The Art of Quality (a.k.a. A Cheat Sheet for Improvement Programs)

While this exciting nine-part series is in production for publication, I thought I’d give a unique tickler to a new dashboard I wrote for a consulting opportunity out of Charlotte, North Carolina.   

The real backbone of quality programs has a diverse team tackling wicked problems. It’s more intricate than plugging a leaking levee, oiling the most squeaky wheel, or jumping to attempt knee-jerk patches. Quality is an ongoing mindset and mechanism of higher-level cyclical activity targeting rocks in the corporate shoe; it requires a team to deploy a structure that will organize people or things to be used for a particular purpose as well as improve operations of an organization.

Before anyone is engaged to make changes, the team needs to consider its corporate culture because it influences available internal resources as well as gaps and any work-arounds to get the job done.  In fact, it’s smarter to have a more efficient operation and that’s what quality programs create: a better solution for internal and external customers.  

Frequently, buzzwords are used and without proper understanding, the team can run off the rails because they use their own definitions around the activity, which should all be centered on a simple application and adapting features to create relentless improvement.  In this case, the buzzword used for this would be disruptive innovation as the quality program takes a product, makes it better, increases demand by customers, and this causes growth.

Once any physical barriers or ideological hurdles are identified, a quality program uses two phases to find opportunities to improve: 

Preparation  The activities centered on “getting rid of rocks” through either natural problem identification (the old school water cooler complaints or the new school text messages) or blinded problem identification (allowing anonymous pointing of fingers to protect the identifier of a pet project or dumb idea from blame) contribute to the preparation phase, which has three stages to address the hard topics.

1. Strategy  The framework of deployment and discovering the “why are we doing this” by using assessment techniques to identify the areas with the highest potential for improvement.
2. Program  The targeted plan and steps for change by selecting the right methodology that fits your company’s needs in both upstream (such as perceptions, creative or innovation team idea generation, training opportunities) and downstream (which could be advertising, manufacturing line changes, order software).
3. Project  The actionable and manageable units to improvement, knowing that these may be small ideas or big changes, but they will reach across multiple departments as well as identifying what improvement you anticipate as you enter the next phase.

Management  It’s easiest to start by saying the second phase of management is not a trigger-pulling directive style, but the collective administration of an activity. It is the review of interrelated facets of an organization (in this case as parts of the quality program) to see an improvement in resource utilization by using three additional phases to achieve successful outcomes.

1. Leadership  More important than picking someone with the biggest title on the highest rung of the ladder, experience is the most valued commodity, and provides the key stakeholder requirement for supporting these changes. Leadership includes selecting the right participants from all areas of the company as well as opening doors or removing ideological obstacles. 
2. Process  Focusing on improvements, this phase looks at the entire supply chain that touches the facets to be modified. The nitty-gritty is where the quality team disintegrates the rock into dust by using innovation, cyclical review during ongoing championing of new solutions in a series of actions to improve the identified process.
3. Measurement The only way to know if you’ve reached the goals of the quality program is not by finishing the process phase, but by evaluating every intention of this quality program with links why an action was taken. Setting the right metrics reminds the team that improving experiences of internal staff and external customers is the keystone of an effective quality program.

People like solving problems; it’s in our nature. Knowing why we are solving a problem and how that solution “came to be” makes it all the more interesting to look at the results. We can produce answers to wicked problems vaguely touched by those knee-jerk directives and bring long-term solutions for sustainable improvements. 

Stay tuned for the links to the detailed information, including “how to” pieces as well as case studies!

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

Fresh Bite Friday: Tips for High-Profile Good Content

I was recently interviewed for a broadcast and asked to share a few points about quality writing.  I realized while listening to the playback today that these tips should be used in business everywhere (when writing emails, web content, marketing materials, or more). I’m sharing my direct quotes with you now as this kickoff article to Fresh Bite Fridays, with three tips to start using next month:

• Question: What makes quality writing?
• Answer: If you can’t convince the reader that it’s something worth reading and that there is value in the content, you might as well not have spent the time. You have to have insight into what readers expect and what they want to hear; it doesn’t mean you have it give it [all] to them, but you have to give them something they can sink their teeth into and want to pursue it more… You want to make people think and you have to be authentic.

• Question: What advice do you give to aspiring writers?
• Answer: If you want to write something, do it. But if you want to write good content, you need to find an editor who can not only help with the right punctuation, those little grammar mischievous things that happen, but also help you develop it into something readers will keep buying and asking for more. If you’re not sure you have the content from the reader’s perspective [your market segment’s ideology], then you can find an editor to help you do that… spend the money to do it right. You don’t want to be one of those reputable news outlets that have blatant errors, and they don’t put effort into what they’re distributing.

• Question: What does literary success mean to you?
• Answer: I don’t think you’ll ever be satisfied as a writer with everything you print, but having your next idea swirling is important, as is to never be ashamed of what you’ve put out there. You need to be honest with yourself about what you say and having the courage to write your story as you want it to be told.

Be authentic and believable!

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

The Time To Make The Right Choices

It made mainstream media that another top executive quit Uber this week; however, most posts were only concerned with the effect on business.  If you look closer, you can get the rest of the story and how the root cause reflects in your restful - or restless - sleep. 

A lot of people read articles: how to be more successful, what keys to the morning help propel you to success, why it’s important to do X/Y/Z to build your dreams successfully.  These same people forget that if you follow everyone else, you only reach for someone else’s definition of success.

Flocking to a growth company sounds great, but what Jeff Jones discovered was my “beliefs and approach to leadership were that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced.” He voted with his feet and walked right out the door.

Uber defines startup success for some people, but this one person knew it wasn’t for him. He knew that he couldn’t right this troubled ship.  He recognized that the company could be performing better, working better with its employees — but the dysfunction and flooding of issues needs to be corrected from top down (and honestly, he wasn’t “the top” to make the calls).

This illustration of a shorter duration of restlessness was easily identified as what caused sleepless nights.  An employee’s desire to fix things, to right the ship, for improving community all were not progressing.  He chose to walk away, even though the challenge is likely what attracted him.

If you are more of a sports fan, you could relate to Andre Agassi’s tennis career with insights from his fantastic and insightful autobiography, Open.  When he walked away from tennis, he realized, “One day your entire way of life ends. It’s a kind of death.” 

Who had the better choice, Jeff or Andre?  Both had sleepless night, both worked very hard to achieve their number one status.  However, one walked away while he was still on top, and Agassi admits that if he went back to the sport that he’d retire sooner.

You are younger in your career than either of these pros. Perhaps your sleepless nights aren’t going to end in retirement or walking out of the game.  But by using the correct word choice to identify the root cause of the situation, your restlessness should be an indicator of something being wrong in your life — most often, we find it’s our work environment.

Your mindset needs to reflect where you want to go, not where you are.  By seeking out new opportunities, the problem set may take different analysis or you may think you are taking a step backward on this imagined career ladder.  Who cares besides yourself?  You need to be happy (useful, fulfilled, empowered - pick a great adjective that fits your goal) as you work toward your own definition of success (which I am certain doesn’t include misery, senseless heartburn or repetitive futile exhaustion).

The powerful decision makers actually choose tough solutions; they don’t make decisions to get away from problems.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

Don’t Be Another Cog in the Corporate Empire

Many employees are given assignments without context or the opportunity to comment on the intended use of the project. Sometimes bosses don’t know why projects need completed because they are told to just divvy up tasks with strict deadlines from their bosses.  Other times, we are so self-focused on our own needs that we fall from leader to manager status, too busy to monitor the level of our own gas tanks and the well-being of our teams.  Widget designs, knowledgeable articles written, sales copy created - these are all examples of daily assignments completed by cogs of corporate empires.

A researcher in New Orleans responded to a question posed by the media with his own question recently, a familiar tactic I use with my university students to get them to analyze more and do rote work less: If you don’t understand the source of the problem, how can you solve it?

Dr. Ibrahima Seck was reflecting on research of a wicked problem in America’s past, rooted in how to educate people and discuss its far reaching impact. He understands the waves of effect even if daily there is a struggle to understand the “why” of the original horror.

Daily, everyone faces contradictory problems and many people wonder at their own difficulties (wondering why we work where we do, ways to get out of toxic employment environments, reviewing alternative careers to better match our “right space”). Regardless of your background or appearance, you can ask the right questions to solve the right problems. It’s not the first question, or even second and third, that produces the correct direction.

Keep asking questions to get to what’s really important.  At work, perhaps that widget was thought by someone to make a better mousetrap, but really it’s the spring that needs modification.  Focus on the right path rather than the easy assigned one. In your personal life, look at the ways you actually spend your time rather than how you want to be spending your time.

For instance, do you think Patrick wanted to lead the snakes out of Ireland and have the day of his death celebrated 1,556 years later? The real story is that he was captured and made a slave by the Irish when he was sixteen. From his life’s work, it’s obvious that he didn’t ask the question, “Why was I captured and enslaved,” but wondered, “What can I do to make a difference for them?”  

After he escaped to his family, he became a cleric and returned to the people who enslaved him. He used his time during oppression to develop himself.  He was a foreigner in a sometimes unwelcoming land. Though celebrated as a Saint, he’s never been canonized by a Pope, has no official declaration (or thanks) for his good words and works by his “employer,” the church.

Perhaps you have felt this way at work. Maybe there are times when you feel that your Herculean efforts receive no recognition regardless of the money and time saved for your organization. Consider if you are asking “What’s wrong with my boss,” instead of a more important question like, “Where can I contribute more value on a daily basis?”

If you ask the right questions as you face the future because the past will influence it but not bring you truth; the answers will make more of a difference to you. 

Fear not and keep searching, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

When Your Boss’ Malfunction Costs Your Business $ and Sense

There have been many stories lately about disappointing or plain ol’ bad managers (they aren’t good enough to be called leaders) who are narcissistic, show czarist traits or those who make you think of an infamous line from Forest Gump.

Take a break from your work day and see which of the outlines applies to your boss—then, use the crosswalk below to see how you can positively affect business and what you should do about them.  (Feel free to cast your vote as to which type you’ve encountered in the comments!)

The Scapegoat: This is the one to whom all problems lead, but somehow manages to point a finger elsewhere (even though it should be pointed right back in a mirror at the top dog). Never this one’s fault, but will grab the closest underline to throw under the bus. Example

The Squirrel: You know how nuts are hidden by this rodent all during the fall for self-preservation through a winter storm and it seems to be a never ending hole to supply food (aka excuses)? Yep, same concept. According to the squirrel, everyone else hid the fruits and the head nut has no clue. Illustration 

The Badger: “Luke, I am your father,” and you better not question me or you’ll get sent to your room over and over again.  Loyalty is demanded of you or prepare to be tossed off the island—poof! Highlight 

The Goldfinch: When a whole lot just seems like a way to get a lot more; Alfred Hitchcock had a great representation of how this type can multiple and become a real nuisance by volume alone, regardless of their real-world impact.  Bankroll

The Rabbit: While seemingly cute on the outside, the crazy-maker bouncing around everyone’s projects and wanting it ALL with unreasonable timelines and no substance to support the tasks, well…“Thumper” only refers to the foot-hitting the workers on the head or in the butt to move faster (and frequently not in the right direction as well as not accomplishing anything). Bunny-foo-foo

The Blue-Footed Booby: Wanting something so bad it brings a drool to one’s lips, bad choices are made over and over again in the drive get higher on the ladder. Pride goeth before the fall, even when it causes embarrassment in public life. Drumroll

The Sloth: Often rising above level of competency, you have no idea how getting that far was possible given productivity and disinclination to do more. You are reminded… constantly… why it is one of the seven deadly sins, particularly when a problem balloons to epic proportions. Cartoon but real world

So you’ll notice in this last depiction I reminded you of the seven deadly sins.  Frequently, it’s easy to see sins in others, particularly when they make our lives miserable and threaten our paycheck.  Take a look again at the typecasting for the animal-ification (as opposed to personification) of those sins:  Scapegoat = Envy; Squirrel = Gluttony; Badger = Wrath; Goldfinch = Greed; Rabbit = Lust; Blue-Footed Booby = Pride; Sloth = well, Sloth. 

I did not use the typical references for these examples because rarely do we find the perfect beast in the real world. However, to counter these office monstrosities, we do need to use virtues and some common sense that seems so rare when problem-solving. 

Since you could follow superhero comics, you know that good is used to battle evil. Your company’s outward-facing communications and appearance need to ensure it doesn’t reflect your animal-ification above. Here are the “goods” you need to use in order to “fight the stupids” (as they used to say at the Maple Street Book Shop). These are derived from Greek philosophy as well as theological virtues that all have applications in the marketplace. Here’s how you can overcome the top-down impairments to help your business to succeed.

• Best used in defense of Envy is Prudence (Timing) - Timing is everything, including doing the right thing at the right time (which is prudence).  If it hurts others, don’t do it; know that envy stems from people realizing that you personally can do more and almost always do it right (which feeds their envy). To whom much is given, much is required—this means you. Realize, too, that it may be you that listens to a customer complain about the beast.
• Best used in defense of Gluttony is Temperance (Restraint) - You need to display mindfulness of your surroundings with self-control and moderation, balancing the good of the business with the cray-cray tasks requested.  If you focus too much on the insanity, it causes you to forget to contribute to “the bottom line” in a positive way, giving those higher up a sign to show you to the exit. They say moderation is best, and this applies to your attitude as well as price hikes or sales cuts, too.
• Best used in defense of Wrath is Faith (Truth) - When you don’t add logs to a fire, the diminishing fuel can no longer sustain the burn once the original logs are gone. When you look at what’s right and don’t feed into the hostility or conflict by antagonizing the situation, you show respectful trust that the end will be right, regardless of the anger shown by someone giving orders. Angry customers or angry coworkers will always appear; let them vent and then get back to solving problems.
• Best used against Greed is Love (Goodness) - Two wrongs don’t make a right, so consider that behaving in the right not only helps you sleep at night, but others will notice that you chose the high road over and over again. Customers are moving more toward socially responsible companies, products and their customer service avenues that it literally pays to do the right thing.
• Best used in defense of Lust is Justice (Process) - They say justice is blind, but those who help bring justice to situations are careful to note the rules and apply them. You cannot despair or be fearful, but rely on the truth to get you through a myriad of intimidation tactics.  If you are handling a recall or accident, the truth is always the best policy. It’s the only thing that will stand of its own accord at the end of the day and it will keep you standing tall, too.
• Best used in defense of Pride is Hope (Encouragement) - When you focus on the outcome of a project or assignment rather than how you look doing the task, respect is earned from those who truly matter. Hope is one tool that you should consistently use to empower as well as encourage others around you to help fight the battle instead of fighting the wacko all alone. Customers will rave about your helpfulness and likely seek your advice when making purchasing decisions.
• Best used in defense of Sloth is Courage (Strength) - Being careful and honest in your worth ethic carries your reputation a long way. Everyone knows it takes longer to build than destroy, so make sure to show your strength because you aren’t giving up on doing what’s right or what takes some work to accomplish.  Courage is a cousin of patience, because you know you are going to be stomping mad at the slow progress, so apply them both for improving the situation at work.

These are the ways we work together to fight egos and temptations. It’s a community effort, with a variety of tools (voting, purchasing power and more) to show what we believe and not let the bad folks win. Nowhere do I note that you fight a battle alone, though admittedly sometimes that happens. You control your own behavior and rise above - the cream goes to the top.

Be a warrior from the top even if you aren’t at the top… your actions will soon get you there. 

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

Best Practice Traits From The Kingdom

You know that by looking out the window that you can gain new perspectives. The same is true when you look beyond your own door, crossing borders to other kingdoms - particularly the animal kingdom. 

Elephants are not known for their delicate nature. Similar to the connotation of a bull in a china shop, their strength and fortitude keeps them focused and alive in various environments. When encountering an obstacle, many people make the assumption that an elephant considers any obstruction a barrier to be broken. 

You know what assumptions get you…

Here are some traits of elephants:

• Long-term memory.
• Ability to use tools.
• Create complex social groups.

But take a look at this problem-solving skill. The elephant remembers this scenario from a prior situation and although it is using the road (the path of least resistance), it could just walk around the barrier. Yet, deciding to stay true to the route selected, the first barrier is lifted while the second can’t be handled the same way even though it is nearly identical. New solution, problem resolved and momentum continues. 

How many times have you come across an obstacle and where you’ve had to remember how to address an issue similar to one in the past, used tools as well as your network to overcome the issues and continued on your way? I’m not saying that you’re an elephant, but best practice across industries (and species) makes things easier for everyone. 

If you have ever had to face the gorilla in the room, you know it’s best to stay one step ahead. Learn from others and apply these elephant lessons to your own enterprise. 

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

Five Ways to Handle a Toxic Work Environment That is Hostile to Talent

The most successful leaders have not had an obstacle-free path to leadership, yet so many workers have a delusion that reaching the top of the ladder is pain-free and the “right” way to great achievement. News abounds of “not so perfect” work situations, with many people looking for a way out. However, only looking for a door can mean you are shown the exit before you’re prepared with another opportunity - or prior to absorbing all the good parts the current employment can give.

When you are goal-oriented (vision minded) rather than task-oriented (rungs of the ladder), you grasp not for the ever-moving next rung, but the fact it’s unrealistic to think that success arrives without having to experience growth opportunities along the way. (It would also be boring, and if you are boring with no “tests” of your mettle to show what you know while ascending the corporate ladder, the rungs will stop appearing.)  But what makes those rungs appear?

Consider these leaders’ strong personal values systems while facing a wide range of toxicity.  There are those well known—Bill Gates (whose first business failed yet now runs the largest human rights foundation in the world), Sir Richard Branson (controlling over 400 companies while leading through dyslexia) and Fredrick Douglass (born into slavery, yet became one of the leading abolitionist leaders as well as a preacher). 

And other notable leaders in the world, too. Sharon Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer and was the first female judge in Iran, winning the Nobel Peace prize for democracy and human rights.  Ursula Burns (CEO for eight years and now chairwoman of Xerox) was raised in a housing project. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Myanmarian civil rights leader who had been imprisoned for fifteen years, earned the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful leadership on human rights while imprisoned. Telling the real story of the disappeared (while fleeing from those who wanted to kill her, just as they had her family), Rigoberta Menchú Tum is a Nobel Laureate Guatemalan author. Dr. Mae Jamison, a physician, is the first African-American female astronaut and has to deal with two worlds of complexity!

Each one of these visionaries experienced a variety of toxicity in their professional lives. There are many people who have described the bad vibes underlying toxicity, including research by Amy Scholten, MPH, who says, “Toxic workplaces are fueled by immature, dysfunctional leaders.” While I would call those types of people in management anything but leaders, the tone rings true as she describes their lack of morality, hypocritical nature, high aggression, scapegoating, unreasonableness… I’m sure you are already adding to this list from what you’ve seen. 

While preparing my upcoming presentation for a national conference, I realized resilience fuels the fire of those who excel.  Adversity comes in many forms for all businesses, and frequently it presents in the form of a nasty co-worker.  Learning to handle those situations gracefully (not ignoring them) will propel your standing with those around you, enabling you to handle more as you progress in your career and rapidly extricate your from toxic areas.

To bring more meaning to your workplace and facts to your portfolio, regardless of the concentration of toxicity, it really is all about you and how you use obstacles to lift yourself. One area of professionals call this self-deployment: “to arrange in a position of readiness, or to move strategically or appropriately (Dictionary dot com) ” or “move something in an effective way (Cambridge English Dictionary)”  

This is how you need to tackle your current situation; modifying your perspective is how you begin right now.

1. Identify the real meaning in the madness. One of my former colleagues loved to use the term “crazy-making” for other people’s reaction to a situation instead of action toward resolution of the problem. When the implementation of a solution is out of reach, you still retain control of the lesson you can learn as well as retaining your own focus on problem-solving instead of problem-enhancing.
2. Establish concrete goals. There is a reason for the toxicity - your own attitude and approach are your responsibility, and no one else’s. This is a job and does not define your being, your soul, your future. You know where you want to be, so start using your energy for a plan to get there.  Gossip about the “evil” in the office does not help though having activities and goals away from the office keeps you centered, and developing goals for your exit keeps you healthy as you focus on the ways you will leave on your own terms in a positive way.
3. Refine your filter.  This is a two-way process, for inbound messages as well as your outbound communication. The information coming to you will have spin and be framed with the toxic agenda. When you find the real meaning and know your goals are to achieve efficiency, creativity or productivity, you can strain the distraction and see the true bottom line.  Likewise, when you are sending out information, you can craft your meaning with intentional word choices that will neither inflame an ego nor draw negative attention to your talents.
4. Remove project overreach. Undoubtedly, this is the environment that pushes staff to work all hours of the day and night for unrealistic ends.  When you begin to not only define, but hold fast to boundaries that encroach upon achieving what you’ve outlined in step number two, it allows you to use energy on your own time to get to a better space.  Your time away forth office is all positive, so leave the negative things there (even if you telecommute - there are boundaries that now you have your exit plan in process, you can more safely enforce). 
5. Get moving. You are more important than “them.”  Don’t question your abilities; step one shows you how to identify the source of the incapability so you don’t repeat the problems as a leader and don’t find another place that has the same issues. The fifth step is using your hand to wave goodbye without burning a bridge, while embracing thankfulness that you’re moving forward.

Handling toxicity and adversity is a process, not an event, when you need to continue performing while seeking improvements. This involves identification, planning, timeframe scope of action and launch - the same steps in good project management. You can treat your exit just as you would a new product launch, where you are the product taking your skills to somewhere more valuable and in line with your mission.

Positive attitude in negative situations… gives abilities including natural success.  PAINS to GAINS. You can get there.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

How To Identify Broken Business Infrastructure Before It Bombs

You think you are ready to tell the world who you are and what you do.  Articles I've shared here lately about sales funnels, branding and communications have helped you fine-tune your launch. Heads up: you need to understand you aren’t there yet.

Are you ready to respond to demand? What if you have too many inquiries and are overextended? Is there a way out if you have product just sitting in your storeroom because it isn’t moving like you hoped?

The method behind your madness goes well beyond planning. Infrastructure is the typically unseen make-or-break skeleton that lifts you toward success.  You can’t grow if you can’t meet demand, but if you don’t spend valuable time early, your reputation and brand likely will suffer greatly.

Sure, you can spend time and create a coastal restoration infrastructure plan (but watch the live link doesn’t end up saying “ilovepdf” like this one) that names features that need extra support and why, with prioritization of projects.

Or, there could be a third party infrastructure review like our nation recently had completed for homeland security (and really our weaknesses, to show where someone or some entity really missed the ball)  

Somehow, your fabulous design for end-to-end control fails due to reliance on a supposed expert internal opinion that online sales won’t change your business model (because you never saw brick-less stores as a threat).

If you aren’t asking the right questions, you have a self-made obstacle that wasn’t a problem (i.e. the mountain out of a molehill syndrome) instead of solving the consumer’s dilemma.

The best course of action is thinking through your own business model before you launch new options, so search for the obtuse “then a miracle happens” moment in your plan. This is what you need to fix before irate customers show you it’s broken.

• Use tools that make life simple(r) - also known as operations. In days gone by, having a watch was critical for on-time customer delivery. Now, it’s knowing when the shipment is picked, packed, leaves, transports and arrives. Use software systems that track things that need monitored or keep other things secure (literally e-lock/e-key or encryption), but don’t let them run the show alone. Sometimes software is called IP architecture, but it’s still infrastructure to your business. Invest in programs that are customer-facing so your brand’s touch is personalized.
• Have backups of life support systems - call this process management. This may be telephone lines for other area codes (Katrina taught me to always have a backup with another city area code; they get through when power goes out); perhaps it’s having multiple internet services (even in the same location, hiccups don’t run through all routers) or off-site e-storage for files (some states require this if you are a government contractor/supplier)—the point is that one is never enough and it’s easily readied before the crisis that will inevitably come. 
• People power is priceless - the value of humanity. If you don’t have someone to answer that email or take the client call, everything else is meaningless. I suspect not a single person reading this article has always had glowing success with every customer service interaction. Use your own experience with flaws in other businesses to ensure you have backup to help with calls if there’s a snowstorm and staff get stuck (even if it’s a retired neighbor woman with your cell phone to answer the phone to say you’re in a meeting and will call back). Be creative!

No matter what line of business or service, everyone can improve. There is no replacement for smart human to human interaction. Your infrastructure is a significant component of your in-house communication process. Just as with your words, your success depends on the structure’s thoughtfulness and inclusiveness; context and timeframe influence perspectives through all areas of business (as well as government). 

There’s a reason you don’t skip rungs on a ladder. It applies in business functions, too.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen