Traveling the world on business provides one with a unique window from which to view business operations. Incorporating culture, expectations, knowledge, and systems all play a part in dictating how well a business survives and thrives locally, nationally, and internationally.

No matter what the scope of a business or where it is located, there are opportunities to improve by implementing positive change as a result of investigating business processes.

Don Swift provides some insight into helping your business through investigating business process.

What is Business Process Improvement?

Business Process Improvement is a coordinated, planned, and managed approach observing every aspect of a business enterprise. The objective is to identify issues affecting opportunity for achieving better economic returns, better employee performance, lower costs, and more satisfied customers.

That sounds complicated. However, Don Swift says, “It’s really looking at every facet of a business to see how owners and managers may improve their business. Sometimes people are just too close to the business to see the more detailed issues that affect productivity, quality, and ultimately profitability.”

Don concluded, “I come in and help identify the positive changes that can be made to improve the business. I work with the business through a cycle to help with the implementation.”

Driving improvement in your business using models, metrics, and analysis to evaluate and identify needed improvements will expose new opportunities. Don Swift suggests bringing in a specialist solves three problems:

• Management is free to continue to run the business.
• There’s greater opportunity for a non-biased opportunity report.
• It’s usually easier for a consultant to address the “fear factor”.

Four of the ways Process can assist your business are:

Efficiency –Don Swift says, “There are always opportunities to be better at what we do best. Those who don’t continue to improve will be passed by the rest.”

Your business processes can all affect business efficiency. Processes are affected by many potentially wasteful factors such as manual labor, less-than-perfect coordination, and a lack of monitoring systems in place to measure overall performance.

The benefits of improved efficiency will put your business in the best position to weather any storm.

Effectiveness –A more efficient business can be more effective in addressing exceptions and making well-informed decisions. Management and laborers will execute consistently. This is critical to quality and meeting an expected level of customer service or delivery.

Agility – To survive and thrive, any business must be agile. Don Swift states, “Even the small, local business needs to consistently think about agility. An agile company can change, re-engineer, and re-engage to protect itself from external factors beyond its control.”

One example is how agile companies have grabbed opportunities the Internet brings for marketing and driving new sales. Check out Think of IT Digital Marketing for help in this area.

Labor – Having an engaged and happy workforce speaks volumes to the success of a business. Don Swift suggests, “Many companies have a significant opportunity to improve the quality and efficiency of output from their employees. Think about dining at a restaurant. If the employees are just doing their jobs, does that create an inviting atmosphere? Are you encouraged to return? Probably not. That response will ultimately affect the business.”

An Example of Process Not Working

There is nothing more frustrating than having a flight check-in service that doesn’t work. At an airline counter, no attendants were eagerly waiting. When they did show up, they had to set up. Then the computers didn’t work. They were working with laptops that had to be connected to their main system. Although I was first in line, I waited 1.25 hours to get my boarding pass.

The inflight magazine contained a message from the Chief Executive Officer. He stated, “We begin 2016…to work to meet the business targets we have set… and the service we provide is what should differentiate us from our competition. The quality of our operation lies at the heart of our strategy. Hence we will give total priority to reviewing and adjusting the processes that enable us to offer safe, punctual flights.”

Interesting; over an hour to get a boarding pass and a flight leaving late. All I can say is, “The CEO has the rest of the year to get it right. He didn’t say “when” in 2016.”

This is an example of a disconnect between processes. What was exhibited was no agility to change to meet circumstances, unhappy employees, and an ineffective computer system. In short, the whole system of customer service was broken. Quite likely, the CEO will never know. Who’s going to report that their system is broken and needs fixed?

Don Swift says, “Internally, for any process improvement to work, there must be a process that allows everyone to walk the walk. That’s where a specialist is needed.”

Who Is Don Swift?

Don Swift is a Life Coach. He breathes life into businesses with his multi-disciplined approach to HR Management in Wichita Falls, Texas. Whether it’s outsourcing mediation, implementing quality improvement processes, or addressing the myriad of HR issues facing businesses, Don Swift is our first choice as an HR Specialist.

If you want to improve your business, call Don Swift at 940-228-0550 or contact him directly through the Don Swift and Associates website. Every day is costing you money.

Every company has challenges with Human Resources (HR) at some time. In the “old days”, not that long ago, people could be hired and fired at will. Employees would come and go. Not anymore! There are issues of equal rights, discrimination, firing with cause, notice, employee complaints, the list goes on. These are just a few of the HR challenges businesses now face.

Many companies don’t have the internal resources to adequately address HR issues. There’s hidden cost as well as direct cost when hiring/firing aren’t organized correctly. Employee morale can affect productivity and sick day costs. There are legal and settlement costs if complaints are brought against a company and its management.

