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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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About not-Routine work

by Rick Baker
On Jan 9, 2013

I have written numerous articles and given many presentations covering Process, in general. The way I look at it, businesses need to cover routine work with highly-reliable Processes. These processes do not have to be complicated. In fact, when building Processes for routine work you should Seek Simple.

When routine work is done under good Process there is less time spent fixing problems. The freed-up time can be used to do higher-value work...specialized work  - what I call not-Routine Work©.

Not-Routine work is where value gets added and money gets earned. 

One key to business success is freeing up as much time as possible for not-Routine Work©. 

It takes up-front time to do this…defining and setting up process templates for Routine work, etc. The up-front time should be viewed as an investment in a smoother-operating and more-profitable future. Once the processes for routine work are clarified, defined, and set up they deliver repeated value, over and over again…with much less stress and strain over avoidable and repeated problems.

Tags:

1-Page Tools | Business Contains Only 3 Things | Seeking Simple!

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Making the Best of Your Situations

by Rick Baker
On Jan 4, 2013

"Our main thinking habit is to analyse situations so that we can recognize standard situations and then apply standard answers."

Edward de Bono

`The Six Value Medals`, (2005)

 

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

&

People Only Do 3 Things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things.

 

 ***

If you want to make the best of your Situations:


As you analyse Situations, do not assume they are 'standard'...explore and see if there are important nuances that deviate from familiar patterns:
  • direct your attention toward the key parts of the Situation [the People, the place, the level of urgency, the 'props', the background noise, etc.]
  • compare those parts, looking for similarities - the parts that fit a pattern you recognize
  • compare those parts again, looking for differences - the parts that do not fit a pattern you recognize 
  • look for the parts that catch and pull at your attention...they can be the most-important aspects of the Situation
  • set logic aside and take some time to focus your attention on your gut feel

 

 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things

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Getting the People part right

by Rick Baker
On Dec 27, 2012

Business contains only 3 things: People, Process, & Situations. 

And in this new era, if leaders don't get the People part right - their businesses fail.

That last sentence was qualified by the words "in this new era". In this new era, if leaders don't get the People part right then their businesses will fail. 

Q: What's changed? 

Q: What's escalated to importance of getting the People part right?

A1: Technology has changed & escalated. 

A2: People have changed & escalated.

Handful of examples & explanations:

  • Technology has changed: this point can be summed up in one word - Google. 
  • The pace of Technology has escalated exponentially - from slide rule to electronic calculator to PC to iPhone and in less than 40 years.
  • Technology & People have changed: from closed/corporate-created Encyclopedia Britannica to open/volunteer-created Wikipedia in less than a generation. [the "Information Free-For-All"]
  • People have changed: they read differently now...tending to scan and look for small bullets of information rather than wading through paragraphs. 
  • The pace of People's lives has escalated: from multiple cars taking-kids-to-sports-events-and-lots-of-other-after-hours-activities to 5,000 advertising hits per day, [the "Attention-Getting Dilemma"...the "Attention Free-For-None"].

Yes, Leaders need to know their People are experiencing:

  1. an Information Free-For-All
  2. an Attention Free-For-None.
These are New Things [in the context of People Only Do 3 Things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things].

People struggle with New Things.

Leaders are uniquely positioned to help People remove/reduce their struggles.

Helping People understand and handle the Information Free-For-All and the Attention Free-For-None situation as it applies to business, that's one way Leaders can get the People part right.

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Change: Creating Positive Change | Leaders' Thoughts

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Thought Tweet #625

by Rick Baker
On Dec 7, 2012

Thought Tweet #625 Know what you know, see what you don't know: then, learn about making your business grow.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

There's an old saying, "What you don't know cannot hurt you."

...not a good idea to apply that to business

In business, 2 functions reign over all others. They are: Strategic Planning and Risk Management.

At the heart of Risk Management:

  • discovering how to uncover & see what you don't know - being present & checking reality
  • anticipating situations that contain risk and considering & planning for them before they happen

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Business Plan: Writing Plans | Thought Tweets

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Getting process right - how important is that?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 6, 2012

Work Process is made up of 2 things:

  • links of tasks done by people
  • links of tasks done by technology, designed by people

The Purpose of Work Process: to systematize and automate work tasks.

Isn't that a straightforward and simple enough concept?

Yes.

Work Process is straightforward and simple when you place it in writing.

But not always...

Work Process often becomes confused and complicated when we put it into action. 

When we put Work Process into action we find conflicting views and approaches to things like:

  • Who should do those tasks and why? Why me? and What's in it for me?
  • How do we improve that process? Why should we improve that process?
  • We need to do more of that process! You need to do more of that process!
How do we sort out those conflicts?
 
There are 7 critical steps:
  1. Ensure your work process is understood: ensure all work tasks are clear and ensure the linkage of the work tasks [the work flow] is clear.
  2. Ensure your work process actually works: that is, ensure the linkage of tasks of work process achieves the results you desire. Test cause and effect on an ongoing basis.
  3. Capture your work process in writing: work-flow picture & descriptions, role descriptions, etc.
  4. Match your peoples' individual/personal strengths with their roles. 
  5. Make a habit of asking your people questions about process and how they feel while doing their work-process tasks.
  6. Listen.
  7. Make the necessary adjustments to ensure your work process and your people are in synch.
 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

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Thought Tweet #612

by Rick Baker
On Nov 20, 2012

Thought Tweet #612 One key to success: learn how to create situations that allow people to deliver short-term results.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Big Hairy Audacious Goals  are not for everyone. And, most people deliver their best performances with they are allowed to achieve and celebrate short-term results. 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Goals - SMARTACRE Goals | Thought Tweets

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