“I want every every department at every location to be “Centers of Operational Excellence.” That was a strategic initiative of the President of a major manufacturer who hired me as a consultant and speaker. I was told not to take on the project if I thought I couldn’t raise the level of performance by at least 15% in a six month period.
Centers of Operational Excellence?
I thought about how to approach this. I decided that first and foremost, the organization needed to define the word if it was to be a part of their culture. The Encarta World English Dictionary defines it as –
A quality or state of being outstanding and superior. A simpler term might be –
“Being the best at what you do.”
When I worked with the Operations Department, I had to think about operational excellence and clearly define the term. I believe it exists when every employee understands the flow of value, and when there is continuous improvement in the flow of that value.
To assist you in this area, create a simple visual flow map. Using this approach, your employees will be able to obtain new ideas and identify breakdowns. They will also have a clear idea of the role they play.
Operational excellence occurs when your entire organization operates like a well-oiled machine. That way, leaders can focus on what is most important – creating, dreaming, strategizing, improving operations, helping with sales, and finding innovative ideas. These are the things that help companies grow and prosper.
Operational excellence requires a great deal more. For now, strive for excellence in all you do. If it seems too overwhelming, think of what my colleague Alan Weiss says “If you can improve by 1% a day, in 70 days you’ll be twice as good.”
Need help in achieving operational excellence? E-mail cc@christinespeaks.com
About Christine Corelli
