I receive a regular email titled, “Management Intelligence…… from Edward de Bono and Robert Heller” ((http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/)) . Their most recent email was “Management Intelligence: A proven checklist for business success”. Here is the checklist they provided:
“DO YOU…
- IMPROVE basic, measured efficiencies continuously?
- THINK simply and directly about what you are doing and why?
- BEHAVE towards others as you wish them to behave towards you?
- EVALUATE each business and business opportunity with total, fact-based objectivity?
- CONCENTRATE on what you do well?
- ASK questions ceaselessly about performance, markets and objectives?
- MAKE MONEY- knowing that, if you don’t, you can’t make anything else?
- ECONOMISE always seeking Limo (Least Input for Most Output)?
- FLATTEN the organisation to spread authority and responsibility?
- ADMIT to your own failings and shortcomings and correct them?
- SHARE the benefits of success with all those who helped to achieve it?
- TIGHTEN up the organisation wherever and whenever you can because familiarity breeds slackness?
- ENABLE everybody to optimise their individual and group contribution?
- SERVE your customers with all their requirements to standards of perceived excellence in quality?
- TRANSFORM performance by innovating creatively in products and processes including the processes of management?
Again from this email concerning this list: “These questions penetrate to the heart of successful management. They have passed, and will pass, the test of time.
This list looks a lot like others I have seen, and certainly many entries would be on such a list that I might create. But, whenever I see lists like this, I say to myself, “Great, but how do I do this?” Lets just take number 15, for example, “Transform performance by innovating….”. What business processes do I put in place that assure that these results are regularly and sustainably produced? Or, what approaches and tools do I deploy to achieve number 8, “Economize…” ? Again, are there tools and approaches available that assure the we meet number 13, “ENABLE everybody to optimize their individual and group contribution?” Continue reading