New Year Resolution

When de-icing the car prior to that frosty trip to work you know that the festive season is well and truly over!
Having braved it through the January gloom your early morning is not improved by taking calls from staff who can't quite match your determination due to suffering from 'the flu' or something similar.
If you manage to resist the temptation to throw the mobile down the toilet please don't use it to ring the temp agency. Instead do something really radical. Nothing. Yes, I mean it. If you do you may well be rewarded by witnessing something truly amazing; the sight of people coping! This will lead you to asking some important questions such as:

• How long is it since you gave any thought to how you do what you do?
• Does your structure chart (if you have one) look like a complicated wiring diagram?
• Can everyone on your payroll answer with confidence the question 'who do you work for?'

If the answers make you slightly uncomfortable then you need a thorough review of your people and processes so that you match who you have to what you do and not the other way around. If you are prepared to be honest with yourself and not be afraid of the outcome this review can take as little as a week or two and deliver significant savings to the bottom line sooner than you think.
I will deal with the best way to implement a cost saving restructure next time as well as discussing other areas where savings can be had that may be staring you in the face!

Comfort and Joy?

With the festive season well and truly under way it is very tempting to convince yourself that the last set of monthly figures were not as bad as all that and put off wondering what you are going to do about it until the New Year. Tempting but wrong.
When you are trying to turn your business around time is precious and, although it may be a little unrealistic to expect you to take action in the next couple of weeks, it is an ideal time to plan. Start by asking yourself some basic questions: are you getting the best possible return from your people, your assetts and your capital? If not, why not? If things aren't going so well, is it truely temporary or are you simply ignoring the real things that are holding your business back?
If you are lucky enough to have a business partner (or partners) that you trust, take some time out for a real heart to heart about where you think the business stands and what needs to be done.
Whatever you conclude, if you are asking these sorts of questions I doubt you will decide that you should leave things as they are so draw up an action plan for implementation when you return after the holidays.
In my next post I will discuss what should be in the plan and how to put it into action.