National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Business Courage
Monday, April 13, 2015
A15 31
ThebuddingEntrepreneurs
Service improvement by subtraction BUSINESS
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With Mamora Victor Mamora is a system thinker and advisor whose belief and activator leadership strengths are directed towards improving workers perspective for city and enterprise development.
e-mail: olusegunmamora@gmail.com
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usiness leaders and her team that improve services usually don’t take the path of the norm which is the easiest decision of “do more work and add more people”. The path of leaders and team who have successfully improved business services is to first take the merciless path by spotting and removing poor quality or useless business rules, tools, and fools (people who are always saying it is impossible), that congest the business processes and cloud the business team mind with false fable. While I was reading the Sutton and Rao title, I found the old story of how Steve Job, founder of Apple computer, improved services by subtraction too. In the year 1980s, Apple hired Kelly’s innovation firm to help design their first mouse. Kelly designers were on hand when Steve Jobs decided the mouse would have one button rather than two. Apples engineers argue vehemently for two buttons because users could do more things than with one. Eventually Steve Jobs heart was persuaded with a technical writer, who was probably the lowest paid person in the room. She said “it would be a lot easier to write a simple instruction manual if the mouse had just one button-and far easier for customer to learn and use”. The input of the technical writer resonated with Steve Jobs life long quest to cut cognitive load and simplify experiences for Apples customers and employees- a mindset that endures at Apples computer and i-products designs. Dear entrepreneur, I will suggest that you clear off the issues and processes that stand in the way of business excellence. Sometime the people who show up at work and creating confusion and crisis because of sentiment sold to you by friends and family to employ them should be subtracted from the team. You must question and get answer on relevant value that your business processes, people, policy, products pack-
aging and place add to both customers and enterprise and be courageous to subtracts the features that threaten the future of the enterprise and customer loyalty. In the year 2012, Adobe company executive experimented with service improvement by substraction. This time the executive of Adobe subtracted a policy they felt will not help the long term goal of the business. I use Adobe software products often and I enjoy them. Products such as Acrobat, PDF reader, Photoshop are key tools for many entrepreneurs. Yes! Entrepreneurs are well serviced by Adobe company tools and look forward to the company’s growth and innovative products. In the year 2012, Adobe subtracted one of the most sacred cows in corporate policies of many organisation: “business yearly performance review”. Adobe company could not find the value in yearly performance review to their business therefore, they killed the tradition. Adobe Company decided to put in place frequent “Ckeck-ins” policy where managers provide employees targeted coaching an advice. The managers simply have regular
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An entrepreneur must be committed to continuous improvement. Excellent is not a destination, so innovation and improvement must be worked on consistently
check-ins to convey what is expected of employees, give and get feedback, and help employees with their growth and development plans. Both Apple and Adobe Company decisions align
with principles that guide service improvement. So what are the guiding principles for service improvement by subtraction? The first principle is the “Law of Love” In the previous edition, I mentioned the Law of love and now it is the first mention. This is because it is always about the best interest of the people who use your products and services and people who works to improve the products and services. In the Steve Jobs story shared earlier in this article it will be noted that his business process decision making and especially in the design of the Apple computer mouse is people good experience driven. The law of love says you cannot give your best except to people you love with what you love to do. The law of love drove Henry Ford to design T-Mobile automobiles that an average
The golden rule for every business man is this: “Put yourself in your customer’s place. – Orison Swett Marden I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them! – C.J. Walker The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it. – Debbi Fields
The second principle is the Law of Courage The law of courage state that ability to make decision and to act boldly determines the level of success in business. Leadership in business will always requires that one break new ground, do away with unproductive processes and tools and this could be quite fearful, but entrepreneur has to face her fears and act boldly to subtract bad tradition, unworkable tools, bad experiences, and parasitic part of business processes to achieve their goals of service improvement for customers. The Adobe company case of subtracting traditional yearly performance review was a courageous decision of the management executive. It was a courageous move against popular tradition. They succeeded at doing that and have gone ahead to improve services since 2012 they experimented that decision. The third principle is the Law of Excellence An entrepreneur must be committed to continuous improvement. Excellent is not a destination, so innovation and improvement must be worked on consistently. In addition, excellent is not only a question of additional feature but also a question of what feature should be subtracted to have a better service and improve customers experience.
Motivational Business Quotes
eadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf
Americans can afford and ease the burden of mobility. That is an expression of love. I strongly doubt the success of an entrepreneur who does not align with the law of love.
Life is too complicated not to be orderly. – Martha Stewart The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do. – Dennis Waitley Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming. – Richard Branson Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching. – George Van Valkenburg Business is more exciting than any game. – Lord Beaverbrook BC
The fourth principle is the law of Flexibility The law of flexibility says success is possible when the goal is definite, but the process is flexible. Be willing to experiment, as Adobe Company did new things for the achievement of the goals. The goal should be fixed, but the business processes should be flexible. My encouragement for you today is that no matter how strong your opinion is be open to other members of your business team views. When you realised your opinion to be counterproductive to the business goal in the long term, be humble to subtract it from the business process. After all, you hired people to bring in ideas for services improvement. It is your season of business expansion, be courageous to maximise the opportunity. BC