strategic planning: innovation: management: success

SOME BUSINESS RESOLUTION THOUGHTS

What successful companies have mastered…

Are you running your business or is your business running you? If you feel it’s time to regain control, you might want to review this list of the seven interwoven characteristics of superior organizations. Consider working these into your business or organizational plans for 2009.

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF SUPERIOR ORGANIZATIONS

1 They are Customer Oriented.
Be passionate about serving the needs of your customers. Listen to them and be committed to enhancing the relationship with superior service.

2 They Have a Plan.
You’ve got to know where you are headed. A solid plan brings together the necessary focus, clarity and accountability. Keep the plan simple, understandable and use it religiously!

“The future ain’t what it used to be.” – Yogi Berra

3 They Have an Operating Budget Including Cash Flow.
You’ve got to have some financial discipline to go with your plan. Understand how your costs behave and how they can be controlled. Which expenses are fixed? Which ones vary with volume? What is your break-even point? Know your cash flow cycle and how it behaves.

4 They Keep Score.
You’ve got to track progress. It is difficult to manage what you can measure. Use graphs and make your score-keeping highly visible. But don’t forget your “gut” as many aspects of any business can be difficult to measure or graph.

5 They Have Routine Business Review Meetings.
Gather your team monthly for a disciplined review and assessment. Are you on track? What’s changing and how can you react to correct problems and harvest opportunities? Is everyone on your team on the same page? Do they communicate with each other and understand how what they do helps the organization?

6 They Hire Right, Train Rigorously & Reward on Merit.
A good team is essential. Hire carefully, develop skill sets, and reward performance. To remain competitive you’ve got to be a continually learning organization.

7 They Use the Best Affordable Tools.
Use the best affordable technology to help you. Be picky about your tools but don’t skimp on the ones that will drive performance. Invest in your tomorrow.

To be a winning organization you’ll need a combination of passion, discipline, creativity and accountability. Are you up for the challenge?

Greg Pashke , CMC is  President of Pashke Consulting and provides business mentoring, strategic and tactical planning, and financial modeling services. Greg is a big proponent of The One Page Plan approach to managing the day to day performance of an organization. He is committed to continuous learning and skill development. Greg’s mantra is “to get a lot done & have a lot of fun”.
Website: http://www.pashkeconsulting.com/