When Work Stalls, Change Your Perspective... Lee Myung-woo's 'Outside-In' [Weekend Reading for Working People]

The walkway connecting the tuna-fishing boat and the carrier had no handrail. Sailors crossed it as they moved the catch. When Lee Myung-woo, then president of Dongwon Industries, said he would cross it himself during a visit to the fleet in the Pacific Ocean, a safety net was installed.This is an anecdote from 'Outside-In' (Collage), published last September by Lee Myung-woo, former vice chairman of Dongwon Group. Drawing on 48 years of experience at Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Sony Korea, Korea Coca-Cola Bottling, Dongwon and other companies, the author explains the 'Outside-In' approach: looking at problems anew through the eyes of frontline employees and customers. A thoroughly revised edition of his previous book, 'Fight with the Enemy's Sword,' it covers 20 chapters on topics ranging from relationships and communication to markets and growth, organizational management and personal choices.■ The Safety Net the Crew NeededThe first holiday Lee spent visiting the fleet came after he took up his post at Dongwon Industries. Having worked in electronics and beverages, he was unfamiliar with shipboard operations. The sailors were so busy moving tuna quickly that they normally had no time to put up a safety net. When he said he would cross, he saw that a net had been set up and ordered that safety equipment be provided for the sailors during their work as well.
Even when you visit a worksite, it is hard to understand how work is usually done from what you see that day alone. That is why you need to ask who does what, in what order, and which steps are skipped when time is short. The work plan must also allow time to prepare equipment if new instructions are to be followed in day-to-day operations.
If estimates are repeatedly delayed in an office, first look at where work gets held up after a request comes in. For example, if a delivery date is missing from a request sent by the sales team and the person handling it has to spend time asking for it, it is better to add a delivery-date field to the form from the outset. If processing stops whenever the person authorized to approve is away, it may be time to review the scope of delegated approval.
Ask the person handling the work how often the same problem occurs. The priority for improvements will differ depending on whether it was a one-off exception or a recurring delay. Keeping a record of how long people waited at each step provides grounds for asking other departments involved to make improvements.
■ Why Customers Choose a WatchThe book also discusses the Swiss brand Swatch, which designed wristwatches as fashion accessories. It used bright primary colors, such as red and blue, and introduced new designs every 3–6 months so people could switch watches to suit their outfits or mood. In effect, it added the pleasure of choosing according to personal taste to a tool for telling the time.
According to the Swatch Group's official history, Swiss watchmakers struggled in the late 1970s as an economic downturn coincided with an onslaught of low-cost quartz watches made in Asia. The first Swatch, launched in 1983, consisted of 51 components and was assembled on an automated line. To create a product that one person might buy several of and wear in rotation, the company needed a production method that could diversify designs while keeping the purchase price affordable.
Applied to a reservation service, the book's 'concept of the business' means that the purpose of the service is to help users easily find the time slot they want and complete a booking.
If users have to tap through multiple dates to find an available time, it may be worth testing a way to show available slots on the first screen. Compare the booking completion rate and time taken on the two screens to see whether the change reduces the effort required of users.
Changing work procedures or production equipment requires authority and a budget. Employees can identify steps that take up a lot of time for other departments or customers and suggest improvements within their remit. If it is difficult to make changes right away, start by recording how often the inconvenience occurs. Would a procedure that is familiar to me also be convenient for colleagues or customers? Asking them directly can reveal obstacles I had overlooked.
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