Results not always throughput

Over at Quality Magazine I was reading the "Last Word" column from June 2008's issue, and was struck by the mental image that Thomas Sloma-Williams painted. He thought he was pointing out "True Partnerships Endure." What I heard was different. Recall that in my mind, the definition of throughput is simply more money in my pockets. Now, and even more in the future. It is that "purple curve" thing all over, each and every day. Plus, it is non-linear. Boyd's OODA Loop tells of the jerkiness of the activities required to achieve success. But I digress... We all have been in those meetings: a group of professionals around the conference table hammering out an action plan. Or mission statement; or refining the deliverables for the next phase of a major project. In this crazy matrixed world of out sourcing and distributed workforces, Peter Drucker and Buck Rogers (et al) have preached partnerships. I have heard about partnerships from every business pundit at every magazine imaginable my whole career. This article in Quality Magazine ends with this question:

"Do you have genuine partnerships or relationships of convenience with your suppliers?"

Wrong question. Both relationships are necessary. Furthermore, it is not necessarily a matter of choice. The better question is a two part query aimed at the heart of business. Your business; my business; businesses everywhere:

"Is your organization producing positive results? If so, are those results producing throughput?"

That is the $64,000 question. It might even be the 64 billion dollar question! In my 20+ years in business management and leadership roles, I have purchased millions of dollars worth of goods and services around our globe. Partnered with worthy organizations as well as fly-by-night companies that served a very necessary and finite role. How was I measured? Wrongly in most cases! If your organization still measures your performance based solely on reducing costs, they probably won't be around much longer. But I digress... Why did I give up computer consulting to pursue business consulting? I rarely (if ever!) was addressing the core constraint facing my clients. Let me repeat that basic truth:

"Few organizations address the real problem!"

As I have repeatedly remarked (from the podiums of events across this great country as well as this and other blog posts), most business owners have explained away the real breakthroughs possible. Results that would generate untold throughput. Real and lasting wealth. How sad. -ski ---- Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.throughput.us ski@throughput.us tag: Jeff SKI Kinsey ©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.