| In business we see many terms used to describe | | | | be more people oriented and less analytical and |
| methods for change. "Best Practices", Process | | | | we had a problem with rate lock errors. To |
| Improvement", "Benchmarking" and others. For | | | | combat this problem I created the role of a lock |
| many people these are nothing more than buzz | | | | desk and filled it with my most analytical person, |
| words that can make a business or meeting | | | | who had been struggling as an AM. This not only |
| sound dynamic. Talking about process | | | | allowed the AMs to focus more on the other |
| improvement is easy but real world solutions can | | | | functions and better serve their customers but it |
| often be elusive. How, then, can these ideas | | | | reduced our errors by over 65%. |
| become more than corporate sound bites? The | | | | Procedures |
| answer is simple although simple is not always | | | | Statements like "This is the way to do..." or "Here |
| easy. | | | | is how we do..." can pave the way for even the |
| Tradition | | | | most talented person to fail. Look at the batting |
| Tradition can be important, even motivating, but it | | | | stance of Kevin Youkilis, knees together, hands |
| is important to recognize the difference between | | | | apart over his head, holding the bat like a samurai |
| tradition and stagnation. "That's the way we have | | | | warrior or Jeff Bagwell (c.297) with a stance so |
| always done it.", is the biggest block to | | | | wide you can almost drive a truck through or |
| optimization. Improvements will never occur if you | | | | Pete Rose(c.303), crouched so low he looks like |
| just maintain the status quo. | | | | an alpine skier headed for the finish line. Yet all |
| Job Titles | | | | three are within 8 points (+-) of a career.300 |
| Are you managing your employees to a job | | | | batting average,.292,.297 and.303 respectively. |
| description or managing the job descriptions to | | | | Could Rose have batted.303 if his coach told him |
| your employees. Manage to the strengths of your | | | | he had to stand like Youk or would Youk be |
| employees rather than trying to fix them. Talent | | | | successful with a stance like Bags? Probably not. |
| is the single most important feature in an | | | | Every person has or derives their "way" of doing |
| exemplary employee. For example, at a wholesale | | | | the task at hand. In most cases there is your |
| mortgage lender I was responsible for managing a | | | | way and my way, his way and her way, when |
| group of Account Managers (AMs). One of the | | | | you try to define the "right way" you can kill |
| functions of the AM was to lock rates. People | | | | productivity. |
| who excelled as an account manager tended to | | | | |