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40 years
Now
Celebrating
With clearance of up to 70% o retail
S leep center
Design Center
Since the rst family members opened the business doors in 1976, Wright’s Furniture has focused on providing competitive prices backed by service and a highly knowledgeable sta . Now, the 3rd generation of Wrights are happy to celebrate the 40th year anniversary with a CLEARANCE SALE and welcome you to stop by to enjoy the selection, service and savings.
Open Daily | 6325 Hwy 93 S. White sh MT 406.862.2455 | FREE DELIVERY
FREE DESIGN SERVICES www.wrightsfurniturestore.com
BUSINESS IS PERSONAL MARK RIFFEY
THE UPS AND DOWNS
BOF COMPLEXITY
USINESS PEOPLE (MYSELF included) seem to have a habit of making projects more complex
than they should be. Introducing com- plexity to a project often seems like the right direction to take because a sim- ple solution can’t cover all the bases, or doesn’t seem so e ective. We convince ourselves that “simple can’t do the job” and that’s all it takes to start running down the road to Complexityville.
We don’t always need a highly com- plex, 32- or 320-step project to achieve the outcome we want. In fact, the more complex we make a project, the more opportunities we allow suppliers, life, business, employees, clients, prospects and (of course) ourselves to trip over the tiniest of obstacles – any one of which can prevent a project from being successful. There’s a term for this: “The Theory of Constraints.”
Constraints aren’t just things you weren’t expecting. They’re also parts of the project that don’t necessarily turn out like you expected, or when you expected. The tiniest things have a way of turning momentum at the least opportune time. Large or small, your post project reviews should analyze what you can do to pre- vent a particular type of step from derail- ing your projects – including consider- ing whether or not these particular steps should be eliminated altogether. Pilots use checklists – and these are regularly re ned as support personnel, mechan- ics, pilots and others learn of things that reduce or eliminate the possibility that a particular item is going to threaten the safety of a ight. Whatever works for you – use it, but eliminate what you can if it isn’t necessary.
The Beauty of Complexity
Complexity has its positives. Doesn’t align well with what I said above, does it?
It has its moments, despite the negatives in most situations.
The beauty of complexity is that it has negative impacts on your clients as well. I don’t mean that it’s good that they have negative impacts. It’s good that you can x those things. Complexity wastes their time and their money – and if they’re lucky, nothing else. Have you put any thought into how complexity a ects them? What sort of complexity can you help them eliminate from their work pro- cesses? More often than not, you’ll learn a great deal by watching their work ows. Figure out how to improve them, or elim- inate their complexity. They’ll often be more than happy to discuss them, as long as you don’t come o interested in doing little more than closing a sale. Show that you’re interested in their work ow and improving them and the sale will come.
When is Complexity OK?
As with most discussions of this nature, there are exceptions. There are appropriate times to use complexity as a tool. One common use is complexity as a barrier to entry to the business you’re in. If the process of consistently delivering your products and services is highly com- plex, it’s di cult to mimic. If people have come to expect what you do, then repli- cating it is also di cult, which makes it more di cult to compete with you.
That’s why systems are critical. Com- plexity without a system to manage and execute it takes us back to the Theory of Constraints, where every little bump in the road, miscalculation, unexpected result, timing problem or material change introduces a chance to fail. If your systems produce consistent execution, the complexity your systems support make it a steeper climb to compete with you. That’s a positive form of complexity.
“CONSTRAINTS AREN’T JUST THINGS YOU WEREN’T EXPECTING. THEY’RE ALSO PARTS OF THE PROJECT THAT DON’T NECESSARILY TURN OUT LIKE YOU EXPECTED.”
Want to learn more about Mark or ask him to write about a strategic, operations or marketing problem? Email him at mri ey@ atheadbeacon.com.
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JULY 20, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM