Shawn Casemore's Blog: In Pursuit of Operational Excellence

Lean Strategy: How to Avoid Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

srcasemore — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:41 +0000

You can read our most recent article for Target (the online publication of the Association of Manufacturing Excellence) on Lean Strategy here.

Enjoy!

Negotiation Strategy: Getting More Than Your Worth

srcasemore — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:36 +0000

Excited to be delivering the opening keynote at the Saskatchewan Purchasing Management Association on May 30th. If you are interested in improving your negotiation skills either personally or professionally, this event is a must. To learn more you can click here.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Communication Complexity in Today’s Workforce

srcasemore — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:31 +0000

The face of organizations as we know them is changing, driven most significantly by multi-generational workforces. Different generations prefer differing means of communication, and failing to engage employees at all levels is a clear recipe for disaster.

From an extreme perspective, simply ignoring these differences will result in both ineffective communications and a lack of understanding between employees, witnessed in various forms including conflict, reduced productivity and poor morale.

So if you are managing amongst a diverse group consisting of various generations, consider the following to help improve the reception and value of your communications.

Baby Boomers: Use email for basic one directional communications, transitioning to face to face discussions for more important matters.

Generation X: Use email predominately, however follow up with face to face discussions when there is a sense of urgency or importance. Provide opportunities for small groups to consider your communications and to reach consensus on how best to move forward on what you have requested.

Millenials: Keep communications brief (i.e. instant messaging or texts). For more important discussions, hold in a group forum allowing those in attendance to freely discuss their thoughts and opinions relative to what you are trying to convey. Be open and receptive to feedback and avoid making harsh decisions without considering feedback first.

The diversity in today’s workforce provides both challenges and opportunities. Taking time to consider how to best position and portray your communications is the only means to increase your effectiveness and establish an environment in which others are receptive to both yourself and your message.

Spend less time talking and more time thinking about how to convey your message.

Shawn’s Friday Five: Tips to Improve Your Performance

srcasemore — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:34 +0000

1. Spend more time listening to others than talking. You will be seen as more polite (leading to improved relationships) and you will learn a tremendous amount about the other person. Knowledge is power.

2. Overcome your personal filters. Whether you know it or not how you communicate is filtered by your personality style and behavioral styles, and influenced by your cultural and generational preferences. Put yourself in the shoes of others with whom you communicate to reduce the impact of your personal filters.

3. What’s in the other person’s best interest? Always put yourself in the shoes of the other person? If you consider what’s in their best you will be in a much better position to engage, motivate and (if required) influence the other person.

4. Always look for the positive. We often approach discussions waiting to pounce on the other person when they slip up or say something that we can disagree with. Try expecting the best from others. You will find less tension in your discussions, and you just might be surprised at the positive outcomes.

5. A realist is a pessimist in disguise. If you call yourself anything but an optimist, you are a pessimist. Plain and simple. Whether the glass is half full or half empty, there is enough to quench your thirst. Drink up!

Do You Get It?

srcasemore — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:27 +0000

If you ever think that the person you are speaking with “just doesn’t get it,” I’ve got some bad news for you. It just might be you who doesn’t get it.

There are so many different factors at play impacting our communications, it’s no wonder we have any meaningful discussions at all.

Personality styles
Behavioral styles
Generational differences
Cultural differences

If your communication is of any importance, the only way to be effective is to invest some face time. If you don’t see that, well I just don’t think you get it.

Operational Leadership Video Series: Effective Strategy Execution

srcasemore — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:54 +0000

Studies have shown repeatedly that most strategies fail during implementation. In this video clip I share some tips on how to ensure strategy remains on track to achieve your vision.

Feel free to contact me with your comments or ideas for future videos.

New Developmental Opportunities with Shawn!

srcasemore — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:55 +0000

I wanted to share with you some new developmental opportunities that are approaching fast! These are excellent programs and are absolutely no charge.

Optimizing Inventory Teleseminar: How to reduce your investment in inventory and maximize profits!

