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The Better SMB Podcast - Episode 2: Embracing Ambition and Excellence with Simon Walker

In this episode, hosts Rob and David sit down with Simon Walker, former CEO of Proposition Group. Simon shares his insights following his recent exit from the company after nine successful years.The discussion starts with Simon’s reflections on his journey and the intriguing concept of ID 2070. He elaborates on creating a long-term economic vision for New Zealand, inspired by Ireland’s transformative progress over 50 years. Simon delves into the productivity challenges in New Zealand, emphas...

Embarking on Your Lean Journey: Preparing Your Team for 2025

Efficiency, waste reduction, and continuous improvement – these are the hallmarks of Lean Thinking, a powerful methodology that can transform organisations. As 2025 approaches, many businesses are looking at ways they can prepare themselves for the improved market conditions and are considering embarking on their Lean journey to achieve this. But before you dive headfirst into process optimisation, a few 5S blitzes and the overuse of post-it notes, there are just a few things you can do t...

The Better SMB Podcast - Episode 1 Productivity Reports

In this episode, David and Rob dive into the intricacies of various productivity reports, including the Xero Small Business Insights Report, BNZ Manufacturing Snapshots, OECD Economic Survey on New Zealand, and the NZIER and ASB Business Productivity in New Zealand Report.They critique the relevance and utility of these reports for SMB owners, questioning the practicality of metrics and data presented. The hosts discuss the disconnect between the findings and the real needs of SMEs, advocating f...

What to do when you’re too busy

Have you had a convo like this lately?You: “Hey. How are you?”Them: “Oh you know… busy!”What are you supposed to do with that as a response?“Wow, that’s awesome.”“Oh, that sucks.”The term ‘busy’ is used as a bit of a catch-all in conversations to mean anything from: “I’ve got something exciting planned for every day of my overseas adventure” -to- “I’ve got 17 unfinished projects all due tomorrow.” The type of ‘busy’ that I want to talk about here is t...

The Better SMB Podcast - Pilot Episode

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Better SMB Podcast. This is a project Rob has been involved in for the past few months.He has partnered with David Altena, where they dive deep into what it takes to boost productivity and elevate performance for New Zealand’s small and medium-sized enterprises. In this pilot episode, hosts David Altena and Rob Bull share their insights and of experience in the tech and business improvement sectors. David discusses the pivotal role of innovation, in tran...

Which Book do I recommend?

I am trying to improve my habit this year of reading more.  It is part of my goal to improve my Leader Standard work.  Putting time aside to improve myself so I can be a better consultant and challenge my own thinking.  Here are a few favourites and surprising gems I have stumbled across during my reading sessions, one of them is a new discovery as well as a couple of perennial favourites.The Checklist Manifesto - Atwul GawandeEvery so often you get a book and then after read...

Creating Flow in your business

The goal of Lean Thinking is ultimately to create flow in all facets of your business.  In a perfect world, all of this amazing ‘flow’ should be directed to the customer.If that is so important, what is ‘flow’?  This is not just a dreamy state of being in the moment after the perfect zen state meditational session.  Flow is the constant movement of products being manufactured, progress of information, design, service information - any action or task that combines to make u...

Business Excellence Frameworks

Areas of ExcellenceThese nine areas of excellence reflect those found in many of the widely acknowledged Operational Excellence frameworks such as the Baldrige Criteria and the Shingo Model of Operational Excellence. It is my take on these assessment criteria to allow business owners an insight on where they could be adding value to their business.While it is not a comprehensive review and analysis, it is intended to provide leadership teams enough guidance on where they may compare against ackn...

Lean Thinking is more than tools

Lean tools versus Lean mindset….. What is the difference?...

Buzz Word Bingo

As annoying as it is to hear the word ‘pivot’ used more often than in that episode of Friends with the couch, I do think that sometimes we have to take a moment and look at the language we are using. Is ‘shifting the paradigm’ really the best phrase we could use? Does ‘sustainability’ mean what we think it means to the people we are using it with?...

Book Recommendations - Episode 1

There is the cliche in the business world ‘Leaders are readers’.  I am a big subscriber of this saying.  Particularly when I look through audible books and use that as an opportunity to select something that may be a bit left field, a diversion from the usual topics that I gravitate towards when buying the real thing.Over the past 12 months, this tactic has served me well, particularly with the long drives around NZ, I have something to listen to.  Here is my tip around audio ...

How Lean Thinking Can Improve Your Customer Experience (without the Fuss)

As a Kiwi business owner, you probably already know the value of a relaxed approach. But what if I told you that a sprinkle of lean thinking can actually turbocharge your customer experience, without all the stress? That's right, chuck out the fancy suits and clipboards – lean thinking is all about streamlining things in a way that works for you and your customers.So, grab a flat white, put your feet up, and let's explore how lean thinking can transform your customer experience from "meh" to "...

