We live in a world of automatic fixes. If your computer is acting up, call up your anti-virus software, push a button and run a scan. Or if your car is experiencing troubles, take it to the dealer. They will plug it into their computer, get a read out and tell you what the problem is.
If only there was such an automatic fix that you could apply to your strategy and plans to unearth
troubles and identify solutions. Since there is not, you need to establish regular checkpoints where you assess your progress and course correct as required. To execute excellently, try using an approach called “People, Process, Tools.” It works like this.
- As Jim Collins advises in his book “Good to Great”, ask if you have the right people on the bus, and if they are in the right seats.
- Secondly, ask if you have the best process in place to enable people to optimize their performance. Are systems and processes fluid, or are they putting up roadblocks to success?
- Finally, ask if your people have the right tools to allow them to operate at maximum efficiency. Remember that tools and technology make a great servant and a terrible master, so tools are only valuable if they support and enable better performance.
Imagine that you go for dinner at an expensive restaurant. You place your order and wait patiently for 45 minutes, only to have your meal delivered cold. Is this a problem with people, process or tools? In fact, it could be any or all of these. If you were the restaurant manager, you would need to dig deeper to determine which key area to fix first.
Take a good look at your team. If you could improve in just one area, would it be the people, the process or the tools?