January 19, 2017- ISSN# 1545-2646
Upholding Your Standards
A hallmark of a successful business are the standards which the organization holds itself accountable to. That being the genuineness by which they conduct their business practices.
Originally a hallmark was part of the gold and silver trade which certified the level of purity of the precious metals. A hallmark can equally be applied to the degree or level by which individuals characteristics or an organization’s processes are executed to a defined standard.
There are many “Standards” which various industries apply as a means to define the quality or readiness of a given entity. For example in the manufacturing industry there are various quality standards. ISO 9000 is just one example of international standards applied to a business as a mean to gauge their performance such as consistency of result from a given procedure/process. In the medical field the Joint Commission accredits hospitals to quantify the degree and level by which they uphold their standards of practice. These are very ridged and demanding evaluations that require not only the proper initial setup but the constant and consistent investment in supporting them as a regular part of the daily operation.
Your business has standards – some written down and others have existed unwritten but deeply embedded into the organization’s culture. The challenge is making sure that these standards whether written in a detailed procedure or are at the core fabric of the organization’s culture, they MUST be upheld if they are going to be part of your future success.
You can’t apply it when it feels good or works in your favor. You can’t have multiple standards for the same type of transaction and expect people to be able to choose which to apply for what set of circumstances.
This week take a look at your organization’s standards. Do they exist? Do your employees know they exist? Does everyone know how and when to apply what standards?
It sounds pretty straight forward that your business has processes and procedures and they are to be followed. Unfortunately as simple as this sounds there are regular breakdowns in many organizations on following the standards. Sometimes the biggest offenders of following the standards can be leadership. They deviate because they “own” the business or any number of reason. The reality is that deviation sets in motion a new standard – one which opens up a wide range of interpretations by each individual of which they all bring different views and perspective and bias into the situation.
I challenge you to get a clear picture of your business practices and their standards. Put in place a means to measure how consistently your business performs to those standards. Then make tactical and even strategic adjustments to keep your business on the best track or reaching its’ hallmark status that it can be.
Need help setting in motion processes, procedures, – “Standards”? Call JKL Associates (313) 527-7945 for an opportunity to review your best practices.
Questions or comments – email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945
Copyright – JKL Associates 2017
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