The Path to Progress – Why process (efficiency) matters to growth
Q: What do the Japanese relay team and Klick X have in common?
A: A commitment to using the best processes for the best possible outcome.
Let us explain. The Japanese relay team won silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016 because of one thing – they changed the way they passed the baton.
None of the runners in the team was the fastest, compared to their competitors, but the way they passed the baton (the underhand, or up-sweep pass) was the fastest and least likely to fail, based on a tonne of research undertaken over many years.
Which is where Klick X comes in. The processes that have been developed for the Klick X team are based on global best practice.
Klick X Founder and CEO Kim McKay explains, “We did a lot of research, read books, listened to podcasts, spoke to experts and went through all the necessary trial and error. Our systems have been designed to help attract talent and make their life easier.
“This is where the baton pass analogy comes in – the wins are in the incremental changes.
“Having a great process, means you don’t lose time as you’re always doing something useful, effective and you’ve cut out all of the unnecessary tasks,” says Kim.
So how do you find the right workflow tools when there seems to be new ones popping up every day?
Kim says that the best advice she can offer is that no one system will do everything.
“Think of every key task like an ATM – it does one thing well. It’s not the whole bank. It might sound crazy but know that will you will need a number of platforms to get the best results.
“You need to think about your business and what you need to excel at, and then create systems for those. For us it was Communications, Project Management and Operations,” says Kim.
Creating a ‘perfect’ system is one thing but how do you train people in how to use it? Is tech literacy an essential part of working for Klick X?
Kim says, “We look for it in our team, for sure. In our partners, not so much. These tools are there for us to do our tasks better and serve our partners more efficiently. A truly bulletproof process can be completed by anyone. Grab someone with no prior knowledge and see if they can complete your process. If not, go back to square one.”
Like all things in business, updating systems and processes is a work-in-progress. What is perfect today could well be superseded tomorrow. How can you know that your system is still working efficiently?
“You know it’s working when the team is aligned and the ‘baton pass’ happens and you (as the leader) don’t need to be there. You should do an annual review to adapt or update – as tech and lives change, so should our platforms.
“I believe that true productivity is the sum of thousands of small wins. Rarely are companies able to double or triple their efficiency with just a few improvements – it comes down to thousands of tiny ‘micro-optimisations’ that will add up over time,” says Kim.
