Management Questions

Exit interviews provide insights you can use to keep others from leaving. Here’s what every manager should ask:

• If the CEO left unexpectedly today and you were put in charge, what are the first things you would change?
• What could have changed six months ago that would have prevented you from looking for a new job?
• If you weren’t looking, what factors tipped the scale when an opportunity came up?
• Who do you think is next to resign? And why?
• If one person leaving the firm would cause you to think twice about leaving, who would that person be?
• Why didn’t you leave us sooner than now?
• How did your manager communicate your responsibilities? Do you think he or she was fair and reasonable?
• Describe any areas of conflict that have affected either your performance or morale, or that you believe affected other employees.

Source: Burning Questions (sidebar to article, Goodbye and Good Luck) / Scott Westcott / Inc. Magazine, April 2006

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• What types of mistakes do customers tend to make while making this kind of decision? Make sure the decision process avoids these mistakes.
• What do customers most frequently overlook or not consider? Make sure the decision process brings these elements into consideration.
• What are the most difficult things for a customer to understand? Determine ways to communicate these elements precisely.
• What must a customer understand to reach a fully informed decision? Make sure the decision process brings these to the customer in an orderly fashion.
• What level of professional education or experience is required to understand each specialty area of the decision? Make sure that you engage in the decision process those people who have the required experience or professional background.

Source: The Decision to Buy / Jeff Thull / MarketingProfs.com, April 18, 2006

21No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2006/04/18/preventing-purchasing-decision-mistakes/Preventing+Purchasing+Decision+Mistakes2006-04-18+16%3A40%3A03Administrator Posted by Administrator / Sales Questions

These seven questions, taken together, indicate respondents’ perceptions of their workplaces’ diversity focus (WDF), which correlates highly with important workplace attitudes. Employees whose companies have lower WDF scores are less likely to feel satisfied with or loyal to their company — and they’re also less likely to stay with their employer — than employees whose companies have higher WDF scores.

• I am aware of my company’s efforts to create diversity in the world
• I believe that my company is adequately striving for diversity in the workplace
• I value my company’s diversity efforts in making a welcome and tolerant work environment for all employees
• I believe that my company’s workforce diversity contributes to our competitiveness in the marketplace
• I trust senior management of my company or organization to deal with issues concerning equal treatment at my workplace
• The head of my company or organization is committed to diversity at my workplace
• If I experienced discrimination at my workplace, I am confident that my employer would be able to resolve it in a fair and just manner, once I raised the issue

Source: When Equal Opportunity Knocks / David C. Wilson / Gallup Management Journal, April 2006

201 Comment »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2006/04/13/workplace-diversity-focus-items/Workplace+Diversity+Focus+Items2006-04-13+20%3A17%3A28Administrator Posted by Administrator / Human Resources Questions

• Can you describe your company’s identity in a few words?
• Does your company’s identity match the key success factors for your business?
• Do you use your company’s identity as the basis for strategic decisions?
• Is your company’s identity integrated into its key processes?

Source: Return on Identity / Ulrich Pidun, Daniel Stelter / Boston Consulting Group (BCG), March 30, 2006

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Traditional Measurement Needs
Financial

• Are we focusing on the right financial measures to judge the success of our company/divisions/units?
• How much of our value is reflected in our balance sheet? Do we have the right balance between financial and non-financial measures to address key intangible assets beyond the balance sheet?

Operational

• Do we have the right short-term operational measures in place to respond quickly when an activity central to the core business (around sales and delivery to customers) goes awry?
• To what extent do we measure both the effectiveness and efficiency of operational processes?

Operational

• How well do we measure and monitor shifts in customer needs and expectations?
• Do our operational teams clearly understand their role in fulfilling customer needs, and are they measured and provided incentives accordingly?

Employee

• Have we aligned compensation to our strategic objectives, and how is performance measured, rewarded, and recognized?
• Do we regularly measure employee satisfaction and take action with the results?

Emerging Measurement Needs
Market

• How well does our measurement system track changes in industry and external forces that impact the continuing relevance of our strategy/business model?
• What do we need to measure and monitor on an ongoing basis around existing and emerging competitor activities?

Stakeholder

• Do we understand who our stakeholders are, what their needs and expectations may be, and measure how we are meeting those needs and expectations, as well as trade-offs between stakeholders? Do we fall prey to assuming we know what stakeholders want?
• How well do we measure and monitor shifts in stakeholder needs and expectations?

Strategic

• Do our measures align with and facilitate implementation of our strategy?
• Has the measurement system been reviewed/updated for recent events including strategic changes, acquisitions or divestitures, leadership changes, and industry or regulatory changes?
• Does the measurement system tell us if the vision/mission/strategy is “alive” and driving behavior in the organization?

Resource

• Do we have measures in place to tell us how well we are marshalling resources today and whether we have the right tangible and intangible resources to achieve our strategy?
• Do we have the right information to determine where we should be building and acquiring competencies (talent, alliances, distribution channels, software, etc.) for the future?

Source: Achieving Measurable Performance Improvement in a Changing World / KPMG

18No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2006/04/03/kpmgs-emerging-and-traditional-measures-questions/KPMG%27s+Emerging+and+Traditional+Measures+Questions2006-04-03+22%3A56%3A24Administrator Posted by Administrator / Metrics Questions