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As a leader, one of your most important functions is to ensure that your business is free of any blockages that may impact on performance and results. A good way to illustrate the concept of “blockages” is to think about traffic moving about a busy city. When things are flowing freely, commuters are able to get to their destination on time. When a blockage occurs such as an accident, things can quickly become chaotic. Traffic backs up or stops altogether and people become annoyed and try to take alternative routes, adding pressure elsewhere in the system. As the pressure mounts, there is an increased likelihood of more accidents. The end result is a gridlock where nothing and no one is moving.

This is no different in business. Picture a busy restaurant; no matter how good the front-of- house staff might be, if there is a blockage in the kitchen, or slow service or poor quality food, the customers will become disgruntled. Or, if a blockage is caused by a supplier who delivers late or provides poor quality produce, the impact will be felt by the kitchen staff, the wait staff and ultimately the customers.

It is important to always be on the lookout for any blockages in your business and to work as quickly as possible to clear them before they spread through your business. Below are some of the most common areas that cause blockages in business and tips on how to avoid them.[wlm_ismember]

Systems and processes

Often a business’s systems and processes can become outdated as a business grows and evolves. What might have worked when the business was small may not hold up when it gets bigger and busier and more people become involved. It is important to review your systems and processes on a regular basis. Always look to see if there is a better way of doing things; for example, is new technology available that makes a manual process quicker and easier?  It is also important to look for areas of double handling – where two or more people are involved in the same process and it might be more efficient if one person carries out the whole process. Remember, the more people involved, the greater the chances of error.

Technology

While technology offers some great advantages for business today, it can also be the cause of a common blockage. The more we rely on technology, the greater the impact when technology fails or issues arise. For many businesses today, if computers or the internet doesn’t work the business cannot function. It is important that your business has a strategy for acquiring technology that is reliable and efficient. As part of your business planning and budgeting you should take into account the lifespan of computers to ensure that they are always up to date. It is also essential to regularly review other areas such as your internet connections and software packages so you keep up to date with new developments and updates.

Communication

Poor communication is one of the biggest causes of blockages in any business, whether it is communication between staff members, between the leader and the team or with customers. It is important to promote open and transparent communication in your business, and one of the best ways to do this is to lead by example. A clear communication strategy will ensure your team is aware of the business’s vision, the role they play and how the business is tracking towards achieving its goals. Regular team meetings, email updates and regular informal interaction with your team are all ways to encourage communication within the business.

Suppliers

Often blockages in your business are caused by the actions or performance of a third party such as a supplier. If you rely on suppliers to deliver your product or service to your customers, it is essential that you conduct regular reviews and evaluations. Our article “The 10 C’s of supplier evaluation” will help you to implement a structured process. Remember to deliver clear guidelines to the supplier about when you need their product or service and the quality that you expect. Deal with any shortfalls in these areas promptly so they do not cause a ripple effect of blockages through your business.

Attitude

Hire on attitude and train for skill. This is a well-known saying in the business world and is worth noting. Most people can be trained to do most things; however, an attitude is something that you bring with you to the job. Look out for a team member who has a bad attitude as it can spread through your team like wildfire and also impact your customers. It is important to conduct team reviews on a regular basis in order to remain alert to any changes in attitude and behaviours. If you spot a change, arrange a private meeting with the person immediately to find out why and what can be done. Our article “Management by walking around” gives you an excellent framework for monitoring your team’s attitudes on a regular basis.

Skills

It is important that you have the right people in the right roles. While many skills can be taught over time, training periods may cause blockages in your business. Before you hire staff, you need to be clear on what essential skills the person needs to perform their role. We will always advocate hiring on attitude first; however, there will be some positions where qualifications, skills and experience are essential to the employee’s and the business’s success.

Summary

As a leader it is worthwhile learning to predict blockages in your business before they happen and develop a contingency plan. There will always be things that go wrong in a business. However, the earlier you deal with them, the less impact they will have on your business overall.[/wlm_ismember]

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