Trouble getting Organized?

Can’t get started on a project?
The other day someone said,"I've gotta get organized! I can't even start on my project because I can't seem to 'get organized.'"

My advice: write stuff down! Get ideas and information out of your head and on to paper where you can work with them.

In recent blogs, we looked at the problem of "Vanishing Technology" and how you can solve it by writing stuff down... the RIGHT STUFF... And the fact that people HATE to write (of course, I’m not referring to any of my readers).

Managers usually neglect to properly design their organization because it seems too esoteric. However, you should persist. For proper design, you must create a functional Organization Chart. In turn, you will yield benefits sooner than you think. For example, here’s the Org Chart for the top three levels of my company:



Immediate action produces immediate results!

Do You Suffer from Dis-Organization?
DIS-organization means the absence of organization. What are the symptoms of disorganization?

Disorganized THINGS: Missing data and reports... Lost customers... Sloppy logistics - stuff not in the right place at the right time... Cluttered desks, buildings and equipment... Ambiguous communication... Overwhelm from information overload ...

Disorganized ACTIVITIES: Mismanagement of resources... Actions out of sequence... Working on the wrong things... Confusion... Employees focussed on trivial problems while ignoring important areas...

Disorganized PEOPLE: Staffers embroiled in bureaucratic turmoil, disconnected from the organization and its goals... Meetings and events start late and ramble aimlessly forever ...Employee resentment festers into covert sabotage (not as easy to detect as a toupee).

Sound familiar?

OK. HOW do you "get organized? What is an ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY?"
First, let's look at these two words: organize and strategy.

When you ORGANIZE, you arrange things into an orderly, functional, structured whole or pattern, usually for some united action.

So, an ORGANIZATION is a group of people organized for a specific purpose. You create a structure so people can systematically cooperate to conduct business (or whatever).

Simply put, a STRATEGY is a plan of action intended to achieve a specific goal.

So, in plain English, you create an ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY when you arrange things in a pattern or structure so you can act to achieve a specific goal. ("Things" can be data, processes, people, things, etc.)

BTW: Problem solving is when you devise (strategy) and implement (tactics) a way to find a solution or transform a less desirable condition into a more desirable one.

What's an ideal situation for your organization?
Let's imagine an ideal situation for your organization.

You have a functional Organization Chart (Org Chart). You designed it to streamline fulfillment of your organization's Strategic Objective. On your chart, you show your management structure and career paths, and how positions report to each other.

For every position, you have Operations Manuals with: written goals, accountabilities, action plans, standards, work instructions, etc.

Instead of generic job descriptions,you have Position Contracts - signed agreements to produce specific results.

You have written procedures for department interactions, for hiring and firing, etc.

Did you write all this documentation? NO! You had your team write it! So, if you need to replace someone - for any reason - a new person can inherit that job because it's documented. You can even cruise to Acapulco because you've documented YOUR job!

What a concept!

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Exercise for the Serious Organization Builder.
Download an updated (FREE) version of the Business
Builder Outline (PDF file)
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What did you learn today that you found most beneficial?
How will you apply what you have learned at work?

Please email your comments

Best Regards,

Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant
Your partner in streamlining business.

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