David Hodes is the founder and CEO of Ensemble Consulting Group, a company that helps organizations improve their productivity and performance. For more, visit Guests.
“Work is actually about how we turn our intention into value.”
David Hodes
Three key things David suggests you try today:
1. An improvement method
In this consulting mini-series bonus episode David Hodes conveys his “go to” method for focusing on value creation: the 5-Step FOCUS:
FOCUS
1 – Find the constraint
2 – Optimize it
3 – Collaborate around it
4 – Uplift system performance
5 – Start again
This is inspired by the Five Focusing Steps from Theory of Constraints (ToC) from Eli Goldratt who defined them thus:
Step 1: Identify (or choose) the system constraint.
Step 2: Decide how to exploit the system constraint.
Step 3: Subordinate all other decisions to the above.
Step 4: Elevate the system constraint.
Step 5: If, in Step 4, the constraint is broken, then go back to Step 1. Don’t let inertia become the constraint.
[Source: Theory of Constraints Handbook, James F. Cox III & John Schleier]
2. Defining the work
David also points to an approach for defining any package of work to create clarity for yourself or others that you collaborate with in an organization. This is referred to as CPORT – which stands for Context, Purpose, Outcome (or output), Resources, Time – which is also described in depth and exemplified in David’s book titled More Than Just Work: Innovations in Productivity to Inspire Your People and Uplift Performance and inspired by the book Requisite Organization: A Total System for Effective Managerial Organization and Managerial Leadership for the 21st Century by Elliott Jaques.
3. Productivity Scorecard
Finally David offers a this Productivity Scorecard with questions and an assessment on four dimensions:
- Work Management
- Enterprise Architecture
- Skills Management
- Vendor Management
Sources & Resources:
- Ensemble’s YouTube channel
- Ensemble Technology website
- David on LinkedIn
- David’s book: More Than Just Work: Innovations in Productivity to Inspire Your People and Uplift Performance is available in print, as electronic book and audio book (links to Amazon, Australia, no affiliate link).
