We’re surrounded by distractions all day long. In today’s fast-paced world, some threaten to drown in the ever-expanding ocean of data. But what if you filter all superfluous information away? It will allow you to focus on what’s truly important — which is often right in front of you. The question is, how to see the forest for the trees?
Untrodden snowy landscape
Recently, we were in a Berlin restaurant called Schneeweiß, which is German for Snow White. In accordance with the theme, everything around us was white. It brought the kind of peace you usually feel when looking at an untrodden snowy landscape. So when the waiter brought us our colorful meals, we were able to appreciate the food more. As we could focus on it, it looked and tasted better. The people at our table also stood out, because there were no frills or neon colors distracting attention from them.
In other words, our calm environment allowed us to concentrate on the things that mattered: the food and the people we were with.
Three-course ‘meal’ on the work floor
Now, let’s apply this to the work floor. Let’s consider the entrée a trigger: a clear sign that sets things in motion by telling an employee they need to act. What follows is the main course: the concrete action that should be taken. If, for example, the performance board in a call center turns red because the queue is exploding, agents may decide to take a coffee break later. They can make such independent decisions based on real-time, actionable information. Once the queue goes back to normal and the performance board turns green, they know the problem has been addressed. Perhaps this spurs them to finally enjoy their cup of Joe — or, the ‘dessert!’
Want to explore your Visual Management opportunities? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are happy to perform a Quick Scan and discuss your information sharing strategy.