Speaking of business: Attention to detail makes it possible to reach goals

Q: My organization is struggling to achieve its goals. It seems, at times, that the chaos will overwhelm us. Is there something I can do to bring more structure and objectivity to my organization that will help us accomplish our goals?

A: The hustle and bustle of managing a business can, at times, be overwhelming. It is vital to the success of your business that goals, objectives and metrics are clearly articulated and understood at every level in your organization.

Everyone should understand for what he or she is responsible and accountable. Having a management review process to record and track the activities of your organization is an important element in controlling the chaos and achieving your goals.

The management review process is initiated and used by the leaders of an organization for the purpose of developing focus and accountability around objectives and metrics. It is used to ensure that the necessary elements of the business-management system are in place and that they are producing the outcomes necessary to generate high levels of customer satisfaction and business success.

An effective management review process will keep the organization focused on the few important issues that will have the greatest impact on achieving its goals. It will also ensure that the appropriate people are working on the important issues, and that their progress will be objectively measured. Not only is this important for ensuring that the work is getting done, but it is important for the satisfaction and morale of your employees.

When initiating a management review process, you will need to develop a schedule and format for the reviews and communicate them to the entire organization. Reviews occurring on a regular, periodic basis serve to engage the organization in this very important process.

You will need to align your organizational objectives with customer requirements and business goals. Customer requirements must be satisfied in order to ensure long-term growth and profitability for your business.

Organizational objectives that are at odds with satisfying the requirements of the customer or the business should be carefully scrutinized, and possibly changed.

Metrics are necessary for achieving the objectives of the organization. They provide a framework for employees to prioritize their work. Ideally, all members of the organization will clearly understand how their performance helps the organization achieve its objectives. A set of metrics that is balanced among the major factors affecting the outcomes of the business is an important aspect of organizational success.

Once the objectives and metrics are in place, you can begin to review whether desired outcomes are being achieved. The question here is whether acceptable progress is being made. Sometimes, when desired outcomes are not being achieved, more time or resources are necessary. More time or resources should be applied only when there is a clear plan for their use, and it is clear that the desired outcomes will be met.

Once an agreement has been reached that more time and/or resources are needed to achieve the desired outcomes, then a new set of expectations and accountabilities needs to be put in place and reviewed. When it has been decided that desired outcomes are not being achieved, and that more time and resources will not remedy the situation, then the business process, or method, might not be capable of achieving the desired outcomes.

The absence of a well-functioning business process can create a level of ambiguity in the organization that leads to an ad hoc style of execution. When the functions of the business are being executed in an ad hoc fashion, there tends to be little repeatability and consistency, which leads to an inability of the organization to achieve desired outcomes. When this is the case, then the business process should be re-engineered.

Windsor resident Russell Disberger is a founding member of Aspen Business Group, a Northern Colorado-based specialty consulting and ventur- capital firm. He can be reached at (970) 396-7009, or by e-mail at russell@aspenbusinessgroup.com. Concepts in this article are drawn directly from The Agenda, a book from Michael Hammer.

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