Case Management’s Post

Helping Teams Write Better, Trackable Goals Setting clear, achievable, and measurable goals is more important than ever. Goal-setting is about identifying desired outcomes and ensuring objectives are effectively communicated. https://lnkd.in/ggRS3wit

🔍 5 Why's - have you heard of it? Do you use it? 🔍 The "5 Whys" is a simple but powerful way to solve problems, to get to the root of why something is the way it is. Children are the masters at it, so if you have little people in your life you may have experienced the "5 Why's" once or twice 🤣 It's also a handy tool in various professional situations; I often use it in coaching sessions to get a coachee to delve deeper when they are stuck. Here's a quick example: You're a project manager and notice projects often miss their deadlines. You might wonder, why are we falling behind? What's going on? That's where the "5 Whys" comes in. Why are project timelines delayed? Answer: The team isn't finishing tasks on time. Why is the team struggling with timing? Answer: They're overloaded with work. Why the workload issue? Answer: They get extra tasks during projects. Why the extra tasks? Answer: Goals and plans aren't clear from the start, they are discovering new information and requirements as they progress. Why are the goals unclear initially? Answer: Initial project meetings lack detailed discussion, and sufficient planning with key players. Root Cause: Lack of thorough project kickoff discussions leads to unclear goals. This confusion overwhelms the team, causing delays. Solution: Improve project kickoffs, this way, projects start strong, teams understands the plan, and changes during projects decrease. With the "5 Whys," we find the real issue, not just surface problems. Remember, it's not only about quick fixes, but about creating solid, lasting solutions. With questioning techniques, it's important to highlight their success is heavily reliant on first establishing a culture of trust and psychological safety. Asking multiple "why" questions might sometimes feel like probing or blaming. Create an environment where others feel safe to openly express their thoughts, and a space where the technique can be well understood and embraced. Building trust allows team members to see the process as a tool for improvement, not finger-pointing. When have you used the "5 Whys" where it's worked well for you? #5whys #ProblemSolving #RootCauseAnalysis #ContinuousImprovement #ProjectManagement for more information about the genesis of this technique, have a read of this Forbes article.

The ultimate approach to be focused on what matters most. A collaborative goal-setting methodology used by organizations, teams and individuals to set challenging, ambitious goals with measurable results. Definitely, that's the way to go!

One of the biggest challenges in the workplace is explaining the value of current or proposed initiatives in a way that other people can appreciate and support. Communicating value is the basic prerequisite to get other people onboard with an idea. But to communicate value we must translate that value into terms others can understand, based on what they already value. This translation requires that we first understand the high-level goals and values of our organization. We must first focus on learning where our initiatives fit into an organization before we can adequately communicate new ideas.

🔓🔑 Discovery: Unlocking Success by Understanding the Problem at hand 💡 Why do we need to build a particular solution? What is the value it will provide to end users? A software solution is successful only if it solves a clear business problem. Defining the problem statement is done by working collaboratively with you to understand the problem we are aiming to solve, and justifying clearly why we are building this software solution. 🛠️💻 What value does this solution provide to your end users? What is your budget? When do you expect to see a return on investing in building this solution? Being able to understand the answers to these questions is an important step in commercially and technically validating with you why it is we are aiming to build this solution. Defining the problem statement is crucial for the Discovery phase in software development due to several reasons: 1️⃣ Clarity and Focus 🎯: A well-defined problem statement helps to clarify what the project aims to achieve. It ensures that everyone involved understands the primary objectives and constraints. 2️⃣ Guiding Decision Making 🛤️: During the Discovery phase a clear problem statement serves as a guide and helps prioritise essential elements and features of the project, helping teams make decisions that align with the core objectives of the project. 3️⃣ Efficiency ⚙️: By clearly defining the problem from the outset, teams can avoid wasting time and resources on irrelevant features or solutions that do not contribute to solving the primary issue. 4️⃣ Stakeholder Alignment 👥: A problem statement ensures that all stakeholders have a unified vision of the project and the steps needed to ensure it achieves its goal. This alignment is crucial for securing buy-in and support throughout the development process, especially when it comes to resource allocation and overcoming project hurdles. 5️⃣ Measuring Success 📊: A clear problem statement allows for the development of specific, measurable objectives that can be used to evaluate the success of the project. Without a clear problem definition, it can be difficult to assess whether the end product effectively addresses the initial concerns. While the word "PROBLEM" seems like a negative, there is nothing negative about clearly understanding why we are building a software solution. Your Problem Statement is the key to discovering success and creating a scalable software project that meets your goals whilst evolving alongside your business needs. #Innovation #Software #Engineering #Discovery #ProblemSolving #ROI #TechLeadership #Collaboration #SoftwareDevelopment

