The only conclusion I can come to for 2017 is that it will be the most agile that will survive and potentially thrive. The markets are very skittish and not always in a bullish manner. I see more organizations and industry sectors reacting quickly to negative news … but can they react equally as fast to positive news.
Uncertainty is transcending many industry sectors until we fully understand the agenda of the new USA President to make America Great again. There is the potential of significant disruptions within the automotive industry adjusting where vehicle builds will be done. In the mining sector where the demand for ore and coal has dropped dramatically. Similar, the drop in the price of oil has slowed production of alternative energy products i.e.; solar panels, wind turbines and yes even the sales of the Toyota Prius. Indeed, the economy is reacting to a JIT environment. But as these trends change, we need to be ready to react quickly.
So learn to manage with simple quick structured sound bursts such as … Slow Down, Go Faster … now with the added stress of the struggling economy people feel they need to perform faster with more motion and aggressive behaviour. As a leader, STOP & Observe what is actually happening with your people. Help them sort the necessary from the unnecessary motion to improve productivity.
5 Minute 5S … we are not look for quantum gains just sustainable incremental improvements. Challenge your members to clean out 1 drawer. Clean a specific corner within the department or just un-clutter your in-box.
Understand your Disturbances to Flow and problem solve them as a team everyday. Reflect on what happened yesterday and the concerns they may have in meeting goals and targets today. And then fix them permanently.
Use the power of structured questions daily with your team using the De-Brief methodology;
What Worked Well? … let us keep doing it
What Didn’t Work Well? … stop doing it
What should we have Done Differently? … opportunity for Continuous Improvement
What are your planned Accomplishments ?… crystallizes goals and objectives
Ignore the Noise
No we are not talking about equipment noise but rather organizational noise. Today every one if an economist with their own perspective. By listening to the noise You can quickly become distracted from the task at hand. If it something not in your Sphere of influence … ignore it until it becomes a valid concern.
Work a Process
Take a few hours to run a process within your Operation. Not only will it increase your operational knowledge But will provide you with opportunity to apply some continuous Improvement ideas. Plus the added benefit, we have another Individual cross-trained to do this function.
Other Survival Rules
Homework and hard work pay later on:
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses. It is won behind the lines on the gym and out on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”
~ Mohammad Ali
You don't know what you don't know: So how come you believe that you don't need to learn new stuff?
So.... What might Seven Survival Rules Look Like? ... for 2017 and beyond?
Time is the currency that counts ~ NOW
Faster is better than cheaper - and customers will pay a premium for it. Their success and yours depends on speed, and the coordination and communication that makes it possible.
Market Share doesn’t matter ~ SOLVE PROBLEMS
Your customers are relentlessly opportunistic (aren’t you when shopping?) To keep their business, you have to learn to anticipate their problems, then focus on developing individual solutions that make them more competitive
You are only as good as your Supply Chain ~ PARTNERS ARE KEY....
You can’t compete based on your talents alone anymore
Get over yourself ~ LOOK BEYOND YOUR WALLS
Nobody ever saw the future by staring at his or her corporate navel. To see what’s next, you need to look outside yourself. How are your customers’ demands changing? How could new trends or new technologies change what they do?
Explore what others do ~ READ TO LEARN
Read magazines and books about things outside your field – study companies whose products seem unrelated to yours. The best ideas aren’t new; they’re just hiding out in someone else’s market. Aim for free, perfect, and now. The idea is the hard part!
Study the stars ~ LEARN FROM THE BEST
Folks like Bill Gates and Andy Grove didn’t get to be so successful by coming up with bad ideas. Tackling the what and the why of people “in the know” will give you a heads-up on trends destined to change the way you compete. Watch where they put their money. What are they betting on? Where do they think value lies today?
No rest for the weary ~ LEADERS CAN’T TAKE TIME OFF...
There is no end to change, and competition will only accelerate. There are no guarantees of survival, no protections except your own ability to produce something new today – and embrace its obsolescence tomorrow, using it as motivation to inspire something better still.