How to tighten up your Timing

So to the final section of the puzzle in our updated SWOT…
(And in case you missed some here are the earlier parts by hyperlink – just click)

How to get the best out of your staff – part one – Staffing
How to get the best from your staff – part two – Workflow
How to get the best from your staff – part three – How to be Organised

We have looked at ‘Staffing’ and how critical it is to have the right people in the right roles with the right skills. We then went onto the ‘Workflows’ of the business and how a root to branch review of the key workflows could make your company more streamlined, efficient, and cost effective. Last week we discussed ‘Organisation’ and how taking time to consider your planning and preparation will get you organised to benefit your business. Now we need to consider…

Timing – by undertaking the other three elements listed above, and should you wish using a traditional SWOT in addition (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), you need to ascertain and commit to the when, the how long and the how often.

Knowing what staff you have, what workflows you need to operate and then organising the actions will go a very long way to identifying these. It’s time to have a frank talk with the interested parties, the key stakeholders, and the staff involved to agree and work towards the new strategy and direction you have clarified or created.

Going through any review of a business can be an exhilarating thing. It can bring back a positive buzz to you, your managers and the staff alike. But not setting clear target dates, not following up on the actions you have set and not sharing your results can destroy all the hard work and commitments you have made. It’s back to setting traditional SMART objectives – making the actions ‘time framed’.

There’s nothing worse than setting off on a project to review your workflows, all steam ahead than getting sidetracked and without a target date having nothing to bring you back in. So many projects fall by the wayside like that. By ensuring a time and date it helps focus you and commits everyone to the task at hand.

One word of caution however – please don’t let the excitement of the process carry you away. Remember to be realistic. Commit to a tangible timeframe by articulating what you really mean and ensuring it is possible the timeframe becomes solid, real and valid.

I’m not providing solutions in this updated SWOT, rather giving you food for thought and a new means in which to question your business and seek answers.

At Threedom Solutions we like to use this to start the conversations, to guide the company we are helping through the discussions and to help identify and solidify an outcome.

We use various tools with this – such as a Future Wheel and our Motivation Quiz to help, but more of those another time. Your business is unique to you, with so many variations so why not use this updated SWOT to get your bespoke answers.


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Cat Macdonald

Cat Macdonald has worked across a broad range of sectors including manufacturing, engineering and media at senior management level in Human Resources. Now with Threedom Solutions she works with large plcs & smaller local concerns specialising in HR service provision, Team Coaching and Training solutions. As a working parent she is passionate about supporting parents in the workplace and also developing employee's Resilience in the workplace.
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http://www.threedomsolutions.co.uk

Cat Macdonald has worked across a broad range of sectors including manufacturing, engineering and media at senior management level in Human Resources. Now with Threedom Solutions she works with large plcs & smaller local concerns specialising in HR service provision, Team Coaching and Training solutions. As a working parent she is passionate about supporting parents in the workplace and also developing employee's Resilience in the workplace.