Stop trying to leap to the finish line.

When a business is undertaking changes to improve its performance the sequence of steps needs to be understood. Many businesses attempt to leap to the finish line in one fell swoop and this can create huge problems for the business, so much that they may decide that their overall plan is not suitable.

If you have worked out your sequence then you will know that the first step is followed by the second step. You must do the first step. Being able to articulate this to the other people in your business becomes easier when you know the sequence.

Advanced approaches need the basics to be right before you can attempt the big stuff. The desire and impatience to achieve the results without putting in the effort with the basics shows up time and time again when the new ways of working collapse. One of the common sights in manufacturing is when businesses try to implement slick pull production systems when none of the work required to achieve this result have been completed. Result - failure and resentment.

Learning and insights are gained through the change process which allow the final stages to work more effectively. Every twist and turn from the implementation of new ways of working bring new ideas and can help to make the results you achieve so much more impressive. Take advantage of this learning and don't try to skip to the end.

Direct the eagerness demonstrated by your team into a check list of tasks. Use this check list to provide a series of reference points that you can build upon to achieve sustainable results. And finally, enjoy the journey - you can learn a lot along the way and it needn't take a long period of time. Failing through poor preparation takes longer!

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