Management - 2016 Archive

What? Who? How? When? Where? As you ask these questions, you are most likely requesting specifics about a person, place, or thing. However, when you ask "why" you are seeking reason, thought, and insight. "Why" is a powerful question that makes the recipient take a moment to articulate their perception of the question. At times it may make them uncomfortable, or dig deep into their minds for the answer. The answer to a "why" question is often subjective based on the person's experiences and values. 
 

When you are ready to involve your team in discussing metrics it's important to look at and understand the language that you will use to introduce the concept to your employees. Sure, setting metrics is nothing new, but if handled wrong it can create the wrong mindset with employees. 

We once overheard a client referring to Quantification as that 14 letter word. It made us laugh, because we've also felt the pain of trying to decide how and when to quantify results. It seems simple enough, but the truth is sometimes it's a struggle. This month we've been discussing the importance of metrics to a position and we've mentioned the need to track metrics in the last insight, but it's important enough to dive deeper.

Quote: "A good leader should focus on making sure everyone is being given the tools to do their job, not just expecting - poof! - that they're going to produce great work." Anne Sweeney

If  you followed along last week, you've made your "nice" list or rather the list of metrics that you will use in order to evaluate the performance of an employee. This week we're going to discuss checking that list twice. Here's the thing about metrics; they have to be set-up correctly or the results will absolutely fail.

"He's making a list, and checking it twice; Gonna find out who's naughty and nice." J. Fred Coots, Henry Gillespie

As we've discussed before, there are always things that are happening to your business. Those things that happen to your business are difficult, because even when they are good they are outside of your initial control. This month we've looked at the point of view to take, how you can prepare, tools to assist in problem solving, and the importance of leadership. We want to leave you with a quick reminder. There will always be things that happen to your business. You may not be able to control them, but you can always choose to control how you react to them. Having the right resources is an important step in reacting to all the things that can happen to your business. Listed below are a few resources for you to consider:

This month we're focusing on how you react to things that happen to your business. We've discussed the importance of attitude andmaking time for preparations, but what do you do when it's go time? When you're in the middle of a crisis, or a new opportunity or challenge is coming straight at you? After all it's not like you can have a system for when things go wrong; a system for how to think through a problem; or, an opportunity that is happening or just on the horizon... or can you?

QUOTE: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."   
~ Abraham Lincoln