Essential Skills: Efficiency

Scarcity in the margins forces leaders to maximize efficiency.

The margins are resource scarce work environments. Long term margin managers learn how to do more with less - working efficiently to get essential tasks done quickly. Managers operating within traditional structures, by contrast, grow accustomed to resource availability - utilizing assets ensure quality.

One of the most difficult aspects of working with traditional managers on margin initiatives is their inability to reduce quality to gain speed. Often, they are unable to trade a "top quality" position for a "good enough" solution. Personnel who consistently work in resource intensive environments become so used to holding each project to the highest professional standards that they label anything less than the best simply "not doable".

Leaders in the margins must master the 80% solution. Often it is that remaining 20% that pushes a 2-week task into 4 weeks, the 1 hour meeting into 2 hours, or the $5,000 effort into a $10,000 effort. Client or stakeholder requirements rather than internal/artificial standards or expectations should drive solution development. Margin leaders need to be in tune with client expectations in order to source initiatives efficiently. They must also help translate those expectations for traditional managers/team members when working collaboratively to ensure buy-in for the 80% solution approach.