GE Work-Out is a simple, high-involvement process for creating successful systemic solutions and cutting bureaucracy.
“Work-Out” is named so because it gets unproductive work out of the system through harnessing the knowledge, intelligence and experience of the people closest to the work. Work Out is a method to bust bureaucracy, reduce costs, speed cycle-times, or attack any other problem that needs to be solved.
Work-Out helps organizations:
• Create efficiencies and remove barriers to productivity in significant ways, and save a lot of money
• Solve problems – efficiently and thoroughly
• Encourage cross-boundary communication and innovation
• Develop leader’s listening and decision-making capabilities
• Create an empowered workforce
• Get people focused outward to the customer and the marketplace (versus inward on formalities or structure)
• Increase speed, flexibility, innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit
• Build a culture that is fast-moving, focused on innovation, and unconcerned with boundaries.
In it’s simplest form, the Work-Out conference can be seen as a streamlined process of four basic steps:
1. Bring together the people who know the issues best
2. Challenge them to develop creative solutions
3. Make yes or no decisions on the solutions immediately in a public forum
4. Empower people to carry out the solutions
One of the unique characteristics of a Work-Out is the design principle that business leaders make decisions on the spot. They have to listen carefully, ask questions, solicit views from other people at the meeting, and then make a decisions in real time, rather than months. Because those closest to the work and across organizational boundaries are involved, the best-informed solutions are discovered and best-informed decisions made\quickly implemented.
People learn quickly that Work-Out is not a program or a management fad. Work Out is a powerful process that can be implemented without a lot of planning and structure. It brings to the table a set of principles, tools and actions that helps managers reach their (SMART) goals faster by engaging employees in efficient, productive and meaningful ways.
If you have questions or would like to explore how Work-Out can help your people remove barriers to productivity... figure out the best way to deliver products and services to customers… improve margins… stay ahead of the competition… make the best use of technology… or move quickly to take advantage of new opportunities, give us a call and we’d be honored to explore how to best make Work-Out best work for you.