Do you know who this guy is? Believe it or not, he’s got the solutions to many of the big problems at your business. He’s the guy closest to the problem. He’s dealing with the problem every day. He might be dealing with your customers every day too.I’ve seen lots of companies go through expensive programs before anyone will ask this guy what he thinks might work. He’s not VP of Operations and he’s not an expensive consultant. He has never heard of 6 Sigma or Lean. He wouldn’t know what to say if you asked about his core competency.
Because his entire day is spent close to the problem, he has given it some thought and has some suggestions. Being the kind of guy he is, he’s not going to rock the boat by offering the boss any ideas. If he did, the “Devil’s Advocate” would chew up his idea.
You’re not going to get his best ideas from a suggestion box because he’s not a writer. But if you really want some good ideas, talk to this guy once in a while. Take him to lunch.
Shameless Promotion: If you’re not sure how to reach him (your expert), give me a call. I can help release a wealth of potential in your workforce. Assuming you want that…
Chris Reich, Author of TeachU’s Business Talk Blog