Eight Week Team Cycle.
Are you failing with the implementation of your business strategy?
In my experience I’d be pretty sure that the answer to this question is a resounding YES! By definition, if your people are not part of the solution then they must be part of the problem. That’s why in this week’s post I thought that I’d share a little process that I use with certain clients to keep the strategy implementation process on track. Of course its use will depend on the size and the relative sophistication of the business but the underlying principle is that we need to get the entire team on board with the change process.
Generally I like to run a team cycle for 8 weeks. There are no hard and fast rules to this length of time but the point is to provide an adequate time for the team to get the project done without undue stress. Let it go on for too long and you risk losing momentum in the middle. A couple of months is a reasonable time not only to achieve some great outcomes but it is a lot easier to maintain enthusium within the group.
The process begins with developing a project brief. This will involve working on an issue that has been identified as a result of a brainstorming session in which input from the team has been considered. We then develop a project description which details an overview of the project. Next we outline the project objectives including specific outcomes. And finally we set some key performance indicators (KPI’s) so that the project becomes measurable. A simple example may be that of a sales team. The issue at hand is that we are not happy with the percentage of sales conversions. The project then becomes developing a new process for increasing sales conversions. The project objective may be to increase conversions over a period of time by 20%. The KPI in this case thus becomes the 20% increase at the implementation of the solution from the project work.
The project team will preferrably meet weekly to then work on their project. The problem solving tool that we use to assist with the process is Now, Where, How. Working on the now involves understanding the role of the team and the circumstances affecting the issue at hand. The next step is to vision the “where” you want to be at at the end of the process. This will help determine the priorities and develop a checklist of what is required. The how is around gathering data and analyzing it. From here we can develop solutions and draft the plan. The final stage is to present the plan to the management team.
The use of project teams will accecerate the implementation of change by getting everyone focused on the issues and by building accountability into the process. You can also run multiple project teams that might be working on their specific functional areas. For instance you could have seperate teams for administration, marketing, sales, manufacturing, purchasing, whatever areas that exist in your business. The key is to get everyone involved!
Please contact me if you would like to know how using project teams could ignite the change process in your business. Please try our FREE Business Diagnostic to the right side of this article to help you get laser focused on the 3 key issues holding your business back.
Richard Coumans
e: richard@coumans.com.au
m: 0412 119 232