The question is, are you prepared for all the HR issues? Can your HR department adequately protect your company?

Are You Prepared?

Are you ready for such issues as sexual harassment suits? This is just one of the many headlines in the local Wichita Falls, Texas newspaper from the past couple of years. It highlights the failure of HR Management to positively address workplace employee issues. It’s not possible to eliminate all court cases in a litigious society. However, a business can be prepared. They can initiate appropriate hiring practices, active on-the-job HR Management, and employee exit strategies.

It’s obvious the many companies highlighted over the past couple of years weren’t prepared. There are probably many more time bombs ticking and unprepared in the Wichita Falls area.

HR Services On Call

“HR On Call” in Wichita Falls is a great service. It is designated for companies without the internal resources for adequate preparation. This is a service provided by Don Swift and Associates. Don Swift will provide a monthly, dedicated Human Resource service to small and medium-sized companies in the Wichita Falls area.

For a small monthly fee, Don Swift and Associates will dedicate a set number of hours to work with you on your ongoing HR issues including but not limited to:

1. Conducting Human Resource Risk Analysis.
2. Developing appropriate Due Diligence Procedures for all areas of Human Resource
   Management.
3.   Developing appropriate hiring policies.
4.   Structuring an employee interview process and reference check.
5.   Developing and maintaining personnel policies and procedures.
6.   Writing and maintaining employee handbooks.
7.   Developing and maintaining management manuals and training related to personnel
   management.
8.   Assisting with management of personnel reviews.
9.   Addressing employee complaints and conducting workplace investigations.
10.   Annual compliance training for addressing sexual harassment and workplace
    violence.
11.   Compliance Reporting.

Don Swift and Associates’ goal is to guide you toward “perfection in employee management.” A well-defined HR Management Program will save your company money. You’ll not only reduce hidden costs, but will reduce turmoil within the company. There is no better defense than 100% due diligence defense. That shows you’ve done everything possible to make your workplace an enjoyable, safe, and secure place for employees.

The Cost of “HR On Call”

Most people “cringe” when they think about cost. Don Swift and Associates have designed packages of tremendous value that won’t break the bank. Monthly services start at a very low $300 per month. Each package is then custom-tailored to suit each client’s needs.

Don will gladly provide you and your company a well defined HR Management Program. Save your company money. You’ll not only reduce hidden costs, but will reduce chaos within the company.
A Word about Don Swift and Associates

Don Swift and Associates is a Management and HR Consulting firm in Wichita Falls, Texas that provides outstanding, dedicated client services. Don Swift and Associates is not a law firm. Don is an expert in his field and will introduce your company to strong Management and HR practices.

Don says, “95% of all HR matters don’t require legal work. They simply need a dedicated program. These practices promote the due diligence necessary to keep firms on the positive side of HR management.”

Conclusion

Not having adequate HR systems with policies and procedures can cost a company money both in hidden and direct costs. In the past couple of years more than 20 firms in Wichita Falls, Texas found their practices and procedures didn’t measure up. They all gave out huge settlements.

Don’t let the litigious system beat you. Save money by spending a little in the beginning. Talk to Don Swift of Don Swift and Associates. Their “HR On Call” Service, starting at $300 per month, is custom-tailored to suit each client’s needs.

Don’t let holes in your HR Management hurt you. For as little as $300 per month, Don will work for you.

Call Don at 940-228-0550 or email at don@donswiftandassociates.com.

Employees Engaged?

What are you talking about? I can just see the wheels in motion trying to figure out how some nut-case can suggest you can make money with your employees engaged.

We aren’t talking about your employees getting engaged to be married, though that’d be nice for some. We’re talking about positive impacts your organization can have by engaging your employees in the discussions and operations of your company.

Do You Like the Status Quo?

To decide whether or not this is for you, you must decide if you’re happy with the status quo. Is your production at a level you like? Is there room to improve production costs through employee performance?

If your response is, “I’m happy,” then this isn’t for you. Those who ignore the opportunities employee engagement can bring to their organization are potentially leaving a lot on the table. This is about gaining more revenue dollars per employee along with substantive quality improvements.

What is All this Engagement?

Engaging your employees is about them understanding what is happening in the workplace and being part of the decision-making. It’s about them feeling appreciated and valuable. It’s about them wanting to be at work each day.

Don’t They Just Want More Money?

Productivity doesn’t depend upon how much you pay your employee. It can, however, be significantly affected by how your employees feel they are treated and how they feel about working at your company.

