Business Management Continued…

Organize

Once you have a plan, you need to be ready to put it into action. Make sure everyone involved is ready to move ahead and do his or her part. Make sure your workers are trained and motivated, and that the materials are ordered and in place. Have a schedule and stick to it. Check back to make sure everyone understands his or her role in achieving the goal.

Direct

Now, it's time to begin. Delegate the necessary tasks and empower each member of your team through motivation and trust. Make sure everyone has the tools and information they need to proceed. Don't be a micromanager. Let people handle their parts and keep in touch with them and adjust as needed.

Monitor

Now that everything is moving, you have to keep an eye on things. Make sure everything is going according to the plan. When it isn't going according to plan, evaluate the progress or roadblocks, work with the team to find a solution and proceed.
Don't expect that everything will run smoothly. It won't. Someone will get sick. A part won't be delivered on time. A key customer will go bankrupt. You, as the manager, have to be aware of what's going on so you can make the adjustments required.

Evaluate

Once a project is complete, step back and assess how everything went. Involve everyone who participated and listen to his or her suggestions, criticisms, praise and evaluations. This will increase your likelihood for success for the next time. It isn't easy to manage people, but it can be done successfully if you learn from each experience. You need to show respect and care about each person you manage. When they feel they are an important part of the team, they will be more willing to put forth their best efforts. Good managers are made, not born. If you struggle at first, keep in mind that you can improve the skills you have with study and practice.

By Margaret Evans