Monkey Business Management – Stop Being in the Middle

by William Germanetti, @iMPACTbizCoach  1/4/2015

New Year’s Resolution for your Business Management Strategies

How is your Business going? For your business New Year’s Resolution, reflect on 2014. Did it feel like Monkey Business? Did it feel like you were the Monkey in the Middle?  You know that

business coach to auto run a company

game, where someone got picked to start (you) and the others played keep away. Well, there are some helpful business lessons here.

You Are the Problem (if you are always in the middle)

Most businesses have a People-Driven Organizational Chart. When you do this, instead of a Functionally-Driven Organization Chart, the business becomes limited. Limited by what any 1 person in the Chart can do.  When you put yourself in the middle, as the leader, approver, double-checker, micromanager, you limit your business, your employees and your iMPACT on your customers.

We all want to be involved, to be in the middle. That’s our human desire to control and (over)manage.  Instead, go back to the primary goal, our businesses were created to serve a purpose and we can’t do that if we don’t do it consistently and profitability.  Putting ourselves in the middle works against that.

Clear Expectations and Delegation are the Answer

Why are We Always in the Middle?

  1. We pushed ourselves there.
    • Due to our micromanagement.
    • Due to lack of trust.
    • Due to unrealistic expectations.
    • We haven’t developed a process or system.
  2. Employees pulled us there.
    • We were inconsistent in our responses.
    • We were heavy in our disappointment (last time) – negative reinforcement and lack of mentoring.
    • We left it up to the employee to decide what is most important?

How to Get Out of the Middle?

  1. Make sure theVision or Purpose of the company is Clear
    • Not just outside the company with Marketing, but inside the company among all of the teams
  2. Make clear how the overall company and Function Areas work together to get it done
  3. SetExpectations of each Function Area and each Function Team Member
    • It’s best to make the employees part of this process
  4. Delegate
    • Push back if they try to pull you in (when not really needed)
    • Ask questions instead of answering them
  5. Monitor and Measure for Feedback
    • Create short but meaningful measurements (with performance targets) to let you (and them) know its working (or not)

 

iMPACT Business Coaching works with Owners (and their teams) to clarify vision, facilitate strategy and implement action plans. www.iMPACTbizCoaching.com

 

– See more at: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:IgdcEHYeG-sJ:www.impactbizcoaching.com/category/management/+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us#sthash.FJN73ODP.dpuf

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