Be The Best

I've been interviewing people/organizations to include in my upcoming book (to be released this Fall). I'm speaking with organizations that are doing things well in terms of their Business Operations (since that's the topic of the book). One of the questions I get regarding these interviews is what is the theme or common thread I see among the organizations I speak with.

The answer is - The best organizations plan, and they monitor their progress towards their planning goals. I'm constantly harping on planning and measuring performance, so it's nice to have confirmation for my near obsession.

I call it the Goal Attainment System, and it consists of three parts:

1) Goal Definition
2) Action Plan
3) Performance Measurement System

Define the goals of the organization as a whole. Develop a plan of action to reach those goals. Develop a system to monitor the progress towards those goals. Simple.

So why don't more organizations do it?

How Do They Do That?

I am not an early adopter. I still have an old cell phone that pretty much only makes and takes calls. No pictures, no internet, just a phone. I want an iPhone, but haven't gotten around to getting one yet.

I only recently signed up for Netflix. And I am impressed. How do they get those DVD's to me so fast? I'll put my return envelope in the mailbox at the post office at 2:00 or 3:00 pm and get an email notice from Netflix that they've received my envelope sometime later that night. Then only a few hours later I'll receive another email confirmation telling they've shipped my next movie. Amazing.

What can your organization learn from this? How can you increase your efficiency and customer service? I await your answers.