No matter the size of your business, whether a single producer or GE, there is a growth barrier you can not break, an impenetrable glass ceiling. It is the fundamental truth to which Edwards Deming dedicated a lifetime of study. YOU CAN NOT OUT-PRODUCE YOUR SYSTEMS. There is an absolute limit to what hard work alone can do. It is a secret reason why so many producers plateau. To grow, you must upgrade your systems. Until you change your business practices - how you use your time, resources, and technology - you can not grow. It is one of the reasons GE invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the 1990’s on their Six Sigma Program.

When was the last time you took a step back and examined in what ways you are creating a glass ceiling in your business? Here are a few questions to get you started.

1. When was the last time I analyzed how my staff and I use our time?

2. Do I know what processes in my business consume the most time?

3. When was the last time I analyzed these processes to see how I can streamline them to reduce cost, reduce inconsistency, increase throughput, and increase quality?

4. What is the least and most expensive way to bring in new clients?

5. Am I maximizing my most profitable channel for new clients?

How you do what you do creates a glass ceiling. A periodic re-examination of your business can reveal what has to change so you can raise the glass ceiling. If you want to study this on your own, Michael Hammer has several books on the topic and Peter Scholtes’ book, The Team Handbook provides a wide range of tools to analyze team processes.

Summer can be an ideal time to examine and upgrade business processes. The seasonal slowdown in business activity provides that window of time where you can focus on upgrading your processes.

If you want assistance in upgrading your time management and business practices, the following resource can be very profitable:

http://referralmastery.com/get_more_done.html
Or call me at 800-865-2867.

The "Get More Done in Less Time" learning guide has dozens of ideas for using your time and your staff more profitably.

See also
You may want to reference the earlier issues of the Referral Mastery Tip by clicking here. In an earlier Referral Mastery Tip and Tele-seminar, we reviewed the importance of understanding your clients' objectives and securing client agreement on the structure and the strategy of the portfolio. We also covered how to use client reviews to address client disappointment and re-affirm the portfolio objectives, structure, and strategy. (Or risk management objectives, strategies, and policies)