Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

Tom Foster at his Management Skills Blog, recently offered a template to spur those who forget to even look at the plan they have for their business in the next year.

He talks about a division of a company that paid $12,000 for a consultant and having only three people over the course of the year even taking time to look at it. Talk about a disconnect.

When asked about this years plan, Carl’s (division manager) response was this, “Planning is one of those management skills that I always seem to put off.” He was dreading even the thought of going through the motions this year.

The response to this was the asking of this question: “Carl, at the end of this year, do you want your division to be exactly as it is, now?” That is the question all of us as managers need to continually ask ourselves. Another way of putting it would be, “Are we satisfied completely with the way things are operating? Is everything just as it should be according to the purpose of the company?”  

It is at this point where three questions are asked of Carl:

How can you design those changes so they are well thought-out? 

How can you communicate your ideas clearly to other people?

How can you bring people together to discuss your ideas so they have a better chance of getting done?”

It was at this point that Carl realized that he needed to do something about it. He responded to these questions by discovering that he needed to write down his ideas and make them clear to himself. Only then could he make them clear to others.

It was at this point that the offer of a template to help was made. You can read about it here.