During my life I’ve been asked to ‘troubleshoot’ a business. There are other names, whether you prefer ‘consultant’ , or ‘business examiner’, whatever, but the job is simple…
sort of.
Why is this business losing money? Why isn’t this business making the kind of returns that seemed evident?
What I have found is that, in most cases, the owner or the Board has absolutely no intention of following your recommendations. Or, will accept recommendations they agree with, but it’s putting a band-aid on a machete wound.
In the first scenario, which is usual, the business probably has too many employees doing nothing.
Employees doing nothing means employees free to get into fights with each other, steal, use off the resources, and cause debits.
The business usually has ridiculous protocols which waste time and resources.
The business probably has a unnecessary hierarchy where you have a manager, an assistant manager, a supervisor, an assistant supervisor, a head this and a head of that, and maybe four workers.
Most badly run businesses either have a ‘hands off’ owner who doesn’t know what is going on, or one who walks behind his employees like a shadow.
In the first, you’ll find the place going to rack and ruin, complaints about doors with broken hinges or missing keys or some other problem, falling on deaf ears.
In the second, you’ll find workers developing the kind of raw hatred for the owner that may result in various incidents, from break ins to broken computers, which are done in retaliation.
In the rare second scenario, where the boss listens to you it is often in what I name a ‘legacy’ business.
Grandpa struggled and created the business, Daddy worked hard to make it even more successful, Grandson, a spoiled stupid creature who has no idea of what things cost or what is necessary, squanders the fortune so that by the time you come in there is very little to save.
Your suggestions, for example, having part time workers, instead of full time, of changing the opening hours, are accepted. They will last long enough for you to get out of the building before the business collapses.
Recently is was a kind of dorm where students, or people supposed to be students, would bunk two a room and have their water, light paid for, have use of a fridge, stove, furniture.
It was run by the ‘Hippo’ who was paid by the Board. The Hippo might not have been so gross fifteen years ago when she was given the job, and one assumes the application was submitted on her back.
Today, she lives free, is unseen, inactive and the students are left to do what they please. What breaks stays broken, what doesn’t work will never work.
The building is flaking to pieces as you stand there.
So, advise the Hippo be replaced, gain opprobrium. Suggest the lazy cleaner be replaced, she is defended as if a Queen.
Smile, nod, get your cheque, and go.
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One of the perfect examples for troubleshooting is the company that I am working with. All the actors that operate the company are considered heartless and inconsiderate to the feelings of their employees. All it matters for them are to have profit. They can't even acknowledge the importance of social responsibility.
That's the reason why they kept on denying the increase of turnover of employees. The staff of the company was blinded the real contributory factors why things are in upside down position. Thus, these staffs are categorized as company's puppets. They are no say employees in the company.