I had a great conversation with Peter Atherton of Actions Prove in Episode 102 of The AEC Leadership Today podcast.
We covered a lot of ground, from implementing Quality systems like TQM and ISO 9001 to Strategic Planning and everything in between.
Perhaps the centerpiece of the conversation regarded business operating and strategy systems (BOSS as I am calling it). We covered a lot of the lessons learned from implementing The Entrepreneurial Operating system (EOS) in my previous firm, Most of which were extremely positive.
I formed AEC-OPS with three primary values: People First, Action Oriented, and First-Class Communication. It’s my belief that talk is cheap and it is taking action that really makes an impact.
My commitment to an effective operating system stems from these values; starting with people. I see too many great design and construction professionals so overloaded that they are not producing the level of work they are capable of. They are burning out, and missing out on the pride and joy they should be experiencing doing what we do. Much of this overload comes from inefficient business practices that can be fixed!
Some of the key points included in this discussion include:
- Why understanding your business processes matters.
- The best way to define your processes and the benefits of doing so.
- Why efficiency and innovation are not mutually exclusive.
- The power of marginal gains.
- How work get done in a BOSS
- A better way to deal with the issues in your company.
- How to conduct a truly effective meeting.
- How a BOSS can lead to reduced stress
I invite you to listen to the episode here: Episode 102: Improving Business Operations and Leadership by Design
And I encourage you to reach out to me if you would like to explore any of these topics in greater detail.