A game-changing formula? Jan Gillett holds the key to making your work work
7 February 2014 by Admin in Business and finance
Last month, when process management expert Jan Gillett blogged about his forthcoming book, he noted an absence of non-specific management titles. He found practical books on ‘hero figures, of academic studies, about a single aspect such as leadership or selling, and finance’, but so far nothing has been published for ordinary managers in everyday situations to help them create optimally functioning systems and businesses. At least, not until now. That’s about to change in March, when Infinite Ideas will publish Making Your Work Work, a practical guidebook that will enable managers to achieve long-term success whatever their area of business.
Put simply, process management is a holistic approach to management whereby performance is optimized using thorough planning and monitoring. You may be able to think of a situation in the past year where a project could have benefitted from a more detailed schedule, an effective way of tracking success, a properly devised budget or a more precise P&L. But you’ll also know that when things get hectic, it’s easy to sideline vital parts of the business in favour of meeting deadlines and satisfying clients.
Jan Gillett proves you can have your cake and eat it in Making Your Work Work
With the right frameworks in place and using well-chosen methodologies it is possible, even in business, to have your cake and eat it. The key to success is knowing which systems and processes work best; which frameworks and methodologies to use, and how to implement them. Dr W. Edwards Deming dedicated his life to specialising in process management, and his theory-based System of Profound Knowledge has underpinned performance revolutions across Europe, Asia and North America in sectors as diverse as the motor industry, pharmaceuticals, banking and health care.
You probably don’t have acres of time to sit poring over the minutiae of Deming’s theories. Gillett draws the most important ideas from Deming’s research and calls the reader to action by asking ‘How are you ready to change?’, ‘How well is the central part of your function working?’ and ‘What kinds of waste can you identify?’ So rather than immersing yourself in theory and asking ‘but what does it all mean for me?’ you can apply the ideas as you go.
Making your work work will help you to think smarter, identify areas for improvement and implement the best business solutions on target; whether the result is a promotion, healthier P&L or simply a more fulfilled you, it will revolutionize the way you work. So pre-order a copy now and soon you’ll be learning how to make work work for you. Easy!
Just as Renault found with the Espace, Apple with the iPhone and Fosbury with his high jump, I think we might have a game-changing formula. – Jan Gillett