Monday May 27, 2013, 11AM – 12PM EST
Register for free here

In this teleseminar I discuss how to quickly design and implement an inventory strategy that will maximize profits and radically improve your customer order fulfillment. You will quickly learn how to identify the weaknesses in your existing inventory management program, as well as how to “plug” inventory leaks and build a solid inventory management strategy. In addition I will provide proven techniques to minimize inventory investment over the long-term, freeing up cash flow for other more important initiatives.

Operational Leadership Webinar:
Effective Leadership For Maximum Results

June 24, 2013 11AM – 12:00 PM EST
Details & Free Registration here.

In this 60 minute webinar we will contrast the difference between effective and ineffective front line leaders. We will discuss how to develop effective leaders to manage the front lines, balancing the strategic demands of senior management with the tactical needs of employees, all with the focus of delivering the organizations strategy.

Where the Rubber Hits the Road

srcasemore — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:08 +0000

You may have heard me say that I love riding motorcycles. One of the most intriguing things about riding a motorcycle is how much traction you can get from such a small patch of rubber making contact with the pavement. If you have ever watched motorcycle races on television where the riders look like they are about to fall off the motorcycle, then you know what I am talking about. Now, change the dynamics from a wet to a dry road, or throw some loose gravel in the mix, and suddenly traction becomes significantly more challenging.

A small change in the environment will completely change the outcome.

Contrast this to business strategy and you will find significant parallels. The best-laid plans can quickly go awry if preparation is misaligned with the environment.

When developing a strategy, it is important to spend time considering the factors that may impact the strategy; for example, what are the social, political, environmental, and economic factors that exist on the horizon?

When considering these factors, incorporate them into the following questions to gain further perspective:

1.     What are the factors that could impact your business in the next one to three years?
2.     To what degree might they have impact on your products, services, or customers?
3.     Who can you engage to interpret and respond to these factors?
4.     How might you mitigate any potential risks that present themselves?
5.     Are there opportunities to exploit these changes for a competitive advantage?

You may be able to connect the rubber with the road, but there are always variables to consider that can completely change the direction of your trip. By considering what lies on the horizon, it’s possible to formulate a strategy that achieves your vision. What are you doing to do to keep from taking a wrong turn?

Shawn’s Friday Five: Five Ideas to Improve Your Effectiveness

srcasemore — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:47 +0000

In this weeks edition of Shawn’s Friday Five I wanted to provide you with five ideas you can use immediately to prioritize your priorities. Consider the following five points to help you clarify what is a true priority, and where to start.

1. Urgency: Not all priorities have the same degree of urgency (despite what others may tell you!). Determine the degree of urgency attributed to each priority to provide a starting point for your approach to dealing with the issues or tasks before you.

2. Necessity: What of your priorities is a true priority? By that I mean, which actually serve to help you achieve your goals? It’s easy to identify priorities that are nothing more than a time dump.

3. Impact: What is the impact completing the task will have on you, your business or your family? Tasks that have a significant impact are often of greater priority due to the resulting change or influence they will have.

4. Outcomes: Forget the methodology, it’s the outcome that matters! The faster and more effectively you can reach your desired outcome(s), then the better off you are. I have a green belt in Six Sigma, but find that the training has not been that useful for one simple reason, speed is more important than any predetermined process.

5. Intuition: That’s right, plain old intuition. I have found more times than not I can rely on intuition to help me prioritize my tasks.

So if you are buried in “things” to do, try measuring them against these five criteria. You can apply a simple scoring system to determine which are your true priorities, and where to start.

Good luck!

Strategy: What’s Your Profile?

srcasemore — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:54 +0000

An exercise I often use with my strategy clients is to determine how effective they are in developing strategy and executing their strategy. To be effective in delivering your strategy and achieving your vision you must be effective in both.

The matrix I use with them is below. Try using this to determine where you reside in your strategic planning efforts. The answer might surprise you.