Treat Them Like A Mushroom

We’ve all heard, “The boss treats me like a mushroom. He keeps me in the dark and feeds me nothing.” How productive do you think that employee will be compared to an employee who likes coming to work because he or she is engaged in the workplace?

The Results Are Impressive

There has been abundant research about the benefits that arise from employee engagement. The research suggests there’s an opportunity to improve employee performance by as much as 60% (Gallup 2012). Who wouldn’t want that?

What are You Going to Do?

One approach we see often is deny, deny, excuse, excuse, and let the opportunity fly by. This is prevalent with issues an owner or manager may not be comfortable with, such as having a website that generates leads.

What Can You Do?

There is much you can do to bring about positive employee engagement. The first detail is to call Don Swift and Associates to implement a Human Resource (HR) management strategy for engaging employees in the workplace. Do it before another dollar is lost. Who can afford to throw good money down the drain?

Who is Don Swift?

Don Swift is the CEO of Don Swift and Associates, a leading human resource consulting firm in Wichita Falls, Texas. Don’s been providing strategic HR advice to businesses in the Wichita Falls and Texoma areas for more than 20 years. He’d welcome the opportunity to talk to you about how he can promote HR management of employee engagement. It’ll substantially improve your bottom line.

Conclusion

Employee engagement is a strategic HR and HR management process. It builds a positive work environment so employees want to come to work. The result is a more productive workforce. Remember, some estimates suggest positive employee engagement can build up to a 60% improvement.

Don’t delay. Contact Don Swift of Don Swift and Associates today. Call 940-228-0550 or contact him directly through the Don Swift and Associates website. Don will guide you to positive employee engagement for your organization.

Don’t treat your employees like mushrooms. Put them in the light with Don’s Swift’s strategic HR management guidance. Your organization’s future can be bright.

Do You Want to Lose Profits Through Conflict?

Let the Conflicts Begin

Conflict in the workplace doesn’t just happen. It’s always the result of something else. Couples get divorced, fights break out on the street; countries go to war.

We think there won’t be conflict at the worksite? Fat chance! What ultimately happens will be a testament to how well prepared your organization is for preventing and dealing with workplace conflict.

What is Workplace Conflict?

Conflict could be as simple as two people who won’t talk to each other, to an argument, or the extreme of two or more people getting into a brawl. Workplace conflict can take many forms. It ultimately results from not having any conflict management system in the workplace to address conflicts adequately.

What are some of the Reasons for Conflict?

The basis for conflict can reside in cultural differences, social prejudices, personal stress, labor unrest, group power struggles, and processes of workplace change to suggest a few of the reasons. There are many reasons for conflict. To prevent it, is not as simple as saying, “Stop.”

What’s at Risk?

Lost productivity and other financial risks are costs of conflict. Reputational risk can also significantly affect the business.

Financial Risk

In the United States, the financial cost to the economy is in the billions of dollars. If you’ve never calculated the cost in your organization, that would be a good place to start.

Risk of Reputation

When your clients hear about conflict in your workplace, they may begin considering another company. No one wants to continue to buy from an organization where conflict can cause quality and other product issues.

Hear No Evil, See No Evil

Don’t be like many other business owners and managers and ignore workplace conflict. Don’t believe for one second it can’t occur, won’t happen, or doesn’t exist. It’s usually there in one form or other. You may not see it or recognize it. “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” doesn’t cut it.

Make the commitment today to improve your bottom line by doing all you can to prevent workplace conflict.

What Do I Do?

Preventing or dealing with workplace conflict begins with management wanting a conflict-free workplace so badly they can taste it.

The good news is, you don’t have to do the work. Don Swift of Don Swift and Associates can does it for you. Don has years of experience in helping small and medium-sized businesses make money by eliminating conflict in the workplace. He also helps efficiently resolve workplace conflict after it has happened.

Who is Don Swift?

Don Swift is the CEO of Don Swift and Associates, a leading human resource consulting firm in Wichita Falls, Texas. Don has more than 20 years’ experience providing strategic HR advice to businesses in the Wichita Falls and Texoma areas. He would welcome the opportunity to talk to you about ways he can help with an HR management process that provides professional conflict resolution skills.

Conclusion

Building a conflict-free workplace and dealing with workplace conflict takes a strategic HR management process that creates a positive work environment. Employees will want to come to work. The result will be a safer workplace and a more productive workforce which will make money for your company.

If you aren’t satisfied with the status quo, contact Don Swift of Don Swift and Associates today. Call 940-228-0550 or contact him directly through the Don Swift and Associates website. Don will build a conflict-free workplace for your organization or help you resolve on-going conflicts.

Don’t ignore the problem. With Don’s Swift’s conflict management skills, your organization’s future can make money from a conflict-free workplace.