Manager's Annual Plan, Part 3 - Do I Have The Right Team?
You know the company's mission statement (see Part 1- What Are We Doing?)
You know what your group has to
do to support it (see Part 2 - Reaching Your Goals)
Do you have the right people to get it
done?
The one thing that keeps managers awake nights most often is trying to figure
out how to cover the group's responsibilities with the resources available. Some
people are broadly skilled; some are more specialized. Some work really hard;
some produce less. You have to figure how to fit all the pieces together to
cover the total job.
To determine whether you have the right people on your team to get the job
done you have to determine the aptitudes, attitudes and skills of each
individual and then evaluate the combined total.
Skills
Everyone is skilled at doing something.
What skills do each of your people have that are related to the job? Who can
read the blueprints? Who knows how to run the machinery? Does someone know how
to write advertising copy? Is there a programmer on the team?
How good is each individual at this task? Do they know it well enough to
teach others? How much will it decrease your production if you have your best
laminator train someone else? Would it be better to have someone else who is
less skilled do the training or would that reduce the quality of the output?
Aptitudes
In addition to the things that they
do, people have things they can do. Someone who is good with their hands, for
instance, can more easily be trained for a manual task than someone who is not
as manually adept , but is a good problem solver. It's probably easier to train
your accountant to calculate takt times than to design a new logo. People enjoy
doing things that interest them and those are the things they do best.
Attitudes
Some people are team players. Some
prefer to work alone. Where one person might be very good at explaining complex
issues, another might excel at inspiring the group. In addition to making sure
your group has the necessary skills, you have to make sure the "chemistry"
works. A group that works well together will produce more and better quality
output than will another group whose members are in conflict.
How have you solved these personnel problems? Did you motivate an
under-performer to the top producer ranks? How did you handle that
prima-donna? Post your comments on our Management
Forum or respond to what others post.
Workload
After you evaluate your team, and
organize them for the best results you have to determine whether it's enough. If
the best team you can form can only produce eighty percent of your goal, you
need more people. Your boss probably won't add headcount to your department just
because you ask for it. You need to assess the workload in measurable terms to
support your request for additional people. Two links from PHF Services Inc. can
help you with that task:
