Engaging a large workforce in streamlining workload after a reduction, and learning to focus on the customer.
A large retailer planning a comeback had reduced their headquarters staff by twenty percent, but soon found that the workload on the remaining employees was creating extreme difficulties and bottlenecks. We organized a thrust to engage all of their 4,000 headquarters staff in “clearing the decks.” First, we had everybody participate in identifying what could be quickly eliminated or completed. We then engaged people in questioning the value of tasks, including asking, “If the customers knew they were paying for this, would they want it?” This not only resulted in reducing unnecessary work, but shifted the focus to value the customer.
Within a few months, with the assistance of about 200 internal coaches that we trained to support the effort, this headquarters was buzzing with employee enthusiasm and activity, and it resulted in the desired reduction of work that could be handled by the staff size. And, it created an appetite for learning and for continuing to find ways to streamlining work.