Shortly after being married, my husband and I started working on home improvement projects together and he introduced me to an important question to ask; “Is there a better way to do this?” Unfortunately for my husband, some projects just take hard work, but it other cases we found processes, tools, and materials that created efficiency.
At The Koch Co. we are encouraged to review and implement ways to improve the work we do by asking these questions;
- Is this the best way to do this?
- Can I streamline this to accomplish it faster?
- Who should be completing this task?
- Are there tools to help?
- How do others do it?
I tend to apply these questions to the tasks that are my least favorite, like moving dirt for backyard landscaping. It provides extra motivation for finding a better solution. It’s a little harder to apply them to the tasks we feel efficient or comfortable with, but that is when it’s helpful to be part of The Koch Co. team. Together we are always working to create value for our clients by focusing on the process and sharing feedback.
Of course, we also have times when the improved process doesn’t work the way we planned. For example, when we decided to use a power sander to smooth out the wall, which was faster, but made a way bigger mess in the end. Luckily, at The Koch Co. mistakes are understandable and viewed as learning opportunities for how to do certain tasks in the future. Each day we are encouraged to step out of the box and challenge ourselves. I enjoy problem solving and I’m glad to work where I can apply this skill regularly and in support of the team.