Optimize

Another favorite term used very loosely in an organization. "Optimize" the process. "Optimize" the system. "Optimize" the strategy and so on. Everyday we hear this and act upon this.

So when do we say we have "optimized" enough and cannot optimize any further. How do you decide this? Who decides this?

A favorite term that us used to answer this question is - "Industry Benchmarks". You always try and optimize a process / system to line up with the industry benchmarks. But having said that, it does not always articulate into defined deliverables that can line up with the industry benchmark.

I see this happening a number of times - "Let us optimize our process to match that of Motorola" (since they invented the concept of Six-Sigma). Very well said. However, we as strategists need to also understand the pain that underwent in making it happen (see my bog on Simple). They want to go to a place with no pain and frustration however they forget that "Change" is the most painful thing for an organization.

So, we embark on a journey to achieve optimization and the team in the trenches feels the pain - the strategists are oblivious of this in their ivory tower. The optimization process continues at a price of employee morale / job-loss etc. etc.

Then comes the moment of truth - the strategists realizes the pain that the company has already undergone to achieve the most optimized process which by the way is far more elusive than what it was at the start of this project. That is when he / she realizes and say "We have optimized enough"

So, the next time around, one of your employees comes to you with a suggestion for some level of optimization without tearing apart the walls of the organization -please embrace that and support it. Such small optimization activities are are better than some large optimization projects - think about it !