IMPACT ILLUSTRATIONS

We've enhanced the dramatic improvement framework significantly since some of these solutions were implemented - especially in the creating and sustaining change dimension.

So the impact you can expect is at least as significant as what we share below: no matter how intractable your situation may seem.

As you can see, the solutions are deceptively simple - and obvious in hindsight.  Beware the trap of thinking that your situation is different!

HEALTH

Weight-Loss

Solution Overview

1. Never say no to tasty or unhealthy food: merely delay gratification for as long as your motivation allows, and hydrate, exercise, attitune and eat healthy food in the interim.
2. Realise that being hungry is not a life-threatening condition, but a highly attractive one (from a weight-loss point of view), because it means that any energy expended will burn fat reserves.

SALES

Bank: Life Insurance

Solution Overview

1. A simplified, customer-centric understanding of the complex product.
2. A tangible and memorable value proposition - supported by simple graphical illustrations.
3. A simple selection and decision framework. 
4. A small collection of rapport- and trust-gaining techniques.

PRODUCTION

Manufacturer: Exotic Veneer Boards

Solution Overview

1. Identified the press as the bottleneck.
2. Ensured that the bottleneck was never starved (3 ready-to-go jobs, comprising veneer, substrate, glue and pressure|time specifications). 
3. Press switched on first thing and off last thing., to ensure that press utilisation is high.
4. Split shifts - overlapping in the middle of the day, to ensure that the press is always working.

RELATIONSHIPS

Marriage Reconciliation|Improvement

Solution Overview

1. Recognise that relationship is the mutual satisfaction of respective and shared needs - and that neither party is clear on even what they really need, never mind what the other party really needs.
2. Simple technique for surfacing respective and shared needs. 
3. Decision-framework for acting on the insight.

PROJECTS

Construction Company: School Blocks

Solution Overview

1. Pool task-float on the project instead of the tasks.
2. Agree with sub-contractors to reduce multitasking in exchange for guaranteed ability to start work on arrival.
3. Rolling plan against a check-list of prerequisites (previous steps, equipment, resourcing, materials and information).

OPERATIONS

Insurance Company: Standard Claims

Solution Overview

Simple asymmetrical decision-tree and accompanying scripting that asks 6 questions to determine whether we have a potentially valid claim or not.

New claims specialists can use the method reliably on their first week rather than in their 3rd month.

Backlog decimated within weeks.  Dramatic improvement in Customer and Staff satisfaction.

SPORT

U8 Soccer team

Solution Overview

1. We taught and drilled the players (and their parents!) a simple technique (instead of merely kicking the ball as hard as possible):
   1. Pass square, and run straight (or through) and
   2. Pass straight (or through) and run square
2. This enabled the team to carve up the opposition, and accelerated game sense development.

PROJECTS

Telecommunications: Billing Platform

Solution Overview

1. Instead of replicating a newly acquired subsidiary's front-end and back-end for the new billing middleware system, develop shims between the subsidiary's front-end and the middleware and between it and the subsidiary's back-end.

2. This was at least a decade before this was a known solution and long before the days of API's.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Pathology Lab Software

Solution Overview

1. Iterative, detailed working mockups of screens and reports before a single line of code is written.
2. Pseudo coding and code prototyping.
3. Pair design and development practices.
4. Scheduled catch-ups between junior and senior developers.
5. Agreed time allocation between support and new product development.

EDUCATION

Junior School Student: Reading Group

Solution Overview

1. The problem was that the student's interests and maturity exceeded her reading ability.
2. We had the parents read books on subjects and at levels that she was interested in - the student following along.
3. Parents stopped frequently to allow her to read the next word (that she could read), increasing the complexity and number of words, over time.

HEALTHCARE

Public Orthopaedic Clinic

Solution Overview

Patient flow-sequencing and -streamlining:

1. Interleaving of appointment types at the clinical consultant step in the process.
2. Patients are slotted into the schedule at the next available slot for their appointment type with their consultant.
3. Patients' place in the clinic queue is retained no matter how long each process takes.

RELATIONSHIPS

Parent-Child Relationship

Solution Overview

1. Realise that the time to direct the child's life is long past.
2. Instead of trying to get him to adopt a solution that has a greater chance of succeeding, dedicate yourself to helping him make his solution succeed, including identifying flaws and opportunities within his approach.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCTIVITY

Company Owner: Higher Throughput on Shorter Days

Solution Overview

This was what became our standard Defrag Your Brain! workshop - combined with a few scheduling and delegation solutions.

The basic idea is to schedule preferred Interruption Windows and Focus Times - for managers and staff. This enables everyone to get way more done in way less time at way lower biological cost.