WINC consultants help companies become high-performing operations that continuously improve. What we’ve seen over the years is that it’s easy for organisations to become fixated on symptoms rather than root causes. For example:

• “I’m always tied up in useless meetings” rather than focusing on the lack of meeting disciplines that result in more meetings being required to make a decision.

• “We never hit our targets” rather than addressing how targets are agreed, who is accountable for each outcome and how operational results are followed up.

• “It has never worked” rather than defining exactly what needs to be done to fix an issue and assigning accountability and targets for improvement.

Fixing the wiring can deliver dramatic changes to your organisation and enable it to understand, review and systematically improve from day to day. Almost all of our engagements include some element of wiring because of its power, when combined with coaching, to deliver high performance at every level.

We bring a proven process to design and implement the right wiring in your organisation. We’ll also coach individuals through the change and into the steady state. Our approach incorporates six elements that together form the basis of an organisation that is wired for success:

1. Operating strategy
   This ensures that in each department, and at each level in the organisation, there is a clear understanding of the greater goal and how that person or department’s work contributes to that goal. For example, a stage in a processing plant will include an explicit explanation of how this particular stage in the plant works, the chemistry/physics associated with the stage, the detailed operating strategy and the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and measures that will be used to monitor the stage and keep it on track. For sales teams, specific go-to-market strategies are articulated for each customer segment and associated KPIs and measures established to track success of this strategy.

2. Operating disciplines 
   These routines (including KPIs and targets) ensure the strategy is actually executed. This includes the standard operating procedures, meeting disciplines and norms and the development of, and training in, decision tools to help operators solve problems if KPIs turn red. Like any new habit, each of these disciplines requires frequent use, consistent follow-up and one-to-one coaching to ensure progress is sustained.

3. Alignment and motivation
   How staff are aligned and motivated to deliver their priority KPIs. Wiring tools that promote alignment include organisation structures, detailed role descriptions, individual KPI scorecards and incentive plans, which focus efforts on the highest-priority levers. These tools combine with the sustaining disciplines to create alignment, focus on priority issues and close the loop on performance. And by eradicating gaps or overlaps in KPIs, you set up the conditions for accountability and resulting performance.

4. Sustaining disciplines 
   These ensure the wiring habits are sustained and that wiring becomes part of the way of doing business. They consist of tools and processes to close the loop and review commitments, actions and outcomes. One critical sustaining discipline is regular and formal reviews of KPI performance – in Results-Action-Reviews – at all levels of the organisation. This will drive the execution of the operating strategy through each level in the line.

5. Continuous improvement disciplines
   Required to ensure processes and skills are in place to drive improved results. Such disciplines involve embedding formalised target-setting (annually and monthly) across the organisation to drive continuous improvement. The wiring effort also focuses on developing credible monthly plans to deliver on stretch targets and measuring the impact of improvement initiatives to assess progress. The core tools include Root Cause problem-solving, Decision Trees and the use of the Pareto Principle as a quick prioritisation tool. It is here also that active tracking and development of competencies throughout the organisation is actively managed.

6. Visible Leadership
   What leaders must do to focus organisation on the right priorities. With so many potential distractions, the ability to convey a clear and consistent message that aligns all departments and employees is a prerequisite for success. Our work focuses on what leaders need to do through their daily actions to ensure the organisation delivers.

find out more about our HR transformation and change services