​4 steps for driving problems out of your business

​4 steps for driving problems out of your business

Every business has an abundance of challenges. The best organizations learn how to clearly identify and solve those problems so that they never reappear. Unfortunately, the majority of businesses take shortcuts when trying to eliminate problems, which of course lets them keep popping back up like a game of whack-a-mole.

To address problems and drive them out of your organization requires a number of steps that keeps you moving forward and putting those challenges behind you:

1. Define problems as specific conditions

The simplest definition of a problem is that “what should be happening” (WSBH) and “what is happening” (WIH) are not the same. If WSBH is not crystal clear, then problem descriptions tend to be so general as to be misleading.

Start by clearly identifying the challenge: That piece of equipment is not running; should it be? How can I tell at a glance? If we expect incoming customer calls to reach a live person within 30 seconds (WSBH), are they (WIH)? If it’s not easy to identify both WSBH and WIH at a glance, you won’t know you have a problem until it has become a big one.

2. Prioritize which problems to attack now, and which you are willing to live with a bit longer

All of your employees have brains, and with proper training, can help you solve problems. If you rely on management as the only resource, challenges will crop up faster than you can eliminate them. That’s why the phrase “everyone, every day” is so important in companies striving to be great. The less you develop and utilize these valuable resources, the more problems will result, adding to frustration and squelching success.

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