Workshop #1 – Reduce Operating Cost through leadership Disruption
This weeks workshop was with an IT company that provides help desk support to a popular bank. The goal of the VP was to reduce the overall operating cost of the 60 member support team. A week before the workshop I created a standard process map for a support helpdesk and one of the SME’s of the team agreed that this map more or less represented their actual process flow (he gave 80% accuracy mark).
We had 12 key team members showing up for the workshop and in 1 hr and 45 minutes we had 160 improvement ideas that would reduce their operating cost and the high level implementation plan was ready.
One interesting observation I had from one team member who managed change landing was, he chose Durability of the landed changes as a blocker to reduce the operating cost and the key levers he to eliminate the blocker he chose was Leadership
| Organization Goal | Process Goal | Change Driver | Lever | Solution |
| Operational Cost | Durability | Team Management | Leadership | Focus on clarity, accuracy and thoroughness in communication. When relaying instructions, recapping meetings or just doling out company updates, strive for the clarity, accuracy and thoroughness of your communication. |
| Operational Cost | Durability | Team Management | Leadership | Remain as transparent as possible. Transparency shows your integrity as a leader, and builds trust with the individual members of your team. |
| Operational Cost | Durability | Team Management | Leadership | Listen and ask questions. If someone doesn?t agree with your management style or doesn?t like the direction of the company, don?t silence that person. Listen. And ask questions of your entire team: What do you think of this? How do you feel about that? This open dialogue makes it easier to proactively identify problems and work together to create a mutually beneficial environment. |
| Operational Cost | Durability | Team Management | Leadership | Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded |
| Operational Cost | Durability | Team Management | Leadership | Be Humble |
| Operational Cost | Durability | Team Management | Leadership | Be Passionate and Determined |
The amazing part was the leader took the feedback with no resistance!!