Clients will ask me about software that can "fix" a process. They hope I can suggest a system or platform to turn an inefficient process into something productive and scalable. They may have even recently implemented a new tech tool (or many tools) with little success. As we dive into their challenges, we often find that the problem goes beyond the system to how their staff interacts with the process. We discover that process roles are segmented, with individual members or units having little understanding of the overall process and how their tasks contribute to process success. With no shared understanding of process success, communication and prioritization problems abound. Owners of individual tasks retreat, and process elements become delayed or lost. Process leaders then waste time and energy searching for bottlenecks, and those waiting on outcomes become frustrated or develop workarounds. When clients face these broken processes, the fix is more complex than a new tool. Processes can be improved using a CAST approach: C - Clarity of process roles and ownership of process tasks. A - Accountability to process timeline and outcomes. S - Shared vision of process success. T - Tethering process success to individual and organizational goals and outcomes. Much like the cast member of a play understands their role, lines, and cues, they also understand the larger plot and their relationship to moving the story forward. The cast comes together to contribute to the show's success, enjoying the audience's applause. New tools can fail to be the panacea for your process issues. A CAST process management approach can solve problems, strengthen your team, and help you create efficient, scalable processes. DM me or schedule an introductory call on my website to talk more about ways to improve your processes. #processimprovement #teams ________________ 👋Hi, I'm Jami, a project management and planning consultant for mission-driven organizations. I write about my work and share strategies and advice for leading more impactful projects, teams, and planning. Follow me 🔔, comment 💬, and reach out ✉️ to keep the conversation going.

Implementing Tools Without Established Processes and Systems: A Futile Endeavor Systems are the overall framework or structure in place to achieve specific goals or objectives. Systems incorporate processes, people, tools, and interactions among these elements within an organization working together towards a common purpose. The process is the steps you take to make the system work most efficiently. Tools help you implement the steps within your processes to create systems that work well for you. When tools are introduced without established processes and systems, chaos often ensues. Instead of improving efficiency, they can lead to confusion, inefficiency, and a lack of coordination among team members. Without the necessary structure, these tools might go unused or be misused, failing to yield the intended benefits and potentially causing more problems than they solve. When you have transparent systems and processes in place, you gain a clear understanding of the changes you need to make to improve how you work. It becomes easier to choose between the various tools available to you, as you have a clear understanding of what you want and need that tool to do. And when you have the right systems, processes, and tools in place, you are running your business in a way that suits you and helps you reach your goals faster and more efficiently. #projectmanagementtools #processimprovement

I take personal pride and responsibility in each and every project that we take on. I believe in creating life-long working relationships and growing together or solving problems hand-in-hand. No project or task is too small for us and we make sure the work is in the detail. Here's what we'll do during on our time together: 1️⃣ Introductory Call: We begin with a quick chat to get to know you better. Tell us about yourself, your company, and how you found us. It's all about building a connection! 🤝 2️⃣ Exploratory Call: Next, we set up an exploratory call. We'll introduce ourselves and dig deeper into your needs, goals, and challenges. Let's uncover the path to success! 3️⃣ Face-to-Face Meeting: Whether it's in person or virtual, we meet to understand your initial issues and evaluate past efforts. What worked? What didn't? Where do you want to be? 4️⃣ Setting Realistic Goals: We discuss your objectives and timelines. We believe in providing realistic plans tailored to your unique situation. 5️⃣ Tailored Solutions: Together, we decide on the best services to solve your problems. We'll work on a contract and lay out a strategic plan for moving forward. 6️⃣ Deep Dive and Problem-Solving: Once we have a mutual agreement, we conduct a thorough analysis to identify the root problems. We'll guide you through a series of phases to lead your team to success, ensuring a better ROI and an improved bottom line. 🚀 Ready to take the first step toward transforming your business? Schedule your consultation with us today and let's embark on this journey together! #businessoperations #operationsmanagement #systemsstrategist #businesssystems #onlinebusinessconsultant #workflows #operationsmanager #employeetraining #SOP #onboarding #operations #projectmanagement

Workflow Woes: Paper Perfection vs. Reality's Pitfalls (#SMEs #Efficiency) 😎 Imagine your ideal workflow: a beautifully crafted system where tasks flow smoothly, deadlines are met, and your team operates in perfect harmony. Sounds great, right? But let's face it, many SMEs experience a different reality: Paper Perfection 1: Clearly defined roles and responsibilities. 2: Detailed task outlines. 3: Defined communication channels. 4: Established deadlines. Reality's Pitfalls 1: Tasks get lost in email chains. 2: Deadlines become a constant negotiation. 3: Confusion and finger-pointing arise. 4: Productivity suffers. Which scenario resonates more with your business? The reality is, well-defined workflows are essential for streamlining operations and maximizing team output. Here's how: Clear communication channels: Everyone knows who to contact and how. Automated processes: Repetitive tasks become effortless, freeing up time for higher-level thinking. Project management tools: Track progress, identify bottlenecks, and ensure accountability. Our management consulting services can help you bridge the gap between paper perfection and real-world results. We'll analyze your current workflow, identify inefficiencies, and implement systems that keep your team moving forward. Ready to slay your workflow woes? Leave a comment below with your biggest workflow challenges, and let's discuss! ⬇️ #ManagementConsulting #Growth #Teamwork