Positioning Systems Blog

When I became a manager I recall wanting to do things right.   I made a point of truly focusing on the people I managed. At the time I had no idea the value and importance of systems, so my entire thought process was to help nurture the people I managed and help them to be more effective. If I could help them reach their potential I felt I would succeed as a manager.

 

At first that meant catering to their every need, however as time and my experience evolved I recognized that many of the management practices I needed to follow had less to do with focusing on my people and more to do with getting the results that the business needed to produce. 

 

Management is not about managing people, it is about managing the system. The system produces results and what you need are people who agree with the culture and mission of the business so they are willing to immerse themselves in the system in order to produce expected results. That’s not to say people aren’t important and that you don’t need to manage them as well, however the emphasis must first be on the system in order to get the outcome required so the business can thrive.

 

The Rockefeller Habits Three Disciplines; priorities, metrics, and meeting rhythms provide accountability. Metrics are benchmarks that assure that your people are following the system and are producing the expected results. Priorities each day need to be established and followed so the team can stay on course with what is expected. Meeting rhythms help the team communicate their metrics, stay true to their priorities, change them when necessary, and alter the systems if performance can be improved or if another method is discovered that produces a better outcome. Meetings also provide teaching moments for improved performance and teamwork. It is the manager/leader’s responsibility to continually improve his team. Thus training is an integral part of the manager’s accountability to the progressive growth that helps your staff expand and realize their potential.

 

Most of our clients begin meeting rhythms with Daily Huddles which combine the three disciplines of priorities, metrics and meeting rhythms immediately. It takes some investigative work to develop metrics for your team if you don’t have them already in place. Most businesses find that even without metrics in place there an immediate improvement in workplace communication when Daily Huddles are started.  

 

I find reinforcement for Growth Requires Strategic Discipline sometimes in the strangest places.   We’ll look at a movie that emphasizes a theme common in Jim Collin’s books, and a book I’m reading, Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin, in my next blog.  

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Positioning Systems helps business owners and entrepreneurs transform their business.   We provide the tools and coaching to help you take control of your business -- rather then having your business control you.