Loichinger Advantage

Tips for Success

Even with the value and guidance of an external consultant, there are any number of things that organizations can do to focus and develop their supervisors, managers and executives.

• Tip #1

  Sit down with your management team away from the office, and with the services of an outside consultant and/or facilitator. Establish and inform your team members of the agenda for your full-day discussion – How well are things working? Where do we see the biggest gaps in what we hoped for, and what has happened? What are the most significant strengths and opportunities for your business? What is the strategic intent of your organization, and what three priorities should consume 80% or more of your associates effort?

• Tip #2

  Ask each manager within your organization or business to review and report on their top three business goals and measures. Help them understand that you are not looking for pretty charts or fancy graphics, but a one page summary of what they are focused on today. Have them present to the senior management team in 15 minutes, and allow 15 minutes for dialogue. Make sure they understand that their report is not a representation of their ability, but the ability for the senior management team to clearly identify and communication the current organizational priorities. Thank them for their efforts, and reconvene them in a month to share your observations, the report card on your senior management performance, and to ask for ideas on how to better focus the goal setting effort.

• Tip #3

  Assemble a small, cross-functional team of your best people for the task of collecting the key measures used within your organization, to query similar organizations on their key measures, and to research benchmarking opportunities within your reach. Let them know that they will have access to senior management and to the industry think tanks and associations that you belong to. Have them report on the state of organizational measurement and the opportunities to improve upon them.