5 Essential Tools for Leaders Seeking Excellence

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When it comes to optimizing operations, leaders are often looking for the silver bullet that can solve all their challenges. While there may not be a one-size-fits-all solution, there are some fundamental tools that any leader should consider non-negotiable for operating with excellence.

1. SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

I can’t tell you how often I’m in a business that hasn’t updated their SOPs in the last 12 – 18 months. Worse yet, 9 times out of 10 they are outdated, not available electronically, or simply don’t exist. We absolutely cannot underestimate the power of our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) system. When done well, they ensure consistency and quality within your organization.

How to Take Action

Do an SOPs system audit:

1. Are our SOPs up to date?
2. Are our SOPs searchable?
3. Are our SOPs easily accessible?

Select one process within your operations that isn’t documented or up to date and create an SOP for it. You can also take your SOP to the next level by implementing the Process Prompts framework.

2. Project Management

In my early days of leadership, I used to not think of project management as a critical component. But I learned over the years that many of the initiatives we focus on as operations leaders are more efficient and effective when we use some PM basics. Now there isn’t an initiative I take on without using project management to manage the process.

Keep in mind, this isn’t about the technology you select to help manage a project. There are tons of tools to choose from. Project Management is all about identifying resources, ensuring that tasks are executed in an organized and timely fashion, and ultimately our milestones and goals are achieved.

How to Take Action

For your next initiative, implement a Responsibility Assignment Matrix. This simple tool can make roles and responsibilities crystal clear, leaving no room for misunderstandings.

3. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) provide a focused lens on performance but also identify areas for improvement. That’s why they are a critical component of our toolbelt. Where I spent far too much time in my early days of operations leadership was focusing on the wrong KPIs. What I mean by this is that we have to not only align our KPIs to our goals but we also must identify both leading and lagging indicators if we want to our KPIs to help us move the needle faster.

How to Take Action

Evaluate your currently tracked KPIs:

1. Can you identify both leading and lagging indicators?

4. Team Communication / Feedback Loop

The most well-thought-out plans and sophisticated tools are meaningless if your team and others across the organization are not aligned. Having a system in place for ongoing communication that ensures a productive not just regularly scheduled meeting is critical for continuous improvement.

How to Take Action

Implement a 15-minute weekly huddle with your team to openly discuss priorities and challenges. This practice can foster a culture of open dialogue and proactive problem-solving.

5. Strategic Planning

While it’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day, we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture. Strategic planning is what aligns our daily work with our long-term goals and objectives. Depending on your specific role, this could be department specific or organization wide. If you need help getting started, you can use the Foundations Framework guide to help you create a strategic improvement plan.

How to Take Action

Each quarter, take some time to review your strategic plan and make necessary adjustments. Remember, your short-term activities should serve your long-term objectives.

Final Thoughts

Each of these tools is a cornerstone in the foundation of continuous improvement and operating with excellence. The absence of even one can have a significant impact on your ability to achieve your objectives. Remember, technology is simply a way to execute well defined processes and not always necessary; it’s the effective deployment of these tools that truly elevates operational performance.

That’s it for today.

See you all again in a couple of weeks!

Dave