Don't skimp on the preparation

How many times have you seen someone struggle at work because they haven't carried out proper 'preparation' for their work?

I see it all the time.

The funny thing is that the people that tend to have these problems say they don't have time to carry out the preparation.

So, how do they have time to fix the problem they have just caused?

Many times it is the employer that has to pick up the cost, which is frustrating for so many reasons.

What kinds of tasks would benefit from better preparation? The list could be massive, but let me share with you a few of the regular issues I see:

Not ordering materials in a timely fashion.
Not speaking to colleagues to organise schedules, to complete projects.
Not reading reports prior to circulation.
Not reading the full specification prior to jumping head first into a contract.
Not asking 'who would this impact' before changing job roles in a business.

Do you experience the same kinds of things?

So, what preparation could you do better in your business?

Now, draw up a list and get to it.

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About the author:

Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes and embracing Kaizen.

Giles is also the author of Effective Root Cause Analysis and 'What Does Good Look Like?'.

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