Rethinking Expedited Work: A Business Agility Perspective

In my 15-year career as a Business Agility Coach, a recurring theme has emerged: 99% of businesses misinterpret the use of expedited work. Regular reliance on this practice signals a deeper issue within the operational framework.

One that demands immediate attention.

The misuse of Expedited Work

Frequently expedited work suggests that the company is unable to follow its established business processes or that its processes are not Fit-for-Purpose. This leads the company into an unsustainable cycle of crisis management.

Expediting work should be the exception, not the norm.

2 conditions to expedite work

• Unacceptable business impact
  Expedite only when facing severe repercussions. These could be financial, reputational, or customer-related.

• Incapability to deliver timely
  Take exceptional measures if a critical business event is happening now or in a span of time much shorter than what your business process is capable of achieving.

Expedited work is a last resort, not a go-to solution.

4 signs of companies abusing Expedited Work

• Absence of strategic assessment tools like Cost of Delay (CoD)

• Lack of a clear understanding of the Service Level Expectation (SLE).

• Persistent presence of expedited work, even leading to queues of work waiting to be expedited.

• Inability to regain a stable flow of work after the disruption caused by expedited work. This is something a Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) will show.

A call for rebranding Expedited Work: It's a Drama!

To counter the misuse, consider redefining what qualifies as expedited work.

In one company I worked with, their usual expedited work was rebranded as "Diva Work". This simple change significantly reduced the use of expediting as people didn't want to be seen as "Diva Owners".

As this is a gendered term, the term "Drama Work" could serve a similar purpose.

This allows companies to reserve Expedite Lanes for genuinely critical situations.

Conclusion

The habitual use of expedited work is a glaring red flag that jeopardises the health of your business. It's crucial to recalibrate and reserve expedited lanes for true emergencies, ensuring the agility and resilience of your business operations.

I invite fellow business leaders and agility enthusiasts to share their experiences and insights on managing expedited work. How do you ensure your business remains adaptive and responsive without falling into the trap of constant crisis mode?

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