Purpose and benefits

Organisations often respond to financial and market imperatives by resolving problems with short-term solutions. Often, there are set procedures which guide people’s actions so that the amount of time spent on “original thinking” is minimised and attention can be returned to the immediate requirements of the job. However, constant “quick-fixes” can result in the tasks having to be repeated and the status quo being maintained. Focusing on short-term solutions is not a recipe for increased profitability and organisational growth.

Fire fighting in operational environments brings the illusion of industry; lots of busy people completing lots of tasks. The energy and rhythm of such an environment can seduce us into thinking that there is nothing further that can be done to increase productivity or efficiency other than to work harder and faster. But the law of diminishing returns applies here. Whether you are in the service or manufacturing industry, efficiencies can be improved by taking time to think through problems from first principles and tackling causes, rather than the effects.

Related Solutions

Method

Management checklist, answers to FAQs, common traps, and suggested action plans.

Time to Complete

Length

+ pages

Participants

Price

(inc. VAT)