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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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When we are able to describe things in 1 or 2 words we possess a tool of genius!

by Rick Baker
On Aug 15, 2014

The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet

Most people need to make their communications more concise. They can learn how to do that by studying creative thinking.

Tags:

Seeking Simple! | Thought Tweets

You will do better in business when your solutions are less complicated than your problems.

by Rick Baker
On Jul 25, 2014

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

If you cannot get your people to do what needs to be done, you are not alone. And, perhaps you are not in good company. Or, perhaps you need some straightforward help.

Do not buy into the current trend of thinking that claim solutions need to be complex. That's untested...unproven smoke-and-mirrors opinion.

Tags:

Seeking Simple! | Solutions & Opportunities | Thought Tweets

Simplify the way you view people... People Only Do 3 Things - Good Habits, Bad Habits & New Things.

by Rick Baker
On Jul 12, 2014

The Thinking Behind the Tweet

Everything people do can be classed as a Good Habit, a Bad Habit, or a New Thing. Mostly, people do Good Habits and do Bad Habits. From time to time they do New Things. Doing New Things is a major key to making changes…and developing Good Habits. Doing New Things is the major key to success.

Tags:

Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | Seeking Simple! | Thought Tweets

Thought Tweet #945

by Rick Baker
On Feb 28, 2014

Thought Tweet #945 Simple tools support the best solutions. Even chimps know that.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

 

and

 

Tags:

Seeking Simple! | Solutions & Opportunities | Thought Tweets

5 more ways to Influence

by Rick Baker
On Jan 30, 2014

Take Immediate Steps to Improve Communication

When communication gets off track, straying from the desired direction, good leaders work to improve communication so it returns to the right track. Good leaders do not let interpersonal conflicts fester. They know success relies on a level of harmony between followers. So, when dysfunction is evident they address it. Good leaders communicate to ensure their followers' harmony and focus.

Design Tools to Help People

Tools serve people...making their lives easier, making their lives more productive, adding quality to their lives...assisting them as they build. Good leaders know the power inherent in tools. Good leaders ensure their people have access to good tools. And, to maximize opportunities for performance good leaders ensure their people have customized tools...creative, customized tools.

Focus on Solutions

Leaders see solutions. Solutions and solution-thinking are around the essence of leadership. Good leaders connect with followers who are like minded about solutions. Some followers are naturally solution-oriented, others need to learn that problems are the routes to solutions, growth, and opportunities. Leaders do 2 things to promote solution-orientation: they lead by example...and...they teach.

Seek Simple 

When people go about business things can get complicated and that can happen quickly. Good leaders know the difference between simple, complicated, and complex. Good leaders conserve their energy, saving it for the complicated and complex things. One strategy that ensures energy is conserved so it can be put to best use is Seeking Simple...separating wheat from chaff...helping followers do the same.

Understand Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations

"People, Processes, & Situations" is an example of seeking simple.  Good leaders know success is all about people...so good leaders invest time connecting with, serving, mentoring, and strengthening good people. Good leaders ensure processes [including tools] serve people, helping people convert actions into results. Good leaders know situations have a most-powerful effect on behaviour, so they plan for and construct situations.


 

Bringing Process to People & Bringing People to Process - Part 2

by Rick Baker
On Jan 16, 2014

Link to Part 1

 

Bringing Process to People - What does that mean?

There's a spectrum of answers to that question. The spectrum ranges from Delegation to dumping. Since dumping just creates a pile of garbage we will focus on delegation. Delegation is about assigning and transferring authority from one person to another. So, delegation is the decision-making engine of business.

Delegation is a business Process performed by People. To be more specific, delegation is the Process of assigning and transferring decision-making Processes to People. People can do this Process directly [face-to-face] or indirectly [using tools ranging from memos to phones to email, etc.].

While that's a laborious description...based on how poorly many business people handle delegation it is of value to try new tactics to cause them to give the process of delegation more thought.

There's more to Bringing Process to People.

In summary, there are 2 ways business Processes meet business People:

  1. Delegation - introduced above
  2. Tools - created by people to assist work performance and to assist delegation
In business, tools range:
  • from monitors to metal lathes
  • from wrenches to robots
  • from software solutions to 'STRENGTHSFINDER' assessments
  • from French curves to Facebook
  • from 1-Page Tools to a truck for two men
 
About Delegation & Tools
 
When business people delegate they are Bringing Process to People in two different forms:
  1. They are Bringing Future-Work Process to People - setting expectations and transferring responsibility & accountability. 
  2. They are Bringing Delegation-Communication Process to People - possibly consistent with setting expectations and transferring responsibility & accountability or possibly not consistent with those objectives.
In general, Canadian business people do not invest enough time designing clear work-process and they invest even less time - often, no time - designing ways to delegate effectively. We Canadians need to remedy these shortfalls so we are better able to influence people, inspire action, and grow business wealth. Delegation is a good place to start applying our remedies. After all, Delegation is the Decision-Making Engine of Business.

If we want our business people to excel, we need to prove we care about keeping our decision-making engines humming. 

We can use a range of tools to help keep our engines humming.

1-Page Tools are particularly helpful because they can be customized to fit specific needs and each individual's learning style. 


...to be cont'd


Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.