Great Offices

Processes that Make a Workplace Work

		The Best of: Systems in the Workplace that make it a Great Office

Great offices don't just happen. They are designed and created!

What makes them a terrific place to work? Sure, it takes great people, but the biggest contributing factor is a great manager. Hint hint - that's where you come in.

Little things make a big difference --- well-run meetings, recognition of certain individuals when accomplishments are achieved, professional email practices, manageable email loads.

Here is a simplified overview of how to look at your task of creating a great place to work.

TWO key FACTORS

(SYSTEMS & PEOPLE)

that produce a RESULT (TASKS)
System, People, Tasks

Look at it this way --

Systems: WHAT you do procedurally
People: WHO does it

results in

Tasks being accomplished a la ... Productivity

YOU have control over those systems.
YOU can design them and make it a great place to work (GPTW)

Systems Present

	GREAT OFFICES HAVE THESE TEN SYSTEMS
	Clear job description development and tracking
	Ongoing employee training & development
	Employee-involved recognition programs
	Goal-setting at the employee level and upward
	Simple, clear systems for tracking and posting productivity
	Community involvement activities
	Workplace and Employee Health and Safety
	Ruthless hiring practices
	Formal & informal communication plans
	Social interactions that get the mind off work

A SYSTEM suggests the following

A procedural, documented process that has steps. These steps are repeatable and measurable. By designing it the way you want it to look, the outcome becomes predictable. By making something predictable, it has less error.

See the method to the madness?

Well, no need to have analysis paralysis.
To start, do NOT overdo it. Start simple and build and adjust.

Each system above has (or will have soon) a sequential link to more information - great ideas and "best of"s for that system.

The PEOPLE factor is

Whatever your product or service is, your business is about people.
You may have the best tools, resources, mechanisms, equipment. You can throw all the money you want into investing in new technology.
NONE OF IT WILL WORK … unless you have the people properly trained and aligned.

A good analogy
Music on stand

Well-composed music, perfect arrangements, world-class instruments.

How predictable will the quality of the sound be?

You may luck out. It may sound good.

People show up late to work.
Errors are careless and avoidable.
Lack of commitment causes low morale.
Little creativity in implementing improvements.
No ownership.

Not everyone’s heart is in it.

When the orchestra IS aligned, tuned up, and listening to and interacting with each other, the concert hall sings with attuned vibrations. The result is a swollen wave of intense collusion. Beautiful.

Get your team singing.

Use the systems listed above to start your journey to a harmonized team. Consider each one. Weigh where you are and what you need. Then use the balanced symphony approach (people and systems) to begin your job as their maestro.

You as Maestro