FRICTION in CHANGE MANAGMENT...

Where do you tend to notice FRICTION in CHANGE MANAGEMENT the most?

Last week, two professionals asked me different versions of this same question regarding warehouse implementation and operations.

In previous projects, I witnessed organizational ambiguity prevent more growth than even the technical challenges of migrating systems or the financial limitations of a cash-tight operation.

The answer is: FRICTION is a force resisting movement between two entities, and in business this tends to be demonstrated when positional job descriptions are poorly defined or incompletely meet the needs of the business.

Each business is its own entity made up of many others with needs that are independent of the business’ operators and their needs. As business leaders, we are responsible for listening and responding to the business entity as it communicates in a unique, dynamic language:

• Productivity and Labor Performance

• Employee Satisfaction Versus Turnover

• Brand Reputation and Customer Retention

• Overleveraged Debt and Sunk Costs

When the roles that people fulfill lack definition, boundaries, and success metrics, they become ROUGHER and develop that friction-like resistance. When each component is carefully engineered for “seamless” collaboration, then diagnosis and maintenance become much SMOOTHER. What is the ( μ ) coefficient of friction for YOUR business?

I love getting these insightful questions, so message me if you thought of one! #OrganizationalDevelopment #LeadershipInOperations #ChangeManagement #BusinessGrowth #ProcessImprovement #Friction #JobDescription #Logistics #SupplyChain