Become Frictionless

fric·tion

/ˈfrikSHən/
noun
“the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another.”

Friction and resistance have a way of sneaking into your business. If you’re not taking a frequent and honest look at your business operations, then it’s easy to let approvals, processes, checkoffs, punch lists, and reviews add friction.

Here are 4 questions to ask yourself on a regular basis:

1. What person or role has become a bottleneck in my organization?

Think about the difference between a fast-moving, 5 lane interstate – compared to a checkpoint. Whether they’re looking for drunk drivers, illegal substances, or agricultural produce, a checkpoint bogs down the entire flow of everybody’s experience. Do you have unnecessary checkpoints? Trust your team.

2. What tasks are holding my team back?

Trim the fat. If you’re asking your team to do things because “that’s the way we do it”, take a good hard look at those tasks. Do we still need to do it that way? Really?

3. What tools are slowing us down?

I had a business where we had a couple of slow computers that were bogging down production. When the product is your employees’ time, make sure their equipment isn’t getting in the way.

4. Where can I remove friction in our operations?

This is worth periodic observation, asking lots of questions, and going through your business with an ignorant mind. It’s hard to leave your personal baggage (and knowledge) behind, but that’s the only way to bring an outsider’s perspective. Unless, of course, you actually bring in an outsider’s perspective.

These questions come from Trail 4 of Profit Hiker: 11 Trails to gain lasting elevation in your business. Find the book right here and the program over there.