When was the last time you cleaned out your car, a closet, or a desk drawer? Why did you clean it? If you’re like me, it was probably because when you used it last, you saw something funky on the floorboard, saw some clothes getting smashed in your closet, or you couldn’t find something in your desk drawer. So, being efficient and organized, you cleaned up the mess.
However, why is it when we come across something funky or messy in our businesses, we don’t always stop and clean it up right away too? Why is it we often accept inefficient, time-consuming, overly-expensive and otherwise funky systems in our businesses? Why don’t we immediately clean up messy business practices?
Why? Because too often we’re just comfortable doing the same tasks the same ways we’ve always done them. We’re so comfortable doing them inefficiently, that we don’t even see the mess. The mess has become normal and accepted. For many of us, when an employee asks, “Why do you do it like we’re surprised at the question. We’ve never even thought it needed to be cleaned up. Yet, by not seeing our own messy business practices, we’re often behaving just as those individuals who have incredibly messy, cluttered, and stuff-filled homes, offices, and cars. When someone points out their messes, these individuals look surprised too. They don’t see the mess. Their mess has become normal and accepted.
So how can we clean up our businesses? We start the same way we start our spring cleaning efforts. Pick a room and start cleaning it up. In our businesses, pick an inefficient, time-consuming, or otherwise costly process and clean it up. What we’ll find is that one cleaning effort will by default lead to another, and another, and another – just like spring cleaning – you can never stop cleaning just one closet.
Over time, your clean-it-now mindset and practices will positively impact your entire organization. As you and your employees continue to identify and clean-up messy practices sooner rather than later, your teams and your organization will become more efficient. Waste will be kept to a minimum, costs will be reduced, and time-wasting processes will be revamped.
Now isn’t that a great return for cleaning up the funky practices in your business?
Copyright 2010 – Liz Weber, CMC – Weber Business Services, LLC www.WBSLLC.com
Copyright – Liz Weber, CMC – Weber Business Services, LLC.
WBS is a team of Strategic Planning and Leadership Development Consultants, Trainers, and Speakers. Liz can be reached at info@wbsllc.com or (717)597-8890.
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Great article. Waiting for more.
As my wife would always say, “Got em” “Hook Line and Sinker”. Very insightful post!