Season 2 – Episode 9: Changing People's Thinking is Hard. With Rob Wilson. A second episode, in which Rob Wilson (Co-Founder of Service Economics) shares his insights into Systems Thinking – an approach that can help transform how businesses work. We discuss how you can change the way you think about your system (or organisation) to improve customer and staff outcomes. Rob's advice is easy to understand and pragmatic, and it's immediately apparent how it will radically improve performance. Plus, you don't need to wait for the next Apple Event (pun intended) to find out what the must-have gadget is this Autumn, as James shares his latest acquisition! To find out more, … [Read more...]
Are Operations a Thing of the Past?
Season 2 – Episode 3: Don't Get Left Behind. This week's discussion centres on the future of 'operations' within the U.K., where over 80% of us work in service industries. We delve into potential future scenarios and the historical undervaluing of 'operations'. We also examine the trends that are likely to influence this sector. We ask if A.I. will replace all our jobs and wonder why technological trends don't deliver as promised. Although the world and work will change, the fundamental challenges will persist—achieving cheaper, better, and faster outcomes. The conversation turns to practical operational thinking and the importance of enhancing operational capabilities … [Read more...]
Unlocking the Power of Analysis
Season 1 – Episode 32: We All Need to Understand the Data Welcome to Unlocking the Power of Analysis, where we explore data’s transformative potential for improving work performance. You only have an opinion without data, so analysis is critical to the workplace. In this episode, James dredges through his 20+ years of being called an ‘analyst’ to help practitioners fine-tune their skills, whilst Jimmy discusses how front-line managers, executives and board members can sharpen their skills to get the most out of data. We discuss everything from how analysis stopped a cholera outbreak in 19th-century London to the way the “Head of Colouring In” produces informative reports. Data analysis … [Read more...]
Why Continuous Improvement Programmes Fail
Season 1 – Episode 29: Insights from Hugh Alley If you have worked in a large organisation, you will have seen continuous improvement initiatives come and go with alarming regularity. Everybody knows continuous improvement is a good idea, yet few organisations can pull it off. This week, we talked with Hugh Alley about why these initiatives fail and what organisations need to do differently to see them succeed. James tells his worst joke (to date), and we discover why most managers cause continuous improvement initiatives to fail. To find out more, click on "Additional Information" below, or contact us at jimmy@ajobdonewell.com and james@ajobdonewell.com Further … [Read more...]