Be People Positive For Workflow Optimization

Many of us face bandwidth concerns that slow down our work. Working on small raw output rather than large polished chunks improves productivity. The goal is to optimize workflow to cut waste and maximize value creation. Focus on the input of teams that interact with the market rather than those at the organization’s center. Using these guiding principles, people gravitate toward the most critical projects. This exercise can reveal areas where your team may need help with organizational debt hindering progress.

To ensure success, it’s essential to check your strategy. Ask questions like: What is our current strategy? How does our purpose inform it? What factors will determine success or failure? What trade-offs are we willing to make? How do we develop, refine, and communicate our strategy? How do we use it to guide day-to-day decisions? How does it influence our planning process?

To avoid the adverse effects of organizational debt, we must simplify our roles, rules, and processes. Creating a flexible system that can adapt and learn as necessary is vital. Organizational debt often leads to bureaucracy, which in turn reinforces it. This can become a vicious cycle. Corporations are focused on revenue and earnings growth, which can lead to a fixation on share prices. We must think and challenge assumptions to break free from this cycle. This approach can stifle motivation and creativity. To be people-positive, we must trust and empower our colleagues. When people are given more autonomy, they tend to be more motivated. When we treat others as valuable team members, they are likelier to step up and perform at their best.

[¹]: Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization?