What  does people optimization entail? In some of our discussions and feedback on our website, we've received comments along the lines, "You can't optimize people..." To which our response is, REALLY!  Further, we say, if you are a manager over a group of people and you don't have a mindset where you are consciously trying get the most from or make the most of the productivity of your people, then you are probably a bad manager.

Here are a few question to address your organization's problem-solving effectiveness:

Do the leaders in your organization understand accurately the underlying values and mindsets regarding addressing root causes or solving problems?
How much fear/paranoia (really) exists in surfacing problems, in other words, when employees see a problem or an opportunity to improve, how likely are to surface that problem even if they may believe they may have some "blame"?
How does this contribute to employees preferring to keep problems they see to themselves?
When problems occur, are employees supported in their effort to determine root causes or find solution or does the blame game kick in?
Is there a divide between those who create and those who solve problems?

Our personal lives consist of numerous processes - some of which we are not conscious and some that we are.  A number of these are critical to our well being and on the hand, a considerable number are inconsequential. In organizations, especially in managerial or knowledge worker settings, processes are the keys to success. Processes are the sequences of activities and decisions/choices that we participate in to achieve goals which include inputs (often costly) that are transformed into outputs and outcomes. The quality and effectiveness of the key processes within our organizations are directly related  to the results we achieve.