The management.about.com website thought about the most important questions in any business. This list is the result:
1) Does the company have enough talented people?
Successful leaders consciously surround themselves with capable, talented people. They put together whole teams full of such experts, because this is the only correct strategy. Part of the responsibility of every leader is to find talented people and help them to fully develop their potential. Therefore, you have to choose people who are open minded and who show a desire to learn and improve. When a mistake is made during recruiting, it is likely that person will sooner or later leave the company. Poorly conducted recruitment is the primary cause of high turnover in many companies. That is why choosing people carefully is so important.
2) Are we clear about what our objectives are?
Once you have right people, you must make sure that every last company employee knows what his or her goals are. Everybody must know what they are expected to achieve. Discuss goals with your people. If some of them are not able to describe the goal or goals, but they are only able to provide descriptions of their activities, is it a clear need for improvement. Set clear goals, since they not only make decision making easier, but also increase productivity.
3) Are various departments objectives aligned?
If everyone is clear on his goals, but those goals contradict each other, it will not work. You must make sure that all teams and departments are, in terms of goals, united and going in the same direction. If one department chases its goals without regard to the goals of other departments, it may damage your customer experience and lower your revenues.
4) Are people really held accountable for what they do?
Discipline is necessary for achieving any goal, although it may be somewhat uncomfortable in the short term. What works well are regular meetings at which objectives and their fulfillment are evaluated. These meetings will keep everyone focused.
5) What about the competition?
The best companies are always well aware of how they are doing in comparison to their competitors. It helps them find new opportunities and determines the right direction.
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