• How frequently do your key people receive coaching ?
• Who does the coaching ?
• When you ’ re hiring , what tools do you use to identify candidates based on key characteristics ?
6 . Build An Autonomous Company
So you ’ ve defined your direction and taken meaningful steps to ensure you ’ re on the path to success . Now what ? How do you further improve your existing initiatives ? Optimization — or the act of making something ( such as a design , system or process ) as fully perfect , functional or effective as possible .
Small changes often add up to big results , as followers of the Japanese concept , Kaizen (“ continual improvement ”), can attest . As Fast Company reports , Herman Miller , an American office furniture company best known for producing the Aeron chair , enjoyed a 500 percent increase in productivity and 1,000 percent increase in quality since adopting a Kaizen process of continuous improvement in 1998 . Analyze your current structure to find ways to improve by considering the following :
• What tools do you use to create processes that produce better results ?
• What tools do you use to improve your processes ( to increase effectiveness , efficiency and profitability )?
7 . Celebrate Successes
Once you ’ ve effectively mastered the six tools above , you should be enjoying the fruits of your labor . At this point , it ’ s important to remember to celebrate each success . Employee morale is vital , and you must ensure your employees feel valued and appreciated . Need a little inspiration ? Look to the corporate culture created by Southwest Airlines : According to CEO Gary Kelly , “ The difference at Southwest is this : Everything begins and ends with our people . If we keep our employees happy and engaged , they will keep our customers happy , who will reward us with their loyalty . That repeat business helps our bottom line and creates value for our shareholders .”
As Bill Catlette and Richard Hadden say in their book , Contented Cows Still Give Better Milk , even though the game may have changed , one “ aspect of workspace physics remains rock solid , however : the precept that focused , fully engaged workers produce more and better stuff , yielding better outcomes . Motivated people move faster ; they always have and always will .” Bring this final tool into play by asking yourself the following :
• How can you make the excitement for winning a part of your culture ?
• Are you and others in the organization having fun ?
• Are people enjoying being part of a winning organization ?
• Are you measuring employee and customer satisfaction ?
• What do you do with those results ?
These steps may only be a road map , but with them you will ensure a clear vision for your company ’ s future . And whether your next steps involve improving profitability , acquiring new businesses or opening offices overseas , you will have the knowledge and experience you need to tackle any growing pains headed your way .
Jim Canfield
As managing director of CEO Tools , Jim provides winning strategies and business performance tools that empower CEOs to drive profitable growth . He brings a unique blend of past experience , including extensive learning in leadership theory and practice as well as “ been there , done that ” practical experience running several companies . Jim has a long history of working with CEOs . Prior to joining Aprio and CEO Tools , Jim served as CEO of Renaissance Executive Forums , a leading membership organization for CEOs . He also worked with Vistage , the world ’ s largest CEO organization , as Chief Learning Officer and VP of west coast operations . He facilitated several CEO groups in Memphis , for which he won a “ Chair Excellence ” award . Jim has also logged over 10,000 hours as an executive coach , and many more facilitating strategic planning initiatives for CEO and executive clients .
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