Printed
with permission from The
Vance Caesar Group - Premier Leadership Coaching. Our
executive coaching results are known throughout Southern
California because of our 24 years of experience in the
market and our results! When alumni from such organizations
as Deloitte & Touche, Sony, Raytheon, Taco Bell, Freedom
Communications, Boeing, Conexant, Arco, and numerous emerging
companies and non-profits tell their success stories, they
include us as an important element…which makes us proud.
In
Search Of Excellence
by Thomas J Peters and Robert N. Waterman Jr.
1. A Bias for Action : This is about getting things done.
There must be a free flow of information and open communication.
The open and informal organization is more flexible and
is able to take quicker action to institute changes needed
to keep up in today's business world.
Management
needs to get out of the office and out and about to communicate
with the people of the organization. Small groups, or action
oriented task forces can tackle projects or problems quickly
and not get bogged down in bureaucracy.
Don't
be afraid to experiment. Successful companies who want to
get things done are not afraid to try things, to experiment.
Again, the flexible and informal organization is the context
in which "trying something new" will work.
2. Close to the Customer : It's obvious that businesses
need customers, but many forget about their customers. Successful
companies have an obsession about the customer, usually
pertaining to quality, reliability, or service. Excellent
product quality and reliability will make a satisfied customer.
Great service will keep the customer coming back.
3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship : Sometimes it takes a
Champion to take an idea or process and keep at it through
numerous failures until success is reached. The organization
that is flexible and supportive of the creative process
will be successful in the long run. The excellent company
must foster in?house competition, with intense communication
and be able to tolerate failure.
4. Productivity through People : People need to be treated
as adults. If workers are treated as partners, with dignity
and respect this will create the primary source of productivity
gains.
Companies
that develop a philosophy and live the philosophy that involves
everyone within the organization with the overall success
of the company will become better for it.
Management
by wandering around and an apparent lack of rigid command
chains will foster better communication and exchange of
ideas. This will eventually increase productivity.
5. Hands?On, Value?Driven : Excellent companies make a serious
effort to shape values. The right values, clearly expressed,
will help define the organization. It is difficult to teach
values through written policy statements. Stories, myths,
and legends will go a long way to transmit the organizations
value system. The values of an organization compare to the
vision of today's modern companies.
6. Stick to the Knitting: Do not champion mindlessly holding
on to yesterday, diversification is a good thing. But organizations
that branch out remaining somewhat close to their primary
skill will be more successful.
Many
acquisitions take up important time of top executives as
they try to learn and control the new company and the synergy
that was thought to exist does not pan out. Excellent companies
acquire in an experimental way, buying small or starting
new, willing to get out if it fails.
7. Simple Form, Lean Staff : The size of a company can make
it complex, but you need to work at making things understandable
for the tens, hundreds or thousands who are the people who
are making things happen, few administrative layers and
few people at the upper levels.
Excellent
companies are flexible when dealing with fast changing conditions.
A company needs to be efficient in the basics, innovative
on a regular basis and responsive to threats.
8. Simultaneous loose-tight properties : This is the coexistence
of the firm's central direction and individual's autonomy.
Companies that are loose- tight may be rigidly controlled,
but they still foster entrepreneurship and innovation within
the ranks. The climate will foster dedication to the core
values of the company, while tolerating and empowering those
same employees.
The
above summary has been provided to you compliments of The
Vance Caesar Group - Premier Leadership Coaching.
