Power of Pinpointing Accountability
I have always said that if I were to write a book on effective management principles, the first chapter in that book would be about the importance of pinpointing responsibility among an owner's or a general manager's reporting units. After all, one of the most popular definitions of management is getting work done through others.
#1 Management Pitfall: An unwillingness to delegate.
Many times the owner or general manager is the most knowledgeable and the most capable person in the company; he or she can perform many tasks better than anyone else. The problem arises when managers decide that they are the only people in an organization who can really perform a task "right."
While this may be true, when managers feel a strong need to be in total control by personally taking charge of the company's most critical tasks, they have made a very personally limiting decision. Why? Because any single person has just so many hours in a day. So managers who are poor at delegating are limited by their own personal mental and physical stamina.
A manager friend of mine recently told me a great story that I believe illustrates this point extremely well. This particular owner had founded his business almost 40 years ago and had designed the company's first product catalog about 25 years ago. The catalog was highly successful, so he continued to hold on tightly to this task himself. No one else in the organization was as capable at selecting products for the catalog or laying out the product selection.
As the business grew, however, the owner became busier and busier with involvement in other critical management functions: Banking relations, negotiating insurance programs, strategic planning, estate planning, acquiring new locations, etc. So the most current catalog was neglected and pretty soon began to look outdated.
A key employee who had worked with the owner in implementing previous catalogues came to him and offered to assume responsibility for the project. However, the owner continued to sincerely believe that only he could do this job and do it "right." But nothing happened.
Realizing that she was taking a risk, the subordinate took it upon herself to take a stab at laying out the catalog. Conscientiously working at home, she burned the midnight oil so the project didn't interfere with her normal duties at work. Finally the project was finished and she presented the rough layout to her boss.
"Wow," he exclaimed. "What a great job!"
The owner finally realized that while the catalog she had designed was not laid out as artfully as perhaps he could have done it himself, the project had gotten done.
What duties and tasks are you holding onto because you perform them better than anyone else? Are you assigning responsibilities to your people and holding them accountable for measurable results?
So ask yourself: Is the success of your business limited by your own personal physical and mental stamina? There's just so much that any one person -- no matter how talented -- can do and do well.
#2 Management Mistake: Failure to hold your people accountable for measurable results.
Have you ever told a manager that the next time you walk into the area of the business he or she is responsible for that you want that area to be neat and organized? Most owners and managers certainly have. Well, how about this question: Have you ever returned to inspect the manager's progress and been disappointed in what you observed?
The reason many times is because the owner's or manager's idea of C-L-E-A-N is substantially different from that of the subornate.
Try this: Prepare an inspection checklist. Describe clearly what your definition of clean is so that the person you're holding accountable will know in no uncertain terms what is expected of him or her.
So often managers are guilty of saying to a subordinate manager: "I want you to reduce expenses out here." But they never suggest how much or expressing the request in measurable terms.
I suggest to my clients that they hold their managers accountable for controlling operating expenses to a specified percentage of sales and pay the manager on his ability to meet this goal.
Management mistake #3: Failure to establish minimum conditions of employment.
In other words, make sure all employees understand in measurable terms what they have to do -- at a minimum -- to keep their job.
Examples:
How many new customers and how much sales volume must a salesperson attract to the business in a given period of time?
What inventory turnover must the buyer achieve at a minimum?
What collection days must the credit manager achieve at a minimum?
How much net margin must the general manager achieve at a minimum?
(Bill Lee is author of Gross Margin: 26 Factors Affecting Your Bottom Line. To order, see shopping cart at www.mygrossmargin.com. Or call 800-808-0534. US$29.95 plus $5 S&H)
Bill Lee is a sought after business consultant and seminar leader. He is author of Gross Margin: 26 Factors Affecting Your Bottom Line and 30 Ways Managers Shoot Themselves in the Foot.
 Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:50:53 GMT Nobel Peace Prize winner wants jobs for the young - International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune - AP HELSINKI, Finland: Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari said Saturday that finding jobs for more than 1 billion young people in the Middle East and Asia will be a major challenge to peacebuilding in the next decade. Ex-President Of Finland Is Awarded Peace Prize Nobel Finn Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:12:07 GMT This week in Apple: New notebooks, new writers, and more Woz - Ars Technica
Ars Technica - By Jacqui Cheng | Published: October 11, 2008 - 09:30AM CT This week's most-read Apple news was all over the map, but in a good way. Don't Buy A Mac Laptop* Apple may launch new laptop Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:43:05 GMT GM Is Said to Be in Preliminary Talks With Chrysler (Update2) - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Jeff Green Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp. is in preliminary talks with Cerberus Capital Management LP's Chrysler LLC about a possible merger or other partnership, people with direct knowledge of the talks said. Source: Chrysler, GM discuss merger, acquisition GM mulled Chrysler acquisition: Huh? Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:39:15 GMT Stevens's Reputation 'Sterling,' Powell Says - Washington Post
Washington Post - By Del Quentin Wilber Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell told jurors in the corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens yesterday that the powerful Alaska Republican had a "sterling" reputation among the nation's military and political leaders. Reporter's Notebook: Powell Takes the Stand for Stevens Powell says Sen. Stevens' integrity "sterling" Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:13:53 GMT Obama Aims for Electoral Edge, Block by Block - New York Times
