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1 SME scenario per PDCA stage (2–10M).Radar table snippet.Your Devil story bullets.
The process + Devils in the detail
Concept
Ok can we now plan the final sub chapter called "the process" and prepare for a devils in the detail story. I have a story in mind that is simple, so it's more realising that the planning needs to align that a story will finish the chapter.
So far we have set up PDCA is the back bone. In this chapter I want pull the covers back a bit and show some more detail without swamping them. Enough that they are going to be confident they are in the right book still but not overwhelming them.
In my head if have a famous saying from
"If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions," is widely attributed to Albert Einstein
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail - bejamin Franklin.
Planning: I want to show all the work is upfront understanding the system, problem impacts and root causes
Doing: is easy once you know the root cause, but the focus on simplification
Checking: is critical
Action: is easy after we check and reconfirm we train and embed
Draft frame
“The Process” Draft Expansion
Here’s your 700-word draft in practical SME voice — “easy and boring” like a reliable checklist, not sexy theory. Structured per Option 1. Concrete examples, House tie-in, funnel hook. Gaps flagged for your story/metrics tweaks.
The Process: PDCA — Plan Heavy, Act Light
You can’t change what you don’t understand. Here’s a planning quote I love: “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes defining it and 5 on solutions.” — Albert Einstein. Benjamin Franklin nailed it too: “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.”
PDCA is your backbone. It’s boringly reliable — 80% upfront grind (Plan), 20% action. No hype, just results. We’ve covered tools; now see it run.
Plan: The Upfront Grind (90% Effort)
This is where you win. Map your House: Building Blocks, Model, Goals, Value Chain, Narrative, Radar Metrics (LER <1.5? Red flag). Spot issues founder-first.
Grab 3–5 team members. Run Iceberg questions: Events? Patterns? Structures? Mental Models? Affinity clusters → Problem & Impact statements → Pareto 80/20. Output: 1–2 crisp targets.
Example: €4M firm flags LER 1.3 on ops chain. Pareto: Handovers cause 60% waste. Done — no fluff.
Do: Simplify the Fix (Easy Once Rooted)
Root cause known? Test simple. No over-engineering.
From Pareto winner, hypothesize fix (5 Whys/Fishbone validated). Prototype: New handover checklist? Run 1 week.
Keep it lean — if it needs tech, manual first. Aim: Does it hit the Structure/Mental Model below Iceberg?
Check: Make-or-Break Reality
Metrics don’t lie. Re-scan Iceberg Events/Patterns: Late orders down? LER up? Track 2–4 weeks.
Red: Loop to Plan (bad root?). Green: Proof.
€3M example: Checklist lifts LER to 1.7, €12k/month freed. Celebrate, measure again.
Act: Embed & Loop
Win confirmed? Train team, standardise (update House). Share narrative win: “We fixed X, here’s why it stuck.”
New radar red? PDCA again. House drifts quarterly? Refresh.
The beauty: House endures. You grind once, iterate forever.
Devil in the Detail: [Your Story Placeholder]
[Insert 200-word simple tale: e.g., “Client skipped House, chased symptoms — 6 months waste. Re-did Plan, 1 PDCA cycle fixed it. Lesson: Detail upfront = profit.” Flag: Add your story here for realism.]
This is your system. Boring? Yes. Effective? Try it — watch fires fade.
Stuck embedding or scaling team? My Pragmatic Accelerator/Apprenticeships take this further []. Free House Score: [QR/link].
Gaps/Examples to Add:
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