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Ten Types of Organizational Change

Change Starts Here

The HR and finance groups within a university installed a new software system to automate tasks and have better information for decisions. An airline adopted Lean Six Sigma concepts to increase agility and reduce waste across the operation. Installing Systems. Adopting a Process Framework.

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Balancing Push and Pull Approaches to Improvement

Harvard Business Review

These mandated-from-above programs include Lean Six Sigma initiatives with experts (" Belts ") in command, big IT implementations, and reengineering of major end-to-end processes. An executive in the company's finance operations adopted a Six Sigma belt-driven approach to reduce costs in the company's global shared service centers.

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Put HR Skills on Your Performance Improvement Team

Harvard Business Review

My team would have people with deep functional knowledge and skills (strategy, sales, marketing, finance, and information technology) to align surrounding processes. If you do Six Sigma in isolation, the work force doesn't have time to implement the changes.". For example, HR managers tend to defend the status quo.

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How GE Stays Young

Harvard Business Review

Under CEO Jack Welch in the 1980s and 1990s, they adopted operational efficiency approaches (“ Workout ,” “Six Sigma,” and “Lean”) that reinforced their success and that many companies emulated. General Electric Operations' They have branded it “FastWorks.”

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Avoiding Catastrophic Failures in Process Improvement

Harvard Business Review

Engage the finance organization. Finance was on board at the company in our story. As I noted in a previous post "Keep Your Operations in Shape by Focusing on Management Processes," performance measurement (which is usually managed by finance) is one of four critical management processes for improvement program success.

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Zero-Based Budgeting Is Not a Wonder Diet for Companies

Harvard Business Review

In comparison to other methods (such as Six Sigma or activity-based costing), ZBB typically does not address operational excellence in core processes (marketing, sales, supply chain, procurement, manufacturing) or fundamental cost drivers such as portfolio complexity, organizational complexity, customer complaints, and quality issues.

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What Social Entrepreneurs Can Teach Your Company's Future Leaders

Harvard Business Review

They too have struggled to operate in complex environments, and have developed the skills and expertise to overcome these challenges. Access to finance , designing operational processes and systems , and building strong, talented management teams are just a few obstacles that many cite.