Setting Direction Within an Organization

FINDING DIRECTION: An organization can't succeed without direction. Direction means having clear goals and guidelines; set goals and guidelines for staff to follow. When staff direction is needed, you must provide effective procedures for everyone to follow. Have guidelines and goals firmly set to keep the gray areas to the absolute minimum. It's up to you, to keep the departmental goals and that sense of direction so that it is not allowed to be buried beneath the workload.

UNDERSTANDING AN ORGANIZATION'S DIRECTION: Successful leaders also understand the organization's direction, and act along those lines. As a leader, you will also have to maintain a healthy flexibility within the organization. For example, one day you may attend a departmental meeting where the message is, "Spend, spend, spend, new research is your major goal." The next month you may get a memo from the CEO that says, "cut 50% of your research budget in two weeks" .After having just re-directed your group, you must now adopt this new goal and create a lean and mean team that will strip excess expenditures to the quick. If you are a good leader, you are also an informed leader. You should work hard to be a helicopter; always moving around in various circles, hearing what's what so that very little will come as a surprise.

GUIDELINES TO SET DIRECTION: --Set goals and objectives for the organization. Ask, "What does the organization want to accomplish, when, and how?" --Break down goals by department. This gives each sector in the organization a clear picture of their goals. --Encourage staff to set annual goals and objectives. Next, have them break down their goals into monthly tasks, going as far as setting weekly goals. Work towards monthly or weekly goals isn't always feasible, but within time, it will get easier. Set goals is the first step to meeting them. --Organize procedures. Every task has a procedure. Write it down and include it in your procedures manual. Make sure every procedure has a clear set of steps and is accessible to staff. --Delegate. Give responsibility to those who earn it. Don't make every little decision yourself. Give staff responsibility with direction, and you give them greater confidence and competence.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ReadySetPresent and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium

CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

---

Are You in AWE of Your Employees?

Employers have become so concerned about seeming "unfair" or worse... Read More

Management - Mary Poppins Style!

Mary Poppins describes a style of management which has for... Read More

How to Make a Difference Every Day

Every day, everyone can make the world a better place.... Read More

Lead to Succeed: The Seven Essential Steps to Work Leader Success

In my book "You're In Charge?What Now?" I use a... Read More

Employee Turnover: Is It Eating Up Your Profits?

Keeping the cost of doing business down, yet providing a... Read More

7 Essential Elements To Every Organizational Change

[This article is based on excerpts from the special report... Read More

A Checklist for Organized Executives

I could begin this article by providing a checklist of... Read More

Learn About Commercial Collections Agencies Fees

As with any other service, there are good and bad... Read More

Bringing Ideas to Life: Seven Principles for Pulling Together

You're so excited you're practically bouncing off the walls. This... Read More

Catch Your Staff Doing Something Right

A long time ago, I learned something about being a... Read More

The Top Six Reasons to Buy Rather Than Build an Inventory Management Solution

Is building your own inventory management solution really your best... Read More

Increase In-House Nursing Homes Collections

The following nursing home collections report outlines 11 guidelines you... Read More

Performance Evaluation: How To Create Change

STEPS TOWARDS GIVING A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW: Give specific feedback.... Read More

Internal Control - The Why and How

Many retailers do not have good internal controls in place... Read More

Quality Hiring: Are You Doing It Right?

Quality hiring is more than running ads, screening, interviewing and... Read More

Twitch Speed: Reaching Younger Workers Who Think Differently

Every parent, educator, and manager knows that "Nintendo children"--those born... Read More

Crisis Management Essentials - How to Communicate Effectively During a Crisis, Emergency or Disaster

A crisis, emergency or disaster can happen at anytime and... Read More

Best Workplaces

The Best Workplaces report (Financial Times, April 28, 2005) notes... Read More

Supplier Sees 53% Reduction in Out-of-Spec Orders Case Study

The goal of perfection is a challenge. It is often... Read More

The Communications Myth

Living in the 21st Century is truly marvelous, isn't it?... Read More

Boost Your Leadership Skills Simply By Answering The Question, What Does Our Organization Really...

The difference between leaders is ears. Good leaders not only... Read More

The Role of the Machine Metaphor in Mixed-initiative Organizational Leadership

"Can This Marriage be Saved?" So reads the title of... Read More

Internal Communication: 12 Essential Elements

There are 12 essential elements of a successful internal communications... Read More

Managing Dickheads

"We are so different and individualistic that we can't work... Read More

Planning For Growth

Are you planning your business or are you... Read More

Does Your Management Style Remind People Of Something They Read In Dilbert?

With thanks to Jeff Foxworthy, the comedian who does the... Read More

How To Prevent Your New Manager From Becoming A Statistic

According to a study by the Manchester Group, 4 out... Read More

Bullying and the Not for Profit Organisation

Where there is people there is politics! Bullying is now... Read More

Use Noncompete Agreements To Protect Your Business

Q: One of my former employees has launched an online... Read More

Ten Top Ways for Managers to Motivate Their People

So to help start the ball rolling, here are ten... Read More

Drafting an Employee Manual Sample Outline

One of the hardest things I had discovered running my... Read More

Document management : A dream of paperless office

What is document management: When we think about "Document Management"... Read More

Leading Bad Actors To Be Good Performers

A successful leader told me, "The biggest challenge I've had... Read More