Improve your customers and suppliers

As a Lean Leader, don’t accept bullshit from your clients or suppliers.  The most expensive comment you can ever make in your business is “that is just the way it is”. Utter BS.Any opportunity you have to influence the behaviours and actions of other businesses is a good day.  I have had clients who have worked hard on improving their processes and workflow that clients have had to change and lift their own performance. Without this level of influence, true Lean outcomes will nev...

How to put your improvement plan into action

Turning talk into actionThe previous blogs in 2023 have been all about the preparation and engagement of the idea of Operational Excellence.  It has been about engaging the team around understanding what it is, adding in some of the theory and what it could look like for any company or organisation.Once all that is in place, it is all about turning those ideas, vision into tangible action.Translating the words, conversations and discussions into real actions and outcomes.  Actions that...

Creating the Vision for your business

If you have read the previous three blogs for 2023, it has taken you on a journey to explore the topic of Operational Excellence and understanding what this actually means. This is critical to be able to translate this into a clear decision to start a journey to establish a culture of excellence.  Once this decision is made, then understand the role of a leader to make this process as successful as possible. A lot of stuff happens at the beginning and it needs to.  This right leadershi...

What is the Role of the Business Leader in Operational Excellence?

It is one thing to understand what Operational Excellence is and the potential benefits by starting this journey. Also having a clear idea of the requirements and the preparation needed to achieve the desired results.  But where is the leader or owner in all of this? More specifically, what do they need to do to prepare themselves and define the role they will play in determining the success of Operational Excellence?In my humble opinion, the biggest factor in how successful a business is r...

The Process to Start an Operational Excellence Journey

It is one thing to understand what Operational Excellence is, it is an entirely different challenge to take the leap of faith and bring this into your business and begin the journey. After all, the failure rate in this space is very high.  The percentage of businesses that fall short is significant.  So why go through this pain when the odds are seemingly stacked against you.I begin with a simple word that could be easily glossed over. The word is ‘journey’.  I use it here qui...

What is Business and Operational Excellence?

Occasionally you come across a term that you are sure at one point meant a lot.  Yet it has been used so widely, in so many contexts that it has become just a white noise statement.  What I mean by this is the idea has been overused, twisted and applied without too much understanding of what this actually means. Despite this confusion or misunderstanding leaders, managers, owners are quick to jump on the bandwagon, not fully understanding what they are getting themselves in for.  ...

Clarity is Key to Culture

When I get asked what are the some of the most common issues that affect the performance of a small and medium business (SME) in New Zealand, the two of the most common challenges I respond are: Lack of Clarity Culture of apathy (amongst others) Luckily there are actions a business can take to minimise the impact these issues can cause. Most of the solutions don’t take any implementation of any complicated software or equipment, the investment is based around time. Let’s start with the ...

What an SME can learn from a BBQ Competition

Occasionally you get an opportunity that you can’t say no to.  This was the case for me recently when I was asked if I was interested in being a judge at a BBQ competition.  This wasn’t any old local fry up, but a collection of the very best BBQ experts from New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Who can pass that opportunity up (besides my vegan partner!). Fair to say the experience was awesome. At home I do take my BBQ cooking seriously, to the point where I experiment, improve and ...

Is Lean Just A Bunch Of Tools?

When I was just starting out as a consultant, doing my own thing I was at a family wedding chatting to a friend who was asking me what I was up to.  After explaining my new business, the reply was “Oh yes Lean, but you know there are many other approaches”.  I left the conversation there, being new to business, this was a different response and I wasn’t really prepared for it.  Over the years I continue to think about what that person said and why. Knowing the organisation h...

How do you start a Lean Thinking journey

My experience with companies motivation to start a Lean journey is one of two reasons:They are smashing it and are starting to get some speed wobbles so they are needing to bring back some structure and organisation back into the workplace.They have realised after one too many firefighting sessions that they have reached the point of exhaustion and are using Lean almost as a last effort to regain some control over their business. The common theme across these two scenarios is that there is a deg...

Why Should We Use Stand Up Meetings

Stand UpsHuddlesTool BoxesDaily Accountability Meetings The time when high performing meetings get together and meet for a brief amount of time to talk about all things performance.  They are called all sorts of different names, personally I am not worried about that and teams I have worked with have used all of these terms (and probably others), what is important is that this time is critical to their overall success. To run successful stand up meetings is a dose or science combined with a...

Don't Make Your Business Complicated

We humans are funny creatures.  For some crazy reason we love to try and make things - processes, work, tasks harder than they really need to be. I am making this comment as I reflect on conversations and observations I have had with many different businesses recently. In many of the situations the process we were looking at was seemingly simple.  But the reality was quite different. Steps required to complete tasks were convoluted, many checks and balances that was ultimately slowing ...

Creating a Learning Environment

Making mistakes is awesome, Learning is even better! Parents around the world understand how important it is for their children to learn through making mistakes.  We all did it learning to walk, understand calculus (I’m still struggling with this) or driving!  No matter what age we were, we made mistakes growing up.  Some of these were minor, some were significant or even embarrassing. The important message here is that we all had the opportunity to make a few mistakes so we can...