WorkOut is a program implemented by Jack Welch in General Electric in the late 1980s to:
- streamline and simplify existing processes,
- eliminate obvious non-value added work,
- quickly identify, prioritize and meet new business initiatives,
- quickly create a business strategy and tactics,
- accelerate decision making and implementation, and
- build an empowered, "ownership" workforce.
The original intent was to remove activities or operations from a process, hence the name WorkOut. A typical WorkOut session addressed large issues and took one to three days, after which the responsible manager would be briefed on the work of the team and be asked to either approve their recommendation, reject it, or request more information. Sessions became shorter as the process spread throughout the Company. The combination of process familiarity and broadening the focus to include smaller issues enabled WorkOut sessions to evolve to much shorter sessions. Sadly, in several GE divisions today the name "WorkOut" is applied synonimously with "meeting," regardless of the approach taken therein.