Info Source - Volume X, Issue 5 - October, 2011

Getting Unstuck - Three Strategies to Break Loose and Make Gains 

By Chris Ordway

“What part of your business is stuck?”  I was asked this question number of years ago by a friend in the consulting industry. Although I'd been in "industry" for almost two decades, the question caught me off guard.  In fact, it forced me to acknowledge that I had key elements of my product sales and delivery organization that were not moving forward – “we were stuck.”

Today, I work with TSI, a consulting organization specializing in:

I have found the great value we can bring to organizations that are not progressing quickly enough to outpace the competition.

First, let’s consider why businesses seem to get “stuck?” There are volumes of books on this topic, but from my experience working in leadership positions  typically financial, human resources and IT are involved at some level in almost every explanation:

When TSI assists organizations that are stuck, here is a short list of how we help them get “unstuck”:

Step 1: Identify what is stuck: TSI can step a leadership team through a customized workshop and facilitate the conversations about an approach and scope that can be summarized into a working document. Most leaders have a pretty good idea where the pain exists, but working with the leadership teams to “tease out” the tough stuff often does not occur without a 3rd party to assist. Part of the battle is the awareness; part is acknowledging where help is needed and lastly executing a change-oriented project through a successful completion.

Step 2: Determine areas that need Process Mapping and Workflow Analysis: The business consultants at TSI are experts at taking highly complex processes and documenting them so that team members at all levels can look at them and analyze ways they can improve.  Imagine trying to improve your golf swing if you never had it videotaped or had someone else critique it. Often times our clients utter the words, “So that is how it works” and eventually, “That does not need to be done that way”.

Step 3: Improve efficiency:  During times of growth, organization layers are inevitably added. During periods of expansion and contraction, organizations must make a deliberate effort to ensure simplification occurs. I personally have found that although tough organizational and operational decisions are often resisted.  Many organizations fail to capitalize on the change leading to simplified business process and great efficiency.

For 15 years, TSI has helped organizations change and businesses grow. Call us to help assess where you may be stuck and allow us to show you how a trusted business partner can ensure you stay unstuck and ahead of your toughest competitors.

-Chris Ordway, Associate Partner
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There are a number of ways TSI can assist your organization by leveraging a deep knowledge base to assess and solve operational, strategic and technological challenges. If you wish to discuss methods to deliver results without adding the long term overhead associated with full time employees give us a call at 847.705-0960 x202 or e-mail TSI’s Managing Partner, Dan Feely

Feel free to pass this link on to others in your organization. As well, if you wish to discuss upcoming project needs, please give us a call at 847.705-0960 x202.

A reminder: Check out the TSI blog at http://blog.transforming.com/