Tag Archives: system

Kristen’s Recruiting System

Posted on March 27, 2013 by

Kristen put away the behavior profile. “Okay, you’re not going to look at this. You want a role description. But you want more than a role description, you really want a system?” “Yes, a system,” I replied. “Let’s sketch out … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiring Talent | Tagged , , ,

Your Customer is Not Your QC Department

Posted on July 31, 2012 by

“You cut your lead time from six weeks to four weeks. Higher throughput with the same number of people, with the same equipment, in the same facility, you lowered your cost. You shifted from just getting the orders out the … Continue reading →

Posted in Organization Structure, Performance Feedback | Tagged , , , ,

Shift to Efficiency

Posted on July 30, 2012 by

“You were more organized, but you almost went broke?” I pressed. “Yes, we managed to get all the orders out the door, but it cost more to produce, than the revenue could cover,” Arianne replied. “So, you needed to raise … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Organization Structure | Tagged , , ,

Flowcharting the System

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

“So, what does it take to create a system like that?” I asked. “To create a system that would notify for rejected parts along with lead times for replacement parts and alternate suppliers?” Valerie was shaking her head. “I know … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Time Span | Tagged , , , ,

What a System Delivers

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

“Well, I thought our team did pretty well, given the circumstances,” Valerie continued to protest. “Yes, they did,” I replied. “And those circumstances should never have existed. To come down to the wire and find you are missing 500 critical … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Time Span | Tagged , , ,

System Detection

Posted on May 2, 2012 by

“But, we got the parts in and shipped the units. I thought we handled that quite well,” protested Valerie. “You are right, your supervisor did a good job. That’s what supervisors do. But your work, as a manager, was not … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Time Span | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

End to End System Accountability

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

From the Ask Tom mailbag – This is Part 3 of 5 in a series. This post is in response to a question by Herb Koplowitz, contributing editor to Global Organization Design Society. It is based on a discussion about … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Time Span | Tagged , ,

Getting By and Paying the Price

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

“I know we are missing a couple of Managers,” admitted Derrick. “We intentionally allowed these positions to be open. We thought we could get by, save some salaries. We thought other people could cover for a short time.” “And now … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Systems | Tagged , , ,

Problem Fixed, System Broken

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

“You have two out of five manager positions in place on a daily basis, so when you have a problem, you fix the problem, but not the system,” I offered. “So, the problem is fixed,” Derrick insisted. “Yes, the problem … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Systems | Tagged , , ,

Predictability and Uncertainty

Posted on April 6, 2012 by

“I understand how we calculate profit, but what does that have to do with my organizational chart?” Derrick asked. “You design a predictable profit into your price, but what is it that keeps your profit predictable when you actually deliver … Continue reading →

Posted in Time Span | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment