It’s smart for many organizations to evaluate every aspect of their business, especially in these “uncertain times.” While many leaders may know their criteria for what to keep, cut, or invest, evaluating the evaluation criteria should be the first step.
DO: confirm what is core to your business; both immediate and long term. Are there any efforts which aren’t essential to your business which could be paused or cancelled without financial hardship, e.g. already paid in full, early termination fees, etc.
DON’T: assume, “last hired, first fired” for both projects/programs and staff. If you haven’t done so, have managers and leaders conduct a mid-year review of each team member, noting all strengths and weaknesses. Ensure team members are aware of these items, so as not to create off-guard situations later. Use these as data-inputs, but should not be the deciding factor.
DO: keep your teams, and clients, aware of the process you’re undertaking, timelines, and progress as you advance. Be available to answer any questions in a timely manner. An informed team, while timid, will be more accepting to the results.
DON’T: isolate from your teams. It’s tempting to not want to look staff, program managers, etc. in the eyes when you may know their employment and/or project is on the chopping block. Instead, ask them questions about their project while grabbing coffee or passing in the hallway. Seek to understand the ramifications of decisions
DO: consider and weigh alternatives while avoiding analysis paralysis. Some decisions will be easier than others. Gather additional information, where needed, to understand the long term impacts of a decision. Consult with higher leadership if there’s an, “if …, then …” scenario which cannot be avoided.
DON’T: knee-jerk any decision. Also ensure decisions are based on what’s best for the business and the organization and not on personal feelings, conflicts, etc. Many of us have friends in the workplace, and our sacred cows. It’s easy to start new programs. It’s much harder to stop.
DO: keep your customer in mind. What impact will each change have on your operations and the guest/customer experience? On paper a sales rep could realistically go from four to five clients, but that’s a 20% increase in their workload, and likely an equal decrease in attentiveness to their existing clients.
DON’T: fight it. Every successful business can get high on the hog with quarter-over-quarter growth and improvements. Take this opportunity to truly evaluate what is core and critical to your success. There will always be new and shiny, but only if the organization is still around to explore.
If your organization is at an impasse, consider an outside consultant to provide an external review. The near-term cost can help understand and avoid long-term financial or business mistakes.
deBeck Solutions can assist in developing or evaluating your plan.