BOOK OF THE MONTH: Low-Hanging Fruit

Several years ago, I came across a gem of a book: Low-Hanging Fruit, 77 Eye-Opening Ways to Improve Productivity and Profits, by Jeremy Eden and Terri Long. 

It’s based on years of actual application and it resonated with me based on work I’ve done with clients.

The basic premise is that productivity and profits can be increased more easily and quickly by addressing many small sources of waste and ineffectiveness instead of trying a few big, risky transformational initiatives.

The “77 eye-opening ways” require involving front-line employees. This helps ensure real problems are identified - ones that ultimately affect productivity and the customer experience. It also helps ensure realistic solutions are generated that will make a real difference and that employees can more easily buy into it. As well, employees become more engaged by being involved in and seeing change that produces results.

The authors also suggest the approach is simpler, less costly and more flexible than a formal process improvement method, like Lean. 

This book is very practical, getting to specific methods rather than vague, theoretical strategies often described in many business books.

And it’s as useful today as it was when I first read it.

Book: 224 pages, 4 hour 40 minute audio book. Book summary on Soundview: 8 pages, 19 minute audio summary.

How can you improve your profitability?
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