A previous post laid out the Focus on Efficiency Framework: Plan – Decide – Implement – Review – Repeat. In this post you’ll learn how the capabilities and possibilities you’ve developed, will allow you to take your organization to the next higher level, and the next, and the next…
When you repeat, you apply the Focus on Efficiency framework: Plan – Decide – Implement – Review – Repeat, to your next need or opportunity. It’s important to note, however, that you won’t be starting over at square-one. You’ll have new knowledge to carry forward, new capabilities and possibilities, and potentially more resources to apply.
As you implement the Focus on Efficiency framework, you’ll become more familiar with the process and you’ll also have a better idea of how to apply the framework given your own organization’s culture and context. You’ll know what works and what doesn’t, where to take shortcuts, and where to take it slower.
Previous changes raised the level of what your organization is capable of accomplishing. And, those process and enabling changes that facilitated the efficiency gains in previous projects can be used and re-used in new projects. Your organization may have new resources such as databases, servers, customer insights, etc. View those new resources as an opportunity for additional efficiency gains.
In addition to the physical resources and knowledge gains described above, there are intangible benefits that open a new world of opportunities. Your organization’s employees will recognize that they are capable of focusing on efficiency, and they will know that change can bring benefits to themselves and the organization. Focusing on Efficiency is not only a new way of working; it’s a new way of thinking. And the confidence that comes with successful implementation will breed more success.
Finally, in describing the Focus on Efficiency I stated that it’s about making a concerted effort to utilize our limited resources to the best possible advantage to accomplish our mission. It’s about wisely investing our ever-limited resources into our mission and stop wasting resources on inefficiencies that drain those resources away from the mission. Having gone through the process, you may find that you have fewer resources wasted on inefficiencies, and more resources to invest in making your organization more efficient.
Because Focus on Efficiency is a way of thinking, you’ll Repeat the process again-and-again, each time starting at a higher level then the time before, to make your organization not as efficient as it needs to be, but as efficient as it can be.
For more about efficiency visit focusonefficiency.com.
About
Focusing on Efficiency is based on Benefits Management research, processes, tools and techniques developed and presented by John Ward, et al. at Cranfield University School of Management (many of which can be found in the book Benefits Management: Delivering Value from IS & IT Investments by John L. Ward & Elizabeth Daniel); Lean Six Sigma; Project Management Techniques; a great many other readings; and my own thoughts and experiences.
Since I always see the glass as half-empty…………..
From my view, Government (especially when technology is involved) seems to use the two and 1/2 step process
Decide–Implement–Move On (Cancel or Grow) method rather then Plan – Decide – Implement – Review – Repeat.
Decisions are made, usually without a plan and are implemented based on the decision. The lack of a plan is always “your fault”, not that of the decision maker.