Prioritization Matrices

This tool can help you decide what to do after key actions, criteria or C ritical T o Q uality (CTQ) characteristics have been identified, but their relative importance (priority) is not known with certainty. Prioritization matrices are especially useful if problem-solving resources, such as people, time or money, are limited, or if the identified problem-solving actions or CTQs are strongly interrelated. To create a matrix, you must judge the relative ability of each possible action to effectively deliver the results you want compared to every other identified action. The product of your work is a weighted ranking of all the possible actions you are considering.

What Value is an External Consultant?

Most companies holding a certification to ISO9001 have done so for many years and although the standard call for 'Continual Improvement' this is often product or service based and often reflects the normal organic growth. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with this approach, Directors are not always taking advantage of the latest techniques and processes. Many companies certified over five or six years may have a fairly large quality manual and processes to match; some of these will have been expanded as a result of auditors' comments and some by customers complaints or observations, but not all will add any value to the company's operation. What is a good idea is to have someone have a look with fresh eyes at what you are doing;

The Changing Role of Managers and Executives

In the interview called Death of Command and Control the former COO of Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Rod Collins explained why the old system of hierarchical management and controls just doesn't work in today's age... it's too slow. Getting to market is a whole lot faster when the entire team is clear about what needs to be done to achieve the goal and the systems are in place to support collaborative leadership. The prevailing notion once was that consultation takes too long. This is probably the one reason why there is such an attachment to managerial control. Old habits die hard. It is not the manager's fault. Once upon a time the orders came from on high. Middle managers made sense out of the edict and then everyone kicked into high gear to make it all happen.

Do You Need a Kick in the Pants?

How to Revitalize your Business Even in a Sluggish Economy: Have you lost that "lovin" feeling for your work and maybe even your personal life too? Your passion, your ambition, your zest for your business has taken a nose dive? You look at your desk and it's piled high with stacks of files, your emails are multiplying like bunnies in springtime and you're just plain tired, even though you've been fueling up with Starbucks Venti Lattes to get you in gear. When you turn on the radio, or watch the news or skim the news in paper or on your computer, you are bombarded with reports of the downturn in the economy. Whew! Put all this together and no wonder your energy has left the building!

'Not in My Back Yard'

"10p tax rate cut disaster: Government forced into u-turn over 10p tax rate debacle." It's interesting that regardless of politics, most commentators seem to agree that the way the government handled the 10p tax rate difficulty gave them more of a headache than anything to celebrate. Interview after interview and article after article focused on the shortfalls in taking care of the several million people who would be adversely affected by the abolition of the 10p tax rate. It also meant that Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown made various statements over the weeks. First they said they would do nothing, then they said they may do something, followed by if they did anything it would be later in the year, concluding with the 2.

Bob Proctor Does Not Subscribe to the 'R' Word

"Recession Is Not A Concept We Subscribe To" I was there bright and early, very early - 7:30am. So as I usually enjoy doing, I started talking to people to learn more about them, their passions, and what they do for a living. I started a conversation with Andrew O'Brien, a sales professional for the Bob Proctor group. I asked, "do you think the current economy will have an effect on your business?'. My question was greeted pleasantly, and almost with amusement. Andrew essentially replied, 'we don't use the word or believe in 'Recession'. 'Regardless of whatever is going on in the economy, there are always people and businesses that can make a lot of money regardless.

Deal Flow - Conflict of Interest - SPAC Challenge

Deals must be done quietly, as secretively as possible and avoid, particularly with a SPAC transaction, any questions that raise conflict of interest issues. According to CFO Magazine's June 3, 2008 issue in an article titled, Loose Lips Sink Deals, Too, if deals are not done quietly and secretively they are less likely to happen. Not only do less deals get to closed transaction status when information is prematurely leaked to the marketplace (49% as opposed to 72%) but also the average time to close increases by 70 percent from 62 days to 105. These figures are the product of research done by the Cass Business School. Professor Scott Moeller of the Cass Business School in London and a former managing director and senior investment banker at Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley managed the research.

Ten Guidelines For Managers Who Want to Create Culture Change

A common perception is that cultural change has to start at the very top of an organization. But studies and field experience have shown that culture change can begin with the sub-culture of a work-group where a manager who is one or two levels down from senior management decides to become an Island of Excellence in a sea of mediocrity. As objective evidence of believable performance improvement becomes known to other managers, change often goes horizontal across the organization through other work-groups, then up through the line organization to top managers. The Breckenridge Institute has developed ten guidelines that managers should follow when under-taking this kind of culture change.

Top Team Understanding and Commitment

If you examine all the companies who have successfully implemented any initiative of any kind into an organisation you discover one simple truth; they all have a common understanding and commitment to the initiative which has been chosen at the very top of the organisation. Think of Jack Welsh at GE or Bill Smith at Motorola, they and their board agreed that they would use Six Sigma as their improvement initiative and everyone agreed; the rest is history. This is why you always hear the phrase 'Top Down commitment is essential for successful deployment'. The problem is that you don't always have all your managers with common understanding and therefore commitment to an initiative.

Baby Boomers

Baby boomers are usually said to be born between 1946 and 1964, the oldest are 62 and the youngest about 44. Some are ready for retirement and some are still with the education scene and expenses associated with rearing children. This is an educated group more so than in the past. Finances have been better than their parents also, but what is happening? Wish I were a boomer, but I will settle for being father to three boomers. Some baby boomers are returning to the family nest, returning to live with aging parents. Many reasons for this, some good, taking care of elderly parents for instance; but mostly not good, divorces, finance set backs being main culprits.