Increase Productivity

The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business recently stated that “Canada is about to pay the price for its failure to address a productivity rate that is universally described as woeful”.

Wow – that’s huge!!!

They went on to say that the economy is expanding but is producing less than it did before the financial crisis. Today there are fewer jobs and people buying goods and services. The only way to generate more wealth for companies is to increase their productivity levels. But this isn’t just a Canadian issue. It is a reality facing most of the world’s advanced economies.

More importantly – what do we do? So many organizations have already implemented Lean and Six Sigma approaches to save money. But these have not always increased the levels of productivity expected. However, there is an opportunity to increase productivity that is fast, effective and will deliver bottom-line improvements.

There is no doubt that as organizations seek ways in which to increase productivity and save money they will reach the conclusion that they will continue to have to work with fewer resources. These organizations must use Business Process Management (BPM) to examine their key processes. BPM will also ensure that employee performance and morale are maintained. Otherwise, productivity will negatively be affected, staff motivation levels will decrease and the customers will feel the impact of these decisions.

Streamlining key business processes will increase productivity, reduce costs and optimize customer service levels. Our current situation may seem challenging but through these efforts you can identify new opportunities for managing these.

If your organization is facing any of these challenges below you can benefit from BPM:
•There is increased global competition.
•Constant price reduction demands from customers.
•Increased requirements for quality.
•Must remain competitive, innovative and profitable.
•Need to implement enhanced cost and cycle-time reduction.
•Customer satisfaction and loyalty levels need to be increased.
•Requirement to minimize all forms of waste and maximize value for the customer.
•Resources are stretched and not sure where to spend their time.
•Many key business processes are in crisis and there is lots of fire-fighting rather than looking into the root causes of the problems.
•There is blame and excuses for poor individual and group work practices.

Improving productivity growth will become an even more important component of economic growth in the future as labour forces continue to remain stagnant.

If you need advise on how to get started or want help to increase your operational effectiveness, let me know - mstanleigh@bia.ca

How to Make Your PMO Improve Organizational Success so You Can Look Good to Management

Is it possible for a Project Management Office (PMO) to actually improve organizational success? The answer to this question is quite simply, "Yes."

Here’s why.
A recent research study of PMOs around the world reveals some very interesting findings about how some PMOs have actually improved their organization’s results despite a slower economic climate. You can learn the secrets of their success by reading the full 2010 Research Report, "How Project Management Offices Can Improve Organizational Effectiveness." The report includes helpful advice to get your PMO or EPMO to contribute positive results for your organization:
•How to apply project management to increase organizational success.
•How to create supportive structures necessary for project management to thrive.
•How to gain sponsor and management support for your projects.
•How to communicate and market the PMO/EPMO to the department and/or entire organization so they understand why it’s important to them.
•How to manage the challenges of managing multiple projects (portfolio management) successfully.
•How to deliver consistent project processes, tools and templates that will improve project success rate.
•How to document and retain knowledge from projects for future benefit.

Order Now and Save
You can order the report to receive generous savings before January 25, 2010. For more information about this useful new project management research study go to www.bia.ca or download a free executive summary at http://www.bia.ca/products.htm#2010grr.

How to Save Time on Your Project and Win Sponsor Approval

Did you know that the major reasons projects fail is due to a breakdown of communication, lack of planning and poor quality control during the life cycle of a project? Just think about it... those challenges cost you and your company money, delays and frustration. We can help you solve those problems... After years of research and working with thousands of people just like you who want to improve their project management, we developed the Project Success Templates™. These templates will help you to: communicate better, develop a detailed plan for your project and improve the quality of your project delivery so that your project is successful.

These Templates are Superior to All Others
Although there are various project management templates on the market, I’m confident that you’ll find Project Success Templates™ superior to any other template product. Our templates are not just word processed forms. They are unique because they are interactive. They’re far superior to other project management templates.

Learn more
For more information about this great new product you can go to http://www.bia.ca/products or http://www.bia.ca/products.htm#all-in-one.

How to Select a Great Project Team and Increase Project Success

The wrong team can create havoc on getting your project completed successfully, causing delays, missed milestones and budget problems. Just think about it…without knowing that your team members have the right competency requirements for the project role that they assigned to, how can you guarantee success?

We can help you solve this problem.
After years of research and working with thousands of project teams, we’ve developed Project Management Competencies Assessments. These Assessments will help you to select people with the right competencies for both their project role and the project’s requirements…so you’ll be able to select a project team with the right skills to manage your project successfully.

Learn more
Go to http://www.bia.ca/products.htm#pmca for more information about this innovative new assessment tool that’s available from Business Improvement Architects.

Operational Effectiveness Leaders

We all work to live. We don't live to work.

All the choices we make in our life are just that - our choices. no one makes these for us. We search for the guilty, blame the innocent and execute others for our own bad decisions.

Leadership is about leading - not doing.

Vision and strategies are not dictated. They are developed collaboratively. How else is it possible to create an operationally effective team that has a shared, common understanding and commitment to the future. One that has a clear direction on how to get there. That is what Operational Effective Leadership is all about.

Do you create your department's/branch's/group's/organization's vision and strategies? Or - do you engage the entire group to do this collaboratively. Though in the first instance, as leaders, we always insist that the final result was because of input from our team - this is not at all the same. The final will still be yours - not everyones. You have a choice. Make the choice of working collaboratively with your group. It will be more engaging, energizing and the result will be more powerful than anything you could have ever imagined before.

Let me know if you are unclear on how to proceed and I'd be happy to guide you through the process. You won't regret it.

I'm Tired of the Recession - Are You?

We've been in recessions before. Do you know which one is the worst? Well of course it is this one. But why is this one the worst? Because it's the only one where the future is uncertain.

You see, all of the other recessions that we have experienced in our lifetimes don't look bad now. However, think back to how you felt in the middle of them. With rising interest rates or oil prices or inflation or any combination of these. When asked the same question, during these "other" recessions, everyone said that the worst one they'd ever experienced was the one they were in at the moment. But when we reflect back, they don't seem so bad.

20% of economics are driven by reality. The other 80% is driven by perception. So, when we're asked to cut our salaries, our benefits, take time off without pay, etc., it is only based on the perception of these organizations of what will be - not what will actually occur. They don't know. The future is unknown.

It is our attitude that will bring us the quickest change - to help us to move on. I'm tired of this recession - aren't you?

Returned from National Speakers Association. Received Global Speaking Network Certified Speaking Professional designation. Only 600 worldwide been awarded