Getting organized is a means to get where you want to be. Focus on where you want to be and what results you want to achieve for your business. Getting organized is not an end in itself but is a means to get where you want to be. At one time, businesses had stable, simple, straightforward structures that gave everyone involved a good idea of where they stood. The organization chart clearly showed the chain of command. Communications were designed to flow up and down and across the chart. To report or inquire otherwise meant one was out of line. Now businesses are more complex, and organization structures and processes should flow from strategy.
As a business owner, you must develop and maintain structures and processes for carrying out plans and achieving relevant goals. Developing a structure involves dividing the work into meaningful components and then integrating the results. It is important to have goals to work toward. A goal must be specific and measurable and achieved within a specific time frame under specific cost constraints. Depending on your type and size of business, your organization may be very simple, with everyone receiving instructions from you and reporting back to you or more complex with employees reporting to managers who report to you.
Analyze what activities you and your employees spend time on that contribute to the results you want to achieve. You can then organize these activities to meet your goals. Looking at the big picture, of course, the financial goals must stay in line with the work activity goals.
A change of pace along many dimensions suggests the need for flexibility to adapt to circumstances as they arise. The work environment continues to see many changes. There is an accelerating change of pace in technology. It is exciting to see the changes but sometimes frustrating to keep up. Population keeps increasing, and people are more mobile than ever before. Everything seems more temporary and dynamic; and the values, beliefs, and attitudes of all levels are not what they used to be. Many restrictions for businesses have been removed during the past year, and the new tax cuts are providing a boost that is helping businesses and employees see more money in their pockets. Also, the stock market highs have given new hope to many.
This is an exciting time to own a business. Many good changes are happening, and it is important to look at your business and take advantage of the positive changes you are able to make. Organize your activities and those of your employees to meet your goals.
Analyze habits and attitudes that block your effectiveness and learn ways to overcome those habits and attitudes. An accelerating change of pace along many dimensions suggests the need for flexibility and the ability to adapt to circumstances as they arise. Study your business to learn how the work actually gets done and gently incorporate the best features into new designs without stifling spontaneity and creativity. True flexibility is the willingness of the business owner and the employees to implement the behavior that is necessary to make any structure or process work. The ultimate test of organizing or reorganizing is effective and efficient behavior.
Good organization can make a difference in the success of a business. Evaluate your business plan at least annually to see that goals are being accomplished and to write new goals. Remember to focus on where you want to be and what results you want to achieve.
