As I drove between clients yesterday I caught part of a BBC Radio 4 programme. The programme's callers were speaking about how disability had suddenly changed their lives. Listening to the courage and tenacity of the callers was inspiring. One caller in particular caught my attention. She had been talking about all of the obstacles she had overcome as she tried to regain her independence. There had been a theme through the last few calls around not waiting for other people to hand 'things' on plates. She quoted her mother: "Success comes in cans!" She carried on by saying that so many people talk about all the reason that they can not do something rather than finding a way to do something. Her point was that the solutions are there, just the attitude needed to shift. This resonated with me because of the work I am involved with. There are always a million reasons why something can not happen but it is the results that count. Some people will find a way

My new book is now out... If you have ever wondered if there is more than meets the eye when it comes to root cause analysis then the answer is "yes!". This book will show you how a couple of simple twists to 5 Why and Fishbone Diagrams can yield some huge changes to the performance of your business. Better still, if you ask the right kinds of questions your own personal performance will dramatically improve . The book includes some real world case studies so you can see exactly how powerful these tools can be when applied with the right mindset and approach. I have not written a book for nerds... I have written a book that is for business managers and owners that are sick and tired of the control and performance of the business not being where they want it to be. You can get your copy now from Amazon - click here . Enjoy, Giles About the author Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through be

When I speak to managers about their continuous improvement programmes there is a common concern. ‘ Am I doing it right? ’ is the question that they often ask me. There seems to be a common belief that there is a right way to do continuous improvement. There isn’t. There are lots of ways to make it better, but there isn’t a single one right way to carry out continuous improvement. Note – over time you will likely find ways that work well for your organisation in terms of how you manage change. This can become your one best way to implement continuous improvement projects. But if you haven’t got there yet, don’t worry! The Standard Operating Procedure for making change happen in your business can come later. A path with unexpected turns One of the joys of continuous improvement is the learning that can take place . The journey is full of twists and turns. People are unpredictable and that can bring with it new ideas and difficulties.  Learning from these as you u

I have had numerous conversations with  numerous businesses over the past month about under performance within their business' processes. They haven't been achieving the results that they had hoped for and don't seem to be too happy about what their staff have been up to. It was pretty much the same conversation repeated for each business I spoke with. When I responded to these businesses I asked them about the clarity their team had about their roles. I was interested to find out what each individual business leader had done to make sure that the requirements of their processes, the business' needs and their own requirements had been passed on effectively. Having clear expectations in terms of activity, performance and deliverables is key to ensuring that your processes are being executed in the most effective manner. Well executed processes usually lead to good results if the process has been designed to be effective and efficient. If you spell out exactly how yo

I have recently published a new free guide, with the title: Six Quick Tips to Help Continuous Improvement Deliver Results Faster In the guide I share how to: Use the continuous improvement cycle properly. Get projects moving, if they are slow to start or have stalled. Identify the 'biggest bang for your buck' when reviewing opportunities. Determine the level of change you need to achieve through your improvements. Flip staff grumbles and concerns into positive improvement actions. Increase the overall rate of progress on your projects. All of the tips are highly practical and are no-cost strategies. To get your copy, just click on the button below and access the guide in just a few moments from now. Enjoy reading, Giles About the author Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes. Giles is also the author of Business Process Re-Engineering and creator of the ' Ma

I sit in a lot of meetings where people talk about their continuous improvement projects. Sitting and talking doesn’t always equate to getting the changes put into effect and that’s what we need; the results count for everything. So, is there a simple way to help move projects from being stuck, delayed and appearing to wait for a perfect plan (or time)? The short answer is yes, and it revolves around our old friend the ‘80/20’ rule. Can you remember the 80/20 rule? This is the simple principle that states that a small number of inputs leads to a disproportionately large amount of rules. A little bit can go a long way, if you choose the right things to focus on. The opposite of this is also true; a lot of things can take a lot of time / effort / resources and yield very little in terms of overall results. The 80/20 rule (or Pareto principle) - a little bit of the right stuff can produce a lot of results! Phase 1 – quick wins and focus on the 20% that gives the 80% of resul

Many businesses have heard of 5S; it is a simple workplace organisation system that is designed to make workplaces more effective and more efficient, as well as safer. Many businesses also try and fail at implementing 5S . It might be simple, but as you will know, anything that involves changing the behaviours of your staff isn’t always straightforward. If you haven’t heard of 5S before there are five basic steps, all beginning with ‘S’. They are: Sort – clearing out the clutter and re-distributing other people’s belongings. Set in order – optimising the workplace so that everything you need frequently is close at hand. Shine – cleaning the workplace to an appropriate level. Standards – defining what good looks like and how you will keep it that way. Sustain – forming the habits to retain the benefits of an organised and disciplined workplace. So, how does 5S improve the performance of your business? From a safety perspective, fewer accidents means less downtime.