based initially on thorough, objective assessment of leaders' behaviours and personal effectiveness. This integrates qualitative aspects of leadership into a comprehensive quantitative measure of effectiveness.

It is supported with an integrated course developing managerial skills, leadership skills and organisation improvement methods. Because organisations work most efficiently in an holistic, integrated way, all aspects of personal and organisational effectiveness are integrated.

Support people with on-the-job assistance and guidance. Where necessary specific external resources are used in accordance with people's needs. This is an area where we carefully respect each individual's specific needs and level of consciousness. Our objective measures enable us to be, when necessary, firm yet always respectful.

Where needed we use external specialists with skills in developing people's inner consciousness and responsibility. We have personally experienced all such resources. These are used only in accordance with each person's understanding and commitment.