You can pick up any copy of the Wall Street Journal from the last 40 years and see headlines like these. The history of such projects includes some stories of successful business transformation, but more commonly, stories of cost-cutting failures.
Here at Brookeside, we’ve been helping companies become more efficient for over 20 years, and while many of our clients have seen tremendous success, we likewise have been part of some frankly mediocre business results. That led us to ask ourselves:
Why did some of our clients achieve those tremendous successes?
Why were other engagements less successful?
What were the key factors that led to each outcome?
In exploring these issues we have identified several patterns that help us determine in advance whether a company is likely to be successful in their efficiency, cost-cutting, and/or re-engineering efforts. We’ve looked at the role of leadership, their definition of success, the people and approaches involved, the impact of organizational culture, and many other factors. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to share some of our experience and explore the reasons why certain companies are successful in implementing their projects. Conversely, we will also talk about why others fail to achieve their goals, and what they could have done to produce a much more positive result.
We look forward to your thoughts, comments, and ideas!