I learned early on in my career the problems of the “busy fool syndrome.” In my first role, we worked on solving organisation problems, usually as solo analysts and with multiple projects at any point in time. We became professional plate spinners. This makes for a great spectacle but of itself does not add value.

In contrast, in my second career role, we looked at redesigning failing areas of the organisation using dedicated multidisciplinary teams. We designed out issues that would have been considered problems to solve in my first role. This resulted in quicker and deeper change.

The truth runs counter-intuitive for most organisations – the more we attempt to do, the less we deliver. We spread ourselves thinly rather than deeply.

The failure of organisations to decide on the MAIN THING and to keep it the MAIN THING, costs them dear. Attempting too many improvement projects leads to lost time and delayed improvement.

How do organisations progress the MAIN THING?

Firstly, make the tough decision and decide what is the MAIN THING for your organisation. If the organisation has operational problems delivering the […]