In a time of low demand, Question Your Process.  There are really only two business cycles; the Up Cycle, when you can't seem to keep up with the demands of customers, and the Down Cycle, when there is just not enough demand to keep your organization busy.  The Down Cycle is where most of us are now.   Because by definition we are "not busy," now is the time for us to question the way we do business if we want to Come Back Better.  There will never be a better time.
       Any business enterprise, whether a social service agency, a supplier of goods and services for profit, or a professional service, has a business process.  It may be a combination of many processes - finance, sales, marketing, production, delivery or research.  An enterprise that has a history will use some processes that are purposely designed and some that "just happened."  Some were very effective when first used and some happened because of an inspiration or a particular stress that indicated the need for a change in our original process.  Some have stood the test of time and some may not serve our purposes today.  We need to question all of them.  Our criterion for evaluation should be "Can this process be done better?"  
    Here's what I mean by the term "process:"  It is the way you do a business function.  It is method, procedure, tactics.

    Rules for Questioning.   The goal in the questioning process is an improved business.  Improving means changing.  Your enterprise will not Come Back Better if it does not change.  It's probably true that every function in your business process can be improved.  Overlook nothing.  Keep these rules in mind: