Overview
The Art and Science of Getting Things Done
In the previous book Leadership, you discovered the powerful effect leadership has on your business. You designed a compelling future with the power to inspire and unite all those associated with it, especially you. You built a rock solid foundation that will guide the growth of your business in a productive and organized fashion, and will ensure that it continues to hold true to its purpose.
Now we'll take a look at what it means to manage your business. It's not a question we usually give much thought to, yet the answer reflects your businesses ability to function properly.
Truly great accomplishments come about through the intelligently coordinated efforts of truly great people. If we work hard and if we invest our time wisely we can do a lot on our own, but when motivated people come together to pursue a common goal, the results go far beyond the sum of their individual efforts. Two people working together in an organized fashion will always out-produce two people working separately. Management is the magic that makes this exponential jump in productivity possible.
Management is neither positive nor negative. It's not politically motivated, it's not about the pursuit of power, and it's not manipulative. Management is simply the purposeful organization of work. We can manage well or we can manage poorly. The difference is us, not the process. Of course different styles of management may be more applicable to different working environments, but management is a means to an end, not an end in itself. There is no management process that will compensate for a manager who refuses to treat his employees with dignity. On the other hand, an efficient, organized and respectful manager can and often does compensate for weaker systems. The ultimate goal, however, is excellent management systems being directed by excellent individuals.
Overview
We're going to develop, strengthen and organize your Business Basics through the process of management. We'll rebuild your business from the ground up, eliminating activities that serve no useful purpose, and strengthening those that do. Successful business management requires ongoing development in all major areas of your business, but for organizational purposes, this part has been divided into three sections. The first deals with the fundamentals of your organizational structure and the way it relates to accomplishing your strategic objectives. Next, we'll look at the world of business systems, and follow that up with a look at project management.
Organizational Structure
Organizational structure entails coordinating, organizing and systemizing of the various activities performed by your business. It ensures everything that needs to get done will get done, the right way, every time.
We'll start by reorganizing the structure of your business so it can function and grow without your constant involvement. It's a significant step in the overall development of your business. As a business owner, it's not your job to be responsible for the daily operations of your business. It may be a job that you have to take on for now, but if you want your business to continue to compete and thrive in the marketplace, the bulk of your work must ultimately be strategic in nature. You've got to become the leader of your business, not merely its senior most employee. Most business owners are the lifeblood of their businesses. Without them, their businesses would die an almost instantaneous death, but it shouldn't and doesn't have to be that way.
Systems Theory
This is the coordinating, organizing and systemizing of the every part your business.
In this phase, we'll make sure the systems necessary to run your business are in place, and make sure your business is running smoothly. The long-term success of your business is contingent on your ability to get yourself out of the way and let your systems do their jobs. It may not be possible today, but it should be one of your primary goals.
Project Management
This section deals with the ins and outs of making a project happen. This is something that happens every day in your business, and yet may receive little attention. By systemizing how you and your employees plan and execute projects, you'll save time and resources.
“Getting something done is an accomplishment; getting something done right is an achievement.”