Efficiency - How to Improve It & Why It's More Important Than Ever
Posted on by Jason
How efficiently do you work every day? This isn’t a question we normally ask ourselves. We are creatures of habit, and we tend to continue to do what we know how to do. Resistance to change is part of the human condition. But think of this: If you could market and sell three new accounts in the same amount of time it took you to sell one account, why wouldn’t you? (Likewise, if you could get four rounds of golf in during the week instead of two, wouldn’t that be good too?!?)
Doing more in the same amount of time (or even less time) is a no-brainer in the business world.
But, how do we go about it?
First, you need to have the right mindset. I (and others) like to call it a continuous improvement mentality. Ask yourself daily, or at least weekly, How can I be doing this better? According to the dictionary and the laws of physics (I used to study those at one time…), the efficiency of any machine is always less than 100% due to forces, like friction, that use up energy unproductively. What forces in your workplace use up your energy unproductively? Some of the easy things to focus on are those tasks or situations that frustrate you (what was the last thing you complained about to a co-worker?) and those tasks that seem to take an inordinate amount of time. If you can’t identify such “areas of opportunity,” you may need to embark on a more detailed process analysis.
After you’ve become aware of your areas of opportunity, determine the source or reason that caused you to pick those areas. For some of you, this may be a very easy task. For others (especially those carrying out the details of the tasks in these areas), the reason may not be apparent. If this is the case, a valuable resource is someone who is detached from these processes or tasks. An objective observer, a co-worker (ok, ok, I’ll say it — a consultant) may have a better perspective on what is going on and can help pinpoint the reasons for the inefficiency.
Third, brainstorm a way to do things better. Look to others for ideas on this. Try the help files or users’ guides for your technology platforms. Turn to experts in the area, blogs, and users groups, or ask questions in forums and other social media and networking sites. Chances are, if you have identified an area of opportunity in your work, someone else has as well and may have an idea that you can use. Look at all the options and pick one to try.
Finally, try out the new way of doing things, document what you’re doing, and then check on the success of the new process. Some of the solutions we come up with may not work. That in itself is a useful bit of information. But don’t throw in the towel if you don’t find the answer on the first attempt. Try something else, check for success, and move on … either to another possible solution or to the next area of improvement.
In the end, it is your ability to adapt, improve, and do more that will serve your customers better and allow your agency to grow and be more profitable. Employees who can embrace this way of doing business are invaluable assets and can be the key to getting your agency to the next level regardless of the prevailing markets. - JHH