“Kick disrupters to the curb!” You might think it sounds like a harsh statement, regarding certain employees. However, for the health of your company, employee disrupters need ousting!
Have you measured the cost of a disrupter in your business? More importantly, do you have a method for measuring the cost of errors and waste by employees NOT conforming to company policies and procedures?
We've discovered that by having a method for measuring employee non-conformances, such disrupters cost time and money. No, we didn’t make a wild guess, speculate, or use flawed human observation to determine an employee’s adherence to our systems.
The System Buster Locator is what we call our tool for measuring all non-conformances; and it measures without bias.
Importantly, if a disrupter is shown the door, and then files for unemployment benefits, you can be sure non-conformance reports are of great value. Especially, when communicating with the government. We know! We won!
Types of Disrupters Needing Kicked to the Curb
- Those who believe they are too experienced and talented to follow company procedures, i.e. Quality Assurance Checklists. These know-it-all’s are prone to making stupid mistakes which can cost a company dearly. Unfortunately, these non-conformers send a poor message to other less-experienced, but talented employees. Note: Do you think the airline industry would tolerate the most talented and experienced pilots NOT conforming to Takeoff & Landing Checklists and Procedures? You can be sure, they don’t!
- Employees who say they WILL follow procedures, but continually FAIL to conform to the company’s system. In fact, these types of employees sometimes seek out subtle ways to evade company procedures and policies. Frequently, their favorite excuse is, “I forgot!”
Kick Disrupters to the Curb and Prosper
Many business owners are fearful of removing certain disrupters from their company, because they think they’re irreplaceable. In fact, some disrupters become “sacred cows.” In other words, the owner is hostage to the belief that their business couldn’t make it without that person. This is a sad place to live, as a business owner.
To be sure, when a business organizes by systemizing, it’s NOT easily held hostage to disrupters. In addition, when an employee quits unexpectedly, their knowledge of how the company operates doesn’t leave with them. In other words, the company’s system doesn’t walk out the door when someone leaves!
By kicking disrupters to the curb, other employees know that everyone is accountable for following company systems. For this reason, a symphony of order emerges, along with prosperity.
Oh, did I mention? Great system work… so kick disrupters to the curb
Philip Beyer, founder/president of Ebiz Products LLC and founder of Beyer Printing Inc. in Nashville Tenn., is a chronic entrepreneur, business systems analyst and consultant. Author of "System Busters: How to Stop Them in Your Business" and recipient of an InterTech Technology Award for the design and development of System100 business process management software. Beyer speaks to business owners across the country on how to bring lean, sustainable order to their businesses. Contact him at (615) 425-2652.