Business Optimization Lessons in Wood Cutting
I went to my mother-in-law’s cabin this weekend to help her chop and move some wood. She had to take down a large tree recently that was about 3 feet in diameter and 70 feet tall. The tree was cut up into discs about a foot thick. Along with a few others, I spent eight
Data-Based Decision-Making
Before I started focusing on optimizing for outcomes, I had started a YouTube channel producing how-to videos related to automation and efficiency improvements in business. As I shifted my focus, the time needed to produce the videos was consumed by other activities. Having gotten many things in order in the last couple of months I
Outcomes vs. Outputs – is there a difference that matters?
When working with different businesses, I’ve seen a lot of confusion around the difference between outcomes and outputs. The short answer to the question, “is there a difference that matters?” is that yes, there is a big difference, and if you don’t get it right, you risk wasting time focusing on the wrong things when
Wrong Desired Outcomes and Wrong Alignment Create Poor Results
Not too long ago I started to get back into exercising after a long hiatus. When I initially started out I had the goal in my head to get back to “high school glory”. That meant 210 pounds with a 34-inch waist. I was very focused on this weight and inch goal so much so
Change is the Way to Better Outcomes
I’ve been trying something new out for the last few weeks and so far it’s going really well. It all started when a friend invited me to take part in a challenge she was running in her Facebook group to use dictation for creating large written pieces instead of typing. Changing how we do things
Balanced Systems Thinking
I want to share how my workout went this morning and how that relates to business. So today, I did my regular work out. I spent about an hour lifting weights and doing cardio and had a really good workout that I put a lot of effort and a lot of energy into it and
Seattle Transit Makes Things Worse by Trying to Make Things Better
I often use mass transit to get to Seattle during the week. For me, this involves jumping on a Sounder train to the main station in the city, then switching over to a light rail (known as the Link) or taking a bus to my final destination. A couple months ago, a change was made
Leading Change for Productivity, Efficiency, and Effectiveness
Keeping productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness high requires proactive effort in all three areas. It also requires constant change as you learn and fine tune your systems. This change, if not managed through good leadership principles, will not last long term, as people tend to revert to old habits over time. Eventually, anything you changed will
Technology for Business – What do you NEED?
Technology has become an ever-increasing key part of any successful business. Two key outcomes from using technology include doing things not humanly possible without tech and automating tasks in your business, allowing you to scale without having to hire more people. Let’s explore why technology matters and the technology for your business that will help
Traditional System Optimization & Process Improvement – Slow and Expensive
Do you find yourself needing to optimize your team’s performance but are short on time? Need results fast and can’t afford to do formal process improvement projects like Six Sigma? Have you looked into hiring a “professional” consultant help you, but it made your eyes water? Finding the time and money to do formal process
Systems Thinking and Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Productivity
For many, focusing on effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity isn’t very exciting work. In fact, a lot of people find it downright boring. It’s not flashy, doesn’t excite many people, and the benefits aren’t always immediately identifiable. While this is true for most people, setting up efficient structure and systems are critical to the long-term health