Last week we talked about how hanging on to things that are no longer useful can weigh down operations and hinder an organization’s success.
Such company clutter can include tangible things like office furniture and equipment but it can also include outdated systems, processes and business models. If these aren’t evaluated and then updated or disposed of they can block opportunities for organizations to be their best in the present moment.
But we all know that the task of getting rid of things can be easier said than done. How many times have you hesitated about throwing something away? We tend to keep things because of an attachment to the past (“But we worked so hard on that”) or because we’re concerned about the future (“We might need it again someday.”) Or sometimes it’s simply because we are so used to having it around that it essentially becomes invisible.
While there are many methods for dealing with personal possessions that accumulate over time, what do you do with company clutter? How do you go about deciding what to keep, tweak or toss?
The famous organizing consultant and decluttering guru Marie Kondo suggests that with each item you simply ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?”
With business clutter, however, we recommend questions that speak to the heart of what makes companies successful. According to Mark Helow, a leading consultant for high performing CEOs, it boils down to the business drivers: business model, business process and the talent environment.
An effective business model ensures that customers can be delighted & served with significant profit. Thus, the key questions to ask when evaluating if you should keep or change your business model is:
Does our value proposition result in happy and repeat customers? Is our approach sustainable?
Business processes are successful when sales are easy and customers are predictably delighted. Therefore, the central question when analyzing company processes is:
Does this process make it easy for us to consistently please customers?
The talent environment facilitates positive outcomes when it consists of a culture of high performing individuals and high performing teams. The magic question then is:
Does our culture equip staff to excel at their jobs and work successfully with each other?
If the answer to any of these questions is negative, it might be time to do away with the status quo and make space for new approaches.
G2 Solutions uses systems-based thinking to help company leaders navigate change and adapt to their current circumstances. If you are looking to declutter your organization, give us a call. We’d love to help!
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