Change In Business, Can You Adapt

Often, almost continually, you need to "find savings" or "find improvements" in your business. Just as often these things do not fall from the sky into your lap. They happen as a result of change - sometimes big, sometimes small and sometimes incremental.

How can you influence change? Or even better, how can you discover what needs to change?

First of all - What is the definition of change? The thesaurus lists the following:

Alter Modify Vary Transfor Revolutionise Adjust Amend

Put simply "Change" means moving from one state to another and in your business that can mean doing something different or doing it differently. Learning to outsource your work is a big change!

Why change?

From one perspective it's fair to say that business owners want to see increased profitability. You need to be seen to have an efficient and motivated team so that they can step up and assist you. You want to be seen as a reliable and efficient organiser. Your customers want to see value for money, and want their work completed in the most efficient way possible. Brining in a virtual assistant team can help you establish this.

As said that is one perspective. From another perspective, and probably more relative, it has to be acknowledged that change will happen. Either you will make it happen or it will be forced upon you from outside pressures. I know which I'd prefer.!

It's important that you manage change and not let it strike when you don't have time. Properly managed change will lead to improvements and you will feel better for it.

How can we begin to look for changes? We can start by challenging the status quo. Why do we do things the way we do?

It may help by first asking why don't I change. What are the obstacles (often these are perceptions rather than reality). Some of the most common perceptions are:

It's the procedure - I have to do it this way! The customer won't like it!It will create more work!It will be expensive!Why bother - things are OK as they are. If it's not broken - why fix it? Let's challenge some of these perceptions and meet them head-on. I'll save the first until last.

The customer won't like it? Has anyone asked the customer about it? Does the customer even know about it? Does the customer need to know about it? Most often if the case for change is properly presented, showing the benefits, it will be accepted. Your customers do not need to know that you have outsourced to a virtual assistant. We become a seamless part of your organization.

It will create more work. Will it? How do you know unless you properly analyse how the change will occur and what it will affect. If you outsource your tasks to a virtual assistant, this will create less work for you and more time to increase profits.It will be expensive. Some changes may require investment. Investment is a long term strategy and should not be an obstruction. Change benefits could mitigate some of the investment costs. Other returns on investment may be non-financial, for example; customer satisfaction - or simply beating the opposition and being the best! When outsourcing to a virtual assistant, set your budget before hiring.

Why bother - things are OK as they are - If it's not broken - why fix it? You are a creature of habit, you are in your own comfort zone and you see no immediate threat. However, if you don't change you will stagnate. Others around you, your competitors, will be changing and you'll quickly fall behind.It's the procedure - you have to do it this way. Yes, you do have procedures and you have standard ways of working. You have targets to meet. But these are not reasons for standing still. Your quality management system demands continual improvement and this can be in the form of a virtual assistant.

Why did I save that one until last? Because it shows that you can look at what you do and how you do it. Everything you do can be captured in a procedure either formally or on the back of an envelope. Each procedure can be broken down into smaller steps and processes - much like a recipe for preparing and cooking food.

If you then challenge each of those steps you can begin to look for better ways or working. You already know the tools to do this. We call them the "5 Whys" and here I will expand on them a little.

For each step in the process it can be asked:

What is happening?

Why are we doing this? Does this need to happen? When is it done? Why is it done at that time? Can it be done earlier/later? Where is it done? Why is it done there? Is there are more efficient/cost effective place for it to be done? Who is doing it? Why are they the person to do it? Can it be done by someone else (a virtual assistant)? How is it done? Why is it done that way? Is there a different way that may be better?

For each of these challenges there are options:

No change - Sometimes there may be no need for change. From that you have the satisfaction of knowing that what you are doing is being done in best way.

Change - Something can be done better. Changes, when implemented, will need to be monitored to ensure they deliver expectations.

Eliminate - Something may be found that is not necessary for the procedure to be effective. This is a non-value activity to be eliminated.

Selling change is about communication. Everyone needs to buy in to the need for change and the way it will be managed. Be clear about the reasons for change and explain the benefits. Take a look at what the procedure is designed to achieve, look at the outcomes and results from the procedure as it is and as they will be after the change. Look for the benefits:

Efficient use of time and resources Right results On time Everybody happy

To recap. When you need to "find savings" or to "find improvements" remember that they happen as a result of change - sometimes big, sometimes small and sometimes incremental.