Management New Year Resolutions Part I
Anyone can be a small business owner; it requires no special talent, skill, or training. But being an effective small business manager, well, that's different. The difference between being an owner and a manager can be like the difference between being a biological parent and a nurturing and loving mother or father. There are literally thousands of management issues that we could address - many of which I have covered previously in this space and on my show. The management resolutions I am recommending this year are the ones that often get overlooked in the heat of the battle.
Resolution One: I resolve to find out if there are any "Us Vs Them" attitudes in my company, and eradicate that organizational cancer by creating and maintaining an environment built on TRUST.
I know. I've talked about "Us vs Them" and TRUST in previous articles. But I am unrepentant. We CANNOT talk too much about getting rid of the former in our organizations and creating more of the latter.
How can you tell if members or teams in your organization have "Us Vs Them" attitudes? Left unattended, or absent positive and proactive management, any organization will sprout fiefdoms like a neglected garden sprouts weeds. It's some kind of natural law. An organizational fiefdom is where poorly led employees create their own agendas and operating paradigms. A fiefdom is motivated by one thing, self-preservation - Us Vs Them - the defense of which is often at the expense of the greater organization. Organizational teamwork and harmony is not possible where fiefdoms exist.
If your organization isn't accomplishing the goals you have in mind, first look for fiefdoms, and then at your own management style. If you find fiefdoms remember, it's not your employees' fault, it's yours. The only way to fix this problem is for YOU to install TRUST at all levels.
In an organization built on TRUST, everyone knows the goals and objectives of the company, the part each person and department plays in reaching those ORGANIZATIONAL milestones, and understands the importance of delivering what is promised.
Building your organization on TRUST should become a way of life, not a means to an end. Consequently, it's impossible for me to cover it adequately here. At the end of this article I will provide you with a book and website I recommend.
Resolution Two: I resolve to identify at least one threat to the near, mid, and long term success of my company, and then take corresponding preventive action.
Think of the timeline of the life of your business as a long road trip. And it is ordained on this trip, from beginning to end, that you will negotiate several dangerous railroad crossings. In this metaphor, each dangerous crossing represents a threat to your business. With this knowledge, it should be intuitive that, to the best of your ability, you need to know where and when these crossings will come up.
If you can identify the locations of these crossings, and have a plan to negotiate them, you should be able to avoid a train wreck. If not, any future success will be more a result of dumb luck than good management - not a management style you can take to the bank or bet your retirement on.
The only thing more dangerous than threats to your business is you thinking you don't have any. Here's the good news: Once you practice identifying and avoiding threats, you will get better at it.
Resolution Three: I resolve to do more MBWA (management by walking around) in my business.
This resolution is probably more for veteran owners. In the early days, you're probably all over your business like white on rice - maybe too much. But as your business grows and matures, and you acquire managers to replace you in strategic assignments, your time and attention will be pulled away from the day-to-day physical plant and operations.
When you see yourself losing contact with the organization you built, set aside some time each day, week, or month, depending on how big your holdings are, and just go there and walk around in the factory, warehouse, loading dock, personnel office, etc. Don't take notes or make changes during your walk. MBWA shouldn't create intimidation, anxiety or interruptions for the employees. Any changes that you deem necessary from what you heard and saw should be taken up later in a management meeting.
MBWA is just walking, looking, listening and learning. It's about seeing and being seen, and it's an extremely important management practice for you and your organization.
Resolution Four: I resolve to form at least one strategic alliance, even if it's a little one.
Long-time subscribers know that I believe creating strategic alliances is one of the three significant levers for small business in the 21st Century, along with networking and technology. Organizational critical mass in the past was found only in employees and the assets on the balance sheet. This century, large and small businesses alike will find many critical resources out of the organization and off sheet in the form of alliances, both formal and informal. Strategic alliances, a totally intuitive term, allow an organization to extend its reach without increasing employment, capital, or infrastructure.
Next time you see an opportunity or want to avoid a threat, before you hire or buy anything, or before you miss an opportunity or suffer a threat because you can't afford to hire or buy, look around for other organizations that might already have just the assets you need. When you find them, create an alliance, joint venture, or partnership, or contract, barter, or rent those assets so you can take advantage of that opportunity or avoid that threat.
Leveraging someone else's assets through a strategic alliance is like having grandchildren: You get to play with them for a while and then send them home with their parents.
Write this on a rock... The bad news is, being an effective small business manager isn't easy. The good news is, there are fundamentals you can learn, and tools and resources you can use, that make the job not only possible, but also highly rewarding and extremely worthwhile. Learn and practice those fundamentals, acquire that information, employ those resources, and improve your management skills and performance. You can do it. I promise.
