Hello SGI,
My name is David Boyle and I am a Client Success Manager for ESI and Airtime.
Over the past few weeks we have been discussing—what I have described—as the back pocket tools of every great manager. These are management functions that are so basic to the long-term success of your business, you will want to continually practice and perfect their use. To date, we have looked at planning, organizing, and staffing. These three functions are closely related. Today we complete our discussion of the basics by adding “controlling” to your tool belt.
Controlling requires systematically checking actual performance against your standards or plans with the intent of ensuring adequate progress. Controlling also involves discovering the reasons for deviations from your standards—and helps in taking corrective actions.
Much like the navigator of a ship is constantly watching and taking readings to ensure the vessel will remain safe and on course, you as the business leader must constantly be taking readings to remain headed towards your planned target.
A large ship can take a long time and waste a lot of fuel to make a major course correction if they drift too far from their planned course. The good navigator makes a series of small adjustments along the journey and keeps the ship on track with the minimum use of time or resources. A good manager also performs a similar function for his business. Controlling is the function that allows us to make adjustments while the disruption and expense is minimized and the end results can be maximized.
Controlling is closely tied to the planning process. It follows planning and measures compliance of the results. Without a plan, controlling lacks meaning. Without controlling, planning is useless. Understanding the control function helps give greater meaning and importance to why plans are critical, organization is fundamental, and staffing properly is imperative.
Let’s tie it all together?
Start with a plan that has measureable results, timed steps, and accountable individuals. This will make those results, steps, and individuals more “controllable” and the intended outcome more predictable.
Establish standards that help you toward accomplishing the results you need in every phase of your business. You might start with looking at the SGI “Key Performance Indicators.” Then take readings of how you are doing on a frequent basis with tools like the Dailey Management Essentials Report (DME).
Take the appropriate action when you get off course—the same day if possible! Praise the successes, train and encourage when you fall short, and make staffing changes when needed.
Remember, building a business is like any other structure you put together. If you are building a dog house for the back yard, you might feel comfortable just grabbing some boards and nails and a hammer and going after it. But, if your intent is to build a substantial structure, you would never consider starting without the blue prints for the project. You want the notes that tell you the order of construction and the specifications for the materials. You also want to know that you have the right labor available for demanding tasks and who is accountable for each phase. Then you would measure the results along the way to avoid missing the anticipated costs. Why expect anything different when building your business.
Plan, organize, staff, and control! Master these basic skills and the results will be worth the effort.
Until next time. This is David Boyle with your Coach’s Corner.