New York Times - Lukas McGowan is focused on getting voters out on Election Day. “Once we register them,” he says, “that’s only half the job. Obama thanks McCain for remarks, presses attack FOX News poll: Obama leads McCain Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:21:34 GMT Marriage ruling not the end of debate in Conn. - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Now that the Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled same-sex couples have the right to wed, opponents of gay marriage are pinning their hopes on an infrequent ballot question in a longshot bid to block the unions. Video: Connecticut Court Allows Gay Marriage Conn. Ban On Gay Marriage Reversed Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:41:18 GMT Palin hammers Obama on the abortion issue in Johnstown - CNN
CNN - (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took her message to voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday, lashing out at Sen. Barack Obama for his views on abortion. Palin drubs Obama on abortion during Pa. rally Palin Gets Personal On Abortion Issue Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:06:21 GMT RSS Software |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Communication is the key to your success at work, at... Read More I recently received a most interesting phone call.When I answered... Read More Have you ever hired the wrong person? If so, perhaps... Read More I bet you can't tell me how leadership training and... Read More It's clear to me that a workplace is a better... Read More 1. No vision. Successful businesses have a clear vision or... Read More Do you have more projects than time? Help might be... Read More It used to be that only the largest multi-nationals needed... Read More When you know you need to shift up a gear,... Read More On communication: One of the biggest strains on the communication... Read More Some interviewers ask great questions; others ask dumb questions; and,... Read More It happened again. I ran into an old friend while... Read More I read a report in the Toronto Star stated that... Read More After a full week of training, you are still a... Read More As an HR professional, you have responsibilities in several broad... Read More To a narcissist-employer, the members of his "staff" are Secondary... Read More Quality Assurance, or QA, is often given short shrift in... Read More I'm sure you've experienced those typical "headache" meetings! You know... Read More This week I was asked to speak at an internal... Read More I recently gave a presentation to a group of business... Read More The characteristics of job applicants have a strong influence on... Read More The Fundamentals of Strategic Marketing, Some Key Traits for Greater... Read More Picking people for a job is like going... Read More This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More "It is not the strongest species that survives, nor the... Read More
Adsense
websites
The Power of Positive Communication
Management Apathy
Interviewing Candidates: 3 Ways to Avoid Snap Judgments
1000 Managers Turned Their Plans Into Energy!
Finding Common Ground Through Consensus Decision-Making
Where Businesses Fall Short
Let the Intern Do It - Affordable Help for Your Business
The Compliance Officers Killer Application
Future Business Success - What Does Good Look Like?
Communication, Feedback, and Participation: Three Easy Tidbits For Smarter Business
Interviewing: How to Stay Out of legal Hot Water
How to Dodge Distribution Difficulties
Do You Hear That?
Coaching Employees in the Workplace
Outsourcing Problem Analysis
The Narcissist in the Workplace
Use QA As Your First Step To Outsourcing
Holding Effective Meetings Can Be Easier than You Think!
Saying One Thing, Doing Another...
Selecting Top Talent: Improve Your Batting Average
What Every HR Manager Should Know About Hiring Productive Employees
Inspirational Power ( Part 1 )
Great Hires: Avoid Costly Mistakes
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: A New Managers Tale
Change Management
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Creativity and Innovation Management: Specialisation or Generalisation?
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
The Importance of Business Goals
For you to get where you want to go, there... Read More
Good Idea Generation ? A Process
It seems incongruous that good idea generation can be a... Read More
Where Else in Your Business Do You Accept a 60% Failure Rate?
I recently surveyed CEOs and Business Leaders of large companies... Read More
Writing and Revising Your Life Story
Change is not simple. Why do we repeat behavior that... Read More
Cheat Sheet; Understanding The MSDS and Your Obligations In The Workplace To Employees
MSDS SHEETSMSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheets. MSDS sheets... Read More
Saying One Thing, Doing Another...
This week I was asked to speak at an internal... Read More
Strategic Clarity for Communication Management
Over the past few weeks I've been developing plans for... Read More
The Top Three Problems IT Managers Face and How to Overcome Them
Todays business environment has changed drastically from just a few... Read More
Business & Family Safety and Health Rating
For good reason, practically every endeavor in life is rated.... Read More
Year 2010: Permanent Employees No Longer Required
Jack Welch joined a conference that was held in Duke... Read More
Islam in the Workplace
Suggested practice for HR personnelMuslims now form one of the... Read More
Is Your Brain Getting the Memory Full Message? 5 Ways to Free Up Room on Your Brains Hard Drive
Lynn was tapped to head up the project team for... Read More
CEOs Are Great, Top CEOs Are Greater
People in leading positions are often in a dilemma: on... Read More
Collaboration: 3 Keys to Keeping Your Documents from Getting Lost in the Shuffle
Often, collaborating documents in a team or in a business... Read More
Getting to Consensus
The need to get people in an organization to pull... Read More
Interviewing Candidates: 3 Ways to Avoid Snap Judgments
Have you ever hired the wrong person? If so, perhaps... Read More
Creativity and Innovation Management in Conservative, Staid Organisations
Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing... Read More
Reprimanding Marginal Employees
THE MARGINAL PERFORMER: Every manager must, from time to time,... Read More
I Cant Use This Approach Unless My Boss Does - Power, Accountability, and Consequences
People who work with us often struggle with this dilemma:... Read More
Project Management - Are You Done Yet
What happens when a Project Manager asks one of his... Read More
10 Steps Towards A Stress-Free Introduction Into Management
Becoming a manager for the first time can be an... Read More
Creativity and Innovation Management: Incubation and Insight
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Sweet Parting Of Ways
Why settle for bad feelings when your employee leaves the... Read More
Guidelines For Conducting A Good Meeting
Okay, so you've figured out what kind of meeting is... Read More
Business Management |