The term last mile may evoke ideas of perseverance and finality, of a long journey whose ending is in sight. When used in a supply chain, for example, it’s the point where a business actually delivers its products or services to end-users, or customers. Good performance in that last mile can generate loyalty, but bad performance can drive customers away.
The concept of the last mile doesn’t just apply to supply chains. We find ourselves in that last mile every day, especially as managers. An essential component of our job is to deliver: we give information and directives to our teams; updates and strategies to our leaders; reassurance and satisfaction to our clients. Good performance earns us breathing room to address the rest of our tasks. Bad performance can create havoc.
Perfecting your last mile with so many stakeholders to deliver to will take some upfront investment of your time, but it can increase your overall efficiency. Team loyalty often generates better communication, so you hear about problems and help solve them before they become crises. Leaders who know they can count on you to meet deadlines or provide useful solutions trust you to get the job done, which can translate to greater autonomy. Offering consistent, exemplary service to clients builds a foundation for handling any complaints that arise and maintaining strong relationships.
One way to improve your last mile is to reverse-engineer all the tasks involved in meeting your “customers” requirements.
Evaluate what you currently do and ask:
What’s working?
Where are you hearing complaints?
What does each group need from you?
When do they need it?
Another tip is to identify any redundancies or unnecessary duties. Ask yourself:
Are there tasks you complete for one group that you could adapt to also meet the needs of another group?
Can you develop a contact point that all users can access, such as an app or shared calendar, to reduce multiple communications?
Are there meetings or other communications that don’t need to occur, could occur less frequently, or could happen by other means, such as an email update instead of a face-to-face meeting?
You should also identify your team or network experts. Answer questions such as:
Are there members of your team that shine in specific areas such as quality control or analytics? Tap their special skills.
What tasks can you delegate to team members that are authentic outputs of work they already perform? Asking your team for help gathering information or building on what they know and do has an added benefit of demonstrating your trust in their capabilities.
Are there people you can contact for help or information outside your team who can easily provide answers? Actively seek their contributions—which can also help you build your network.
Good managers get results, motivate their teams, gain trust from their employers, and build relationships with their clients. Improving how we deliver our products—information, strategies, and satisfaction—to all our stakeholders increases our efficiency and, even more important, our effectiveness.
Take some time to think about your last mile. Do you have to repeat instructions to your team, find yourself being micromanaged by leaders, or deal with repeat customer complaints? If your last mile is already strong, how does your performance help you stand out?
Want to discover more management tips and training? Check out Gillespie Associates’ Leadership Resources.