{"id":3763,"date":"2018-01-02T14:45:18","date_gmt":"2018-01-02T14:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.openbusinesscouncil.org\/?p=3763"},"modified":"2020-02-27T09:35:53","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T09:35:53","slug":"organization-firing-cylinders-5-strategies-improve-internal-efficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.footballthink.com\/organization-firing-cylinders-5-strategies-improve-internal-efficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Organization Firing on All Cylinders? 5 Strategies to Improve Internal Efficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Is
Is Your Organization Firing on All Cylinders? 5 Strategies to Improve Internal Efficiency<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Is your organization as efficient as it could be? If you\u2019re being honest with yourself, the answer is probably no. There are many causes of internal inefficiency, from generalized demotivation<\/a> to specific process issues that can be easily rectified.<\/p>\n

Since every organization is different, broad-based fixes for such inefficiency are hard to come by. But, no matter what your company, department, or team does, there are some straightforward steps you can take to ensure that you\u2019re firing on all cylinders.<\/p>\n

1. Get Everyone on the Same System<\/h2>\n

Obsolete or redundant IT systems are the bane of management consultants the world over. If your office is running on a hodgepodge of devices, operating systems, and cloud-based software, look for ways to get everyone on the same page \u2014 or at least streamline technology processes to reduce the inherent messiness of the bring-your-own-device workplace<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Find Meaning in Your Team\u2019s Work<\/h2>\n

This is, admittedly, a less tangible tip. But it\u2019s no less important to your organization\u2019s overall effectiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cA life worth living is constructed piece by piece,\u201d writes contemporary American philosopher Arnold Siegel<\/a>. Ultimately, he adds, it\u2019s up to us \u201cto be architects of our own emotions when disappointments, pessimism or obstacles have knocked us to the mat.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, you and your team need to believe in what you\u2019re doing \u2014 to piece together a portfolio worth pursuing, to paraphrase Siegel. This is a recipe for elevated morale, a precondition for peak efficiency.<\/p>\n

3. Reduce the Length and Frequency of Meetings<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s the blunt truth: Most meetings are a waste of time. Certain face-to-face powwows have their place. Team leaders can and should maintain standing meetings with others directly adjacent in the chain of command. (More on that below.) However, when meetings proliferate, redundancy is almost inevitable.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s therefore in your organization\u2019s clear interest to reduce the amount of time spent talking, rather than doing. In a provocative column, Inc contributor Val Wright<\/a> invites decision-makers to ask two simple questions:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were to add up the salary investment in employee time spent in meetings and then reduce it by 75 percent, what would your savings be? What if you redirected even half of this time to innovating new ways to offer value to your customers?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

These are delicate matters for managers accustomed to frequent meetings, to be sure. But they\u2019re hard to argue against on the merits.<\/p>\n

4. Reinforce the Chain of Command<\/h2>\n

Everyone on your team should know who they report to, who owns the processes to which they\u2019re party, and who they can turn to for help with specialized tasks. This all needs to be crystal clear. Fortunately, making it so is a straightforward affair: a clear org chart supplemented by written processes and policies should be sufficient.<\/p>\n

5. Maintain an Open-Door Policy<\/h2>\n

Make sure every person on your team feels like their input is acknowledged and valued. The best way to do this is to maintain an open-door policy, literally and figuratively. Give everyone on your team your direct (mobile) phone number and let it be known that you\u2019re willing to schedule face-to-face chats to address concerns \u2014 no matter how trivial or serious.<\/p>\n

Hold Yourself Accountable<\/h2>\n

Setting aside the tips outlined above, the most important step you can take to ensure that your company fires on all cylinders is to reflect with regularity. Don\u2019t shy away from taking periodic hard looks in the mirror, even when you know \u2014 if you\u2019re being honest with yourself \u2014 that you\u2019re not necessarily going to like everything you see.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re the captain of the ship in your company, or department, or whatever organizational fiefdom you control. With great power comes great responsibility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is your organization as efficient as it could be? If you\u2019re being honest with yourself, the answer is probably no. There are many causes of internal inefficiency, from generalized demotivation to specific process issues that can be easily rectified. Since every organization is different, broad-based fixes for such inefficiency are hard to come by. But, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":3765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":""},"categories":[25,1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs Your Organization Firing on All Cylinders? 5 Strategies to Improve Internal Efficiency - OpenBusinessCouncil Directory<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.footballthink.com\/organization-firing-cylinders-5-strategies-improve-internal-efficiency\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Your Organization Firing on All Cylinders? 5 Strategies to Improve Internal Efficiency\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Is your organization as efficient as it could be? If you\u2019re being honest with yourself, the answer is probably no. There are many causes of internal inefficiency, from generalized demotivation to specific process issues that can be easily rectified. Since every organization is different, broad-based fixes for such inefficiency are hard to come by. 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