Effeciencies in Business

As I stated last time, there is a tension that exists within organizations between stated goals (and values) and its actions. But there is a place — called efficiency — where its need for quick yet quality solutions meets in harmony with a particular organization's stated goals and values.

But how do you achieve this efficiency?
Through process, protocols, and planning almost any organization can achieve this type of efficiency. But a caveat: It can only happen if the organization has the will to do this.

Process
It is the conscience effort to align the daily business processes that produce delivery outcomes with long-range goals and perspectives. What I mean is that what you do daily is made to conform to what you say you are about. And this is done through systematizing the daily functioning of the business.

Protocols
A company creates these when leadership develops clear ideas about their values, and aligns them to their daily work routine. Rather than creating value statements, values actually affect the daily habits of an organization. Just like with processes, it is a deliberate effort to create actionable ways of working. For instance, organizations must consider what they are willing to compromise on. Is speed of delivery more important than good brand and design solutions? And what are non-negotiable?

Planning
Now isn't this redundant? We just talked about planning, didn't we? Well, in this case it is putting together both processes and protocols with actual operating results to structure the organization to be consistent. What this means is that it does no good to create processes or protocols in a vacuum. It operates within a corporate culture, and business structure. If the culture and structure conflicts with your stated goals, values, outcomes, process, and protocols, the structure needs to change, or the stated values and goals need to change. That takes a long-range plan. This plan will impact any processes or protocols an organization has.