Category Archives: Management

#88 Checks and balances

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Mistakes happen. They happen more often than we would like. The faster the pace in the work environment, the higher the urgency, the more the likelihood of mistakes.

Checks and balances are a way to catch mistakes before they happen, and if they do happen, find and fix them before they make things worse. Before you implement a process or system for checks and balances, know that the cost must justify the benefit. On the one extreme, we have the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, it provides military grade checks and balances. On the other extreme you have a quick informal review to check and double check progress and status.

A system of checks and balances will work when the culture encourages openness about feedback and the need for rapid course correction. Defensiveness will stall feedback, delay course correction, and create performance problems.

When protection of egos becomes more important than customer satisfaction, the organization is heading for trouble. You could go to the other extreme as well, give the customer so much importance that employees become a means to an end. This is bound to lower morale and lower employee engagement.

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#86 Creating and sharing the plan

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The maturity level of an organization is often visible via the planning process. Publishing a plan is scary stuff. In most organizations it commits you and any deviations can (and will) be held against you. If this is the case, only the very brave or the very foolish will make a plan.

The strong ones among you know that a plan is a mere baseline, and the assumptions behind the plan mean more than the plan itself. You are not afraid to publish Service Level Agreements, point out the critical capabilities you need, and prioritize your effort keeping the best interests of the organization in mind.

The fact that a person is publishing a plan shows a higher level of confidence and maturity. The ability to control anxiety among stakeholders when the plan changes and evolves is a sign of executive presence. The ability to negotiate and obtain resources is a sign that your plan is aligned with the highest priorities. The ability to make a plan that works is a sign that you understand what it takes to execute your strategy.

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