Effective internal systems are essential to success in the marketplace. Sometimes though it's hard to get a good view of your systems from the inside: it takes an outside perspective.

Most often when a business isn't working internally it comes down to a mix of factors including:

• Effective communication
• Clear lines of responsibility
• Accurate job specifications
• Effective supervision including regular performance reviews
• Trust between management and staff, based on mutual respect
• A positive and supportive social environment within the workplace
• Skills training
• The right person for the job

Isolating the problem usually requires a program of workplace consultation, perhaps leading to working groups that tackle specific issues and usually concluding with a written understanding of how things will work in the future.