Wes Bucey
Prophet of Profit
Would it surprise anyone that my consulting practice often encounters "problems" of overloaded personnel?
Probably not. May I suggest (short of hiring a pro consultant with a practice and philosophy akin to mine) that this is simply a ROOT CAUSE problem to which the tools of Quality can be applied for a solution?
When a consultant comes in, he may be completely transparent to the client that he is using these tools and enlist the help of client employees in deploying the tools or he can bring in his own expensive team and keep the client and employees in the dark about what goes on "behind the curtain."
MY EXPERIENCE IS that, regardless of the style or price, EVERY successful consultant uses the ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS tools to isolate the root cause and then examine possible solutions.
Alas, sometimes the truly effective solution is neither economically or politically (in the hierarchy of the company) practical.
As I grew more and more experienced as a consultant, I was able to recognize those potential clients where the political landmines of bosses or investors made implementing ANY solutions more difficult than the job would pay. Refusing such assignments can be fraught with danger for any consultant who is in desperate need of a paycheck to keep the doors open lest he get a reputation as a "cherry picker."
Conversely, as my experience grew along with my contacts in various fields of industry and finance, I found it easier and more lucrative to seek out more complicated situations where I could employ a synergy of financing, marketing, engineering innovation, and operating efficiency to provide a satisfactory solution to a perceived problem.
The basic process of identifying the root cause has remained the same for forty-plus years.
Probably not. May I suggest (short of hiring a pro consultant with a practice and philosophy akin to mine) that this is simply a ROOT CAUSE problem to which the tools of Quality can be applied for a solution?
When a consultant comes in, he may be completely transparent to the client that he is using these tools and enlist the help of client employees in deploying the tools or he can bring in his own expensive team and keep the client and employees in the dark about what goes on "behind the curtain."
MY EXPERIENCE IS that, regardless of the style or price, EVERY successful consultant uses the ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS tools to isolate the root cause and then examine possible solutions.
Alas, sometimes the truly effective solution is neither economically or politically (in the hierarchy of the company) practical.
As I grew more and more experienced as a consultant, I was able to recognize those potential clients where the political landmines of bosses or investors made implementing ANY solutions more difficult than the job would pay. Refusing such assignments can be fraught with danger for any consultant who is in desperate need of a paycheck to keep the doors open lest he get a reputation as a "cherry picker."
Conversely, as my experience grew along with my contacts in various fields of industry and finance, I found it easier and more lucrative to seek out more complicated situations where I could employ a synergy of financing, marketing, engineering innovation, and operating efficiency to provide a satisfactory solution to a perceived problem.
The basic process of identifying the root cause has remained the same for forty-plus years.
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