The CEO of a company where I spent 25 years was invited to give a kickoff speech for an internal training course on Process Improvement. He was brief.
"I'm sure you're all very good at what you do... or I wouldn't have hired you. [audience laughs] After you complete this course I expect you to be even better. I have just one request: before you spend 1,000 hours worth of our shareholder's money improving any process, please be very certain that it's a process we need to do at all."
Exit, stage right... invitation to a paradigm shift.
"I'm sure you're all very good at what you do... or I wouldn't have hired you. [audience laughs] After you complete this course I expect you to be even better. I have just one request: before you spend 1,000 hours worth of our shareholder's money improving any process, please be very certain that it's a process we need to do at all."
Exit, stage right... invitation to a paradigm shift.