Published work.

What is “complexity untangling”, exactly?On my website and LinkedIn profile, I proudly describe myself as a ‘Complexity Untangler Extraordinaire’. When my friend Gary, a very successful entrepreneur, recently looked at my profile, he said: “You’re a Complexity Untangler? I have no idea what that is, but I know that I need one and I want it

Got a couple of markers and some paper? Sometimes that’s all you need to draw up a plan.Last week I went to help a wonderful, small business client do some longer-term thinking and operational planning at their offices. They have made significant investments in their technical infrastructure which are starting to come online.

When the office “Fount of All Knowledge” goes on holiday, and all hell breaks loose… Or How to reduce risky dependencies in your everyday operationsNobody knows where the passwords for the systems are, nor why everyone has been automatically logged out overnight… Somehow the master “customer contact spreadsheet” has moved and nobody can find it… The server room is smoking and nobody knows the access code… Relying on one person isn’t a great sit

Why do these three words - process improvement project - strike terror in the hearts of so many people?Process improvement project. (How come it’s so scary?) This week a tasty process improvement project came across my desk and I was reminded of two things: How much I enjoy process improvement projects How much most people don’t enjoy process improvement projects.

How to get that monkey off your back (or How to tell if a task actually belongs to you)I acknowledge that it’s pretty geeky to have a favourite article about organizational behaviour, but stick with me. You see, I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a recovered monkey collector and feeder.

“What we need now is a RACI chart”I can’t tell you how many times I have said this in my career. But I know it’s a lot.

Why do things need to change anyway?Let’s face it: the vast majority of people don’t like change, and many actively resist it. But whether we want to admit it or even perceive it, change is the only constant in any organisation.

Smarter, faster, betterThe outcome of any process or operational change programme should be that the process, technology or teams work smarter, faster, and better. Ideally, it’s best to hit all three outcomes - I call that the Optimisation Trifecta – but even hitting one will make the programme worthwhile.

Humans are at the heart of operationsI’d like to change gears a bit this week and talk about roles and responsibilities and why that matters in an operational context. When I think about an ‘operational context’ it’s always about delivering something – following process steps to deliver a product or data, for example, or a project that

Back to the beginning to talk about ‘waste’Just about everyone in business in the English-speaking world has heard of or read “The Toyota Way” by Dr Jeffry K. Liker.

What makes best practice ‘best’?What makes best practice ‘best’? ‘Best Practice’ is a tricky thing. All too often it’s misunderstood and misapplied.

If you want solid process change, listening comes firstProcess Improvement Step 1: Listen and examine Let’s go back to the Process Improvement Lifecycle and look at each stage in turn. This blog post is going to focus on what it means to ‘listen and examine’ when kicking-off a process improvement effort and why that has to be the first step.

Process Improvement Step 2: Understand and assess. Or as Covey said: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” Stephen R Covey’s blockbuster management book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, published in 1989, is still very relevant today and helpful as we think about any Process Improvement programme. The fifth habit “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” is an important practice when wo

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