Performance

The Point of Continuous Improvement

Happy Friday! This is an oldie but goodie. A funny reminder that at the end of the day, CI efforts should focus on improving the means by which the business interprets and meets the needs of its customers. The impact of this effort is strongly enhanced by first taking the time to figure out what your customers want and expect. When was the last time you conducted a Voice […]

What are you empowering employees to do?

I agree that Nordstrom’s market defining customer service is as this article suggests, the result of employees empowered by automony which is tempered by standards. But to have this kind of impact, standards can’t be created in a vacuum. And this level of service doesn’t happen by accident.

 

I believe this level of service and the standards that enable it, wouldn’t be as distinctive or impactful if they did not […]

5 Employee Engagement Sins

Harvard Business Review’s article, “Storytelling That Moves People” , has resurfaced again recently. Though it’s been over 10 years since it was first published, I’m struck by its still very relevant message and how eloquently interview subject, writer and director Robert McKee, describes both the components and power of a good story as well as the qualities of a good storyteller. Organizations are desperately in need of both. Employee […]

Getting Past Lean’s Bad Rap

For better or worse, organizations that experience performance pain tend to feel the burn most acutely in Operations. Macresco is often brought in to assess the damage and charged with conceiving of the “Lean” remedy executive management (misguidedly) believes will put an end to their troubles. It is at this point where my uphill battle begins. I’m either battling leadership on the purpose and application of Lean or management […]