Increasing Efficiency, with Sean

The Why

Before we dive in, let’s talk about what benefits there are from increasing your efficiency. An increase in efficiency on any level will create the same basic results but to varying degrees and depths. Your efforts to better yourself are helpful to the company-wide adoption of ideas, processes, new technology, and policy. The deeper the mindfulness, the greater the impact to improved profit margins, increased saving for the consumer, reduced frustration, and more consistent and repeatable results.

Ego is expensive

The largest change that can be made to increase efficiency is to crush your ego. Just because it's your idea, doesn't mean it's the best solution. Forcing an idea on the people around you or below you will almost always result in pushback. If the solution is your team's idea they will give it their all because they are invested in it. Being a leader is sometimes about thinking as a team. You may be surprised who could teach you something new.

Good plans must be shared

Next is increasing communication. The clearer a plan is to the lowest level of the team the more likely success will be. If nobody knows the plan, time will be wasted as the team sorts out what must be done. Luckily this one is a fairly easy fix. Make sure the plan and final goal is understood and the team will be a more cohesive unit. Verbal directions are great, but a written or recorded plan will require less oversight and yield better results for larger operations. 

Change is good

Don't be hesitant to change the way things are done sometimes. Just because it has always been done a certain way does not mean that there isn't a better way, but be careful not to waste time on something that isn't going to be successful. Be willing to give something a try and if you have good results keep exploring that idea. If it fails, go back to the way you already know to handle the situation. Once an idea fails, it is important to wring the valuable information from this experience. This is only time wasted if you have not learned something from it. 

Learn from outside the industry

A good way to increase efficiency is to learn from other industries. There is a surprisingly large division of skills and knowledge between different industries and trades. There have been times when my mechanical background has saved us hours of work and David's experience with climbing and rigging has solved a problem that we had no other good solutions for. Often the best solution to a problem is something you may have learned from something completely unrelated.

invest in your craft

Finally, some gains can be made by using a different tool or figuring out a better way to work with the tools you already have. A good example of a tool that is better than any of its competitors is the Fireball Tool monster square and mega square. They are heads and shoulders above everything else in a similar category. Most processes can be simplified by having a better or more useful tool, such as using an impact driver instead of a screwdriver. Both tools have a place but the impact driver is almost always more useful and efficient. This mindset requires some restraint however because it would be very easy to think that the solution to every problem is a better tool. There’s a place for this approach, however, it can be a very expensive way to solve your problems. Instead, a greater degree of mastery and creativity in your craft will allow you to make do with less and achieve positive results faster and cheaper.