Management Questions

Dave Anderson, author of “No-Nonsense Leadership: Real World Strategies to Maximize Personal & Corporate Potential” (Learn to Lead Press, 2001), offers an eight-point reality check to help you determine whether entitlement is still alive and well in your organization:

1. You base promotions and job retention on tenure, not performance.
2. You give bonuses, whether or not people have earned them.
3. Employees get raises regardless of performance.
4. You dump money into incentive programs that enrich everyone rather than rewarding only the top performers.
5. Your employee reviews and evaluations are overly positive and shy away from telling people they’re failing.
6. You set no-brainer performance standards designed to make people feel comfortable rather than making them stretch to reach a higher level.
7. You spend equal amounts of time, energy and resources on all employees instead of focusing on the top performers.
8. You’d rather be well-liked and popular than confront poor performance and hold others accountable for results.

Source:
Upfront: Death of the Entitlement Culture
by Laurie Brannen
Business Finance, December 2002

179No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/30/a-culture-of-entitlement/A+Culture+of+Entitlement2007-09-30+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Organization Questions

1. Mind-engaging work
   When was the last time you got so caught up in interesting work that you lost track of time? What were you doing? What was it — about the work itself, how you were going about it, its connection to a greater good — that made this such a wonderfully consuming activity?
2. Seeing the fruits of your labor
   When you want to see the results of your work, what do you look at? How do you know that your effort is having a positive impact? If you could wave a wand and instantly create a more meaningful system for tracking results, what would it look like?
3. Positive problems
   John W. Gardner observed, “We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” What is your biggest insoluble problem? What makes it so tough to tackle, and what is the great opportunity that lies within? How would you go about pursuing this opportunity if you divided the challenge into manageable steps?
4. Meetings, meetings, and more meetings
   How many hours do you spend each week in meetings? How many of these hours are well spent, and how many are wasted? If you could redirect that unproductive time to worthwhile activity, what would you do?
5. The voice of the customer
   When your customers talk about your organization behind your back, what do you think they say? Who has the highest praise, who is most critical, and why? Now think about your own immediate customers: When they talk about you personally (and you know they do!), what do they likely say?
6. The community-individuality balance
   What gets greater emphasis in your workplace: teamwork and togetherness, or individuality and diversity? If it’s teamwork and togetherness, does the pursuit of unity prompt people to downplay their differences? If individuality and diversity are the main focus, does the workplace ever feel like a loose collection of conflicting styles and agendas? What can be done to maintain a good balance between unity and uniqueness?
7. From passive complaints to positive action
   What is your biggest complaint about the workplace? Now, rephrase it in the form of a positive goal. Here’s an example: “I’m tired of busywork. I spend half my day crunching numbers that no one looks at.” Here’s the corresponding positive goal: “I’d like to spend my time on work that relates to our mission and affects our customers. If my number-crunching has real value, I’d like to know exactly how.” After defining the goal, think action: What can you and others do to make it happen?
8. Giving and getting respect
   Johann von Goethe said, “The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.” What did Goethe mean, and how does this play itself out in your workplace? What could be done right now to make respect one of the workplace’s greatest strengths?
9. Can we talk?
   Is there an elephant in your workplace — a big problem or concern that no one ever talks about? Something that’s well-known to all and in desperate need of dialogue? If so, why is the elephant so unacknowledged? What are the risks of talking about it? What are the potential benefits?
10. Empowering yourself
    “If I had just a bit more authority at work, I would _____.” Fill in the blank with several actions you’d like to take right now to be more effective in your job. Then explore why you can’t. What’s holding you back? What is the one action you can get started on right now?

Source:
Ten Conversations That Can Transform Your Workplace
by Tom Terez
The CEO Refresher

178No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/29/10-conversations-that-can-transform-your-workplace/10+Conversations+That+Can+Transform+Your+Workplace2007-09-29+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Organization Questions

• Where are you going? (preferred future)
• What do you believe in? (principles)
• Why do you exist? (purpose)

Source:
Who Are You and What Do You Want?
by Jim Clemmer
The CEO Refresher

177No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/28/3-organizational-ps/3+Organizational+Ps2007-09-28+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Organization Questions

The following list of questions about supply chain characteristics can be used as a beginning benchmark of how well your company is progressing with supply chain management.

• We clearly understand the strengths and weaknesses of our current supply chain sub-processes and have developed action plans for improvement?
• We have defined our supply chain improvement objectives and have unwavering management commitment to achieve superior performance in our industry?
• Our Supply Chain system provides high quality, relevant and timely information flow that effectively supports decision-making for inventory replenishment, capacity activation and for synchronizing material flows at all tiers within the supply chain?
• Supply Chain process operational responsibilities are well-defined and personnel are thoroughly trained and cross-trained?
• Our supply chain does not operate on “push” technology rather it is based on “pull” to actual demand?
• We have dismantled organizational silos that resulted in cross-functional barriers to high velocity information and material flows?
• We continually pursue improving our supply chain processes by streamlining information and material flows to support short-cycle, synchronized and lower cost performance?
• Our trading partnerships are well-formulated and grounded in strategic supply chain alliance agreements?
• All organizations in our extended enterprise have been trained and developed to perform new roles which require fast, high quality decision-making and material flow?
• We continually review evolving logistical business models for their impact on distribution planning, movement of goods, cost, cycle time and customer service?
• We utilize E-commerce for selling, buying and business-to-business paperless transacting?
• Our information technology provides a system that truly mirrors what we want to do throughout the supply chain?
• Our supply chain has effective techniques for real-time planning, execution and control including the simulation of alternatives to support the short-cycle pull of material through the supply chain?
• We use performance measurements that encourage and reward behavior that improves supply chain performance?
• Our company has developed supply chain management to a core competency level?

Source:
Supply Chain Management: Plan to Succeed
by R. Michael Donovan
The CEO Refresher

176No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/27/supply-chain-questions/Supply+Chain+Questions2007-09-27+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Operations Questions

Consider these questions in the context of your overall company, business units, and IT department. Do you have: 

• A focused approach to managing alliances?
• A formal process for creating service strategies?
• A formal process for maximizing sourcing and distribution?
• A new-product development process that considers standard components and processes, and includes suppliers and customers?
• A way to incorporate changing customer needs and new technologies in your processes and supply chain?
• Benchmark tests to measure supply-chain performance?
• A willingness to take advantage of supplier and customer expertise in collaborative planning, delivery, and forecasting?
• Alignment between supply-chain performance objectives and your overall competitive strategy?
• The necessary resources to globalize your supply and demand?
• A systematic process to categorize suppliers based on their capabilities, competencies, and performance?
• Supply-chain systems that link logistics, operations, and procurement with external customers and suppliers?
• A formal supply-chain management function?
• A system for identifying cost drivers and costs across the supply chain?

Source:
Reducing Costs Across the Supply Chain
by Robert Handfield
Optimize, December 2002, Issue 14

175No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/26/supply-chain-maturity-model/Supply-Chain+Maturity+Model2007-09-26+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Operations Questions

Ask the supplier to respond to the following questions with a rating from one (lowest) to 10 (highest):

• Do you enjoy doing business with us?
• Do you feel we treat you as a vendor or as a business partner?
• Do our employees treat you courteously?
• Are we a larger or a smaller customer for you (10=largest)?
• Do we supply you with enough information about our business for you to do your best work with us?
• Do we give you enough time to fill our orders?

Source:
All the Right Moves
by Tad Leahy
Business Finance, April 2000

174No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/25/supplier-survey-questions/Supplier+Survey+Questions2007-09-25+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Operations Questions

• How do our existing manufacturing capabilities limit or constrain product design? What portion of these constraints is truly unchangeable and what portion is bureaucratic, procedural, cultural, and/or political?
• Will our next-generation (or generation-after-next) products require radically new materials or processes? If so, what are we doing now to prepare our manufacturing organization to incorporate those new materials or procedures?
• How much do our product designers actually understand about the manufacturing process, its capabilities, