|
If you think of the way you or your organization normally do something, that will be a 100 percent solution. Anytime you can create that same result in 1/20th the amount of time you spend now, with the same or fewer resources, you will have gotten your result 20 times faster. Twenty times 100 percent is 2,000 percent. Alternatively, if you can use the same or fewer resources and get twenty times the benefit in the same or less time, that is also a 2,000 percent solution (20 times 100 percent). A semiconductor manufacturer found itself taking more than 6 months to design the custom chips that its customers needed. The manufacturer asked the provider of its chip design software to take a crack at the task. The software vendor was able to complete the work in a week, at lower cost. This meant more sales and profits for the customer, the semiconductor manufacturer, and the software vendor. This is an example of a 2,000 percent solution that provides both more benefits and a reduction in time by more than 95 percent. Don Mitchell became interested in 2,000 percent solutions after an experience he had as a boy. Don's allowance was 35 cents a week, which would buy 3 1/2 comic books or 2 McDonald's hamburgers. He could consume a lot of both, much more than his allowance. One day while working in the family gardening business, Don saw a shiny new dime roll by on the sidewalk. "Two Days Income!" was the thought that raced through Don's mind as he ran after the rapidly-rolling dime. Eventually he captured it after 50 yards of racing. He ran back to tell his Dad, who was preoccupied with some thought of his own. That was unusual, because Don's Dad has always been very supportive of him. Eventually, Don's Dad spoke, "Don, I watched you chasing that dime. I noticed that a crumpled $20 bill was rolling right behind you, and I grabbed it." Don felt like he had been hit by lightning. He had grabbed 2 days income and had missed 400 days of income by not looking around first. From this experience, Don began to notice that better opportunities were always around than the first one he noticed. He began to ask himself a new question before he pursued opportunities. "Is this the best opportunity for me to pursue now?" Soon, 2,000 percent solutions began appearing for him everywhere. 2,000 Percent Solutions are easy to find and implement. The authors have been working with dozens of CEOs in the last few months to help them find their own 2,000 percent solutions. Let us share with you the kinds of ideas that these CEOs has generated for improving their current effectiveness. A good place to start is with communications. The CEOs generally agree that somewhere between 5 and 20 percent of what they intend to communicate to their employees and colleagues is understood and acted on. This is a key source of "stalled" progress in their organizations. When asked for ideas for how to improve that poor track record, the following ideas are normally offered within five to ten minutes of discussion:
At this point, most groups of CEOs can think of no other ways to improve communications. This means that the most powerful and effective method is not readily considered by CEOs. That method is, of course, obvious to you if you have already read chapter 6, 2000 Percent Solution: Ask people what message they have received and what they are supposed to do differently because of the message. Then, you correct any misunderstandings on the spot, and check again for understanding by asking the same question. The CEOs are forgetting that listening is critical to effective communications. Notice, however, that the CEOs will probably create a 2,000 percent solution, even without using the most effective method. Let me explain. The effect of using these 6 methods together will increase understanding from the 5 to 20 percent range to the 70 to 90 percent range. Although this is not a twenty times increase in understanding, it certainly is a vast increase in the speed by which those who would normally not get the message now do get the message. Of more importance is that the implementation of actions in the organization will rise from the 1-5 percent range to the 40-60 percent range. You get a geometric improvement in implementation from large increases in understanding, because errors of omission and commission are vastly reduced while coordination increases. This example points out something else quite important, that the gap between how things are usually done and what can be accomplished can be enormous. A further lesson is that by not asking the right questions, we often delay the progress of our organizations even when we implement 2,000 percent solutions. You should always begin addressing how to create a 2,000 percent solution by asking yourself and others how questions can be used to identify and implement better solutions. Stallbusting Questions for the Seven Deadly Stalls Many people have asked to have a simple summary of one question they can use to overcome each of the most common stalls. You may want to make a copy of this section and keep it with you until the questions become second nature to you.
Is this the best way to accomplish our current objectives? (This test will doom every process you currently use.) You should ask this question first about the most important activities and processes in your organization so that you will first focus on finding better ways to operate in places where you will get the greatest benefits.
What is the most impact that this new information could have on our organization in the future, and what evidence is required to understand the future impact? (remember that most of us over-estimate the current implications and underestimate the long-term impact)
What are our assumptions based on? (if you find that they are based on mere surmise or dated information, you need to do more homework.)
unpleasant or unattractive aspects, such as talking to angry customers or visiting the foundry) How long has it been since we have thoroughly examined the least attractive parts of our organization's operations for improvement? (what is ignored seldom improves)
What message did you just receive and what are you supposed to do differently as a result? (keep repeating until the responses and behavior match you expectations)
How can this process be accomplished in less elapsed time, with fewer steps, and fewer people? (be sure to eliminate steps like having to check with the boss unnecessarily in the middle of the process that can create a bottleneck by asking how else the desired result could be done more efficiently)
Will the situation get worse if we delay our reaction? (even if delay is all right, be sure to set a date to make a decision and determine how to use the intervening time to create a better decision) |
