What do you do if your Service Operations failures are holding you back from taking risks?

Root cause analysis, business/service insights, Regression analysis, etc. are all part of the failure analysis. However, where we fail to make an impact or have a disruptive break through, is when we keep on analysing our service operations, bottlenecks, productivity, etc., but fail to match/study industry trends, new tech stacks, ever evolving customer behaviour, parallel processes/techs taking over… failure to have this holistic approach will more likely then not delivery ‘Inside out’ customer experience then the other way around that it should be…

Important to start off by conducting an comprehensive analysis of the failures. Understanding the root causes by breaking down each incident into its components. Was it a procedural failure, a technological fault, a human error, or a combination? This needs to be determined.

Determine what went wrong in the service operation. This could be a breakdown in communication, a missed deadline, a quality issue or other various reasons, such as including customer complaints, employee feedback, performance metrics.

When service operations failures hinder risk-taking, take these steps: 1. Root Cause: Analyze incidents to identify underlying issues. 2. Prioritize: Focus on resolving critical problems first. 3. Plan: Develop clear action plans with timelines. 4. Monitor: Use KPIs to track performance and detect early issues. 5. Communication: Maintain open channels with your team and stakeholders. 6. Proactive Approach: Implement preventative measures and audits. 7. Culture of Innovation: Encourage testing and learning from failures. 8. Automation: Reduce errors and increase efficiency. 9. Review and Adapt: Continuously assess and refine strategies. Happy to advice.

Perseverance is key in any endeavor. Every setback presents an opportunity for growth and development. As famously stated by Thomas Edison, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." It's vital to embrace failure as a stepping stone toward success, leveraging each experience as a learning opportunity to refine strategies and approaches. Taking the time to evaluate setbacks is crucial, allowing for reflection and identification of areas for improvement. Equally important is the willingness to seek assistance when needed, recognizing that collaboration and support often lead to innovative solutions and breakthroughs. Maintaining a positive mindset helps navigate challenges effectively and progress forward.

Provide training and development opportunities to build skills in problem-solving, decision-making, and risk management. Equip employees with the tools and knowledge they need to navigate uncertainty and make informed choices.

Encourage a culture where failures are viewed as opportunities for growth and learning rather than sources of blame or punishment. Emphasize the importance of sharing lessons learned from failures openly and transparently.

Embrace agile methodologies and practices that promote iterative development, rapid experimentation, and quick adaptation to changing circumstances. This allows for more flexibility and responsiveness in service operations.

A better approach is to be proactive at this stage to minimise any breakdown down that could affect the overall operational problems

Provide a safety net for employees to take risks by creating a supportive environment where experimentation is encouraged and failure is viewed as a natural part of the learning process. By fostering resilience in service operations and creating an environment that supports risk-taking, organizations can overcome failures more effectively and drive continuous improvement and innovation.

After a business operation failure, collaborate with your team to? strengthen internal control systems, enhance the training of your team and implement robust backup systems. Ensure to regularly assess and update risk mitigation strategies to prevent future recurrence of such service disruptions.

Establish a clear communication plan to keep stakeholders informed during service operation failures. This includes notifying customers, employees, and partners about the issue and providing regular updates on the progress of resolution efforts. Organizations can minimize the impact of service operation failures and ensure continuity of service for their customers.

Mapping out a weekly risk log or risk register are very essential as this helps to calculate risk and identify potential risk factors.using RAID LOG for a weekly risk assessment will set abreast the contingency plans to be set in place. proper onboarding materials and training must be provided to team-member, contractor, freelancers and every team involved in the project as a dawdle from any team can create a bigger risk factor. regular check-in, health assessment/emotional support must be provided for all teams involved. A positive mindset and the right attitude to work should be fostered as this will ultimately lead to a timely execution, performance level and project closure.this and alot more will help prevent and cut down losses.

If your service operations team failures are holding you back from taking risks, it's important to first identify the root cause of these failures. Is it due to poor communication, lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, conflicting goals, or inadequate training? Once you have identified the underlying issues, you can then work on addressing them. One approach could be to conduct a thorough assessment of your team's performance and areas for improvement. This could involve gathering feedback, analyzing key performance indicators, and identifying any patterns or trends that may be contributing to the failures. Implementing a risk management strategy that allows for controlled experimentation and learning from failure also helps!