In her book ‘The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k’, author Sarah Knight provides advice on how we can rid ourselves of unwanted obligations, shame and guilt, to free up time for the things that make us happy. After a chapter focused on looking at ‘things’ (like basketball or having a bikini body),…
“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game!” So said Mary Poppins prior to bursting into song before a bemused looking Jane and Michael Banks. At Catalyst we always bring a spoonful of sugar to our work. In…
It’s one thing to know the analytical tools, when and how to apply them, but it can be quite another to use them! When it comes to turning data into graphs and charts not every CI practitioner is a whizz on Excel and certainly not everybody has access to powerful stats tools like MiniTab. Recognizing…
The Customer Is King. Putting customers at the heart of everything we do. I’ll tell you what I want, what I really want. We’ve all heard these phrases, mantras and songs (!) about being customer-centric. But what does this actually mean? Who are our customers and what do they want? There is so much that…
Focus on the User and all else will follow. This is the first in a list of ‘ten things we know to be true’ that was developed by Google in its early days. Focussing on the user led Google to improve the speed of searching despite concerns that it would reduce the time users spent…
In the days before GPS, sailors would use the North Star to find their way across the seas. It is still used by hikers and outdoorsy types to help them find their way when lost – those with no access to an app or star atlas can find it by using constellations as a guide.…
Developing a strategy is the easy bit – implementing it effectively (aka strategy deployment) can seem like a far harder challenge! We can all say we want to grow our business by a certain amount, make it more profitable, or expand into new markets – but what does this really mean, and how do we…
Systems Thinking is described by Peter Senge as “a discipline for seeing wholes rather than parts, for seeing patterns of change rather than static snapshots, and for understanding the subtle interconnectedness that gives (living) systems their unique character”. Systems Thinking examples include ecosystems, cars and human bodies as well as organisations! Systems Thinkers have taught…
There are plenty of tools and techniques in the Continuous Improvement toolkit to support different thinking and creativity, and it has long been maintained that equipping and engaging people in improvement activities is an essential CI principle. Indeed failure to use the talent and imagination of people has been recognised as one of the quintessential…
“To measure is to know”, stated physicist, mathematician and problem solver Lord Kelvin. “If you can not measure it, you can not improve it”. This clearly applies to measuring operational efficiency – without appropriate measures in place, how much can we really know about performance and efficiency, and how do we know if continuous improvement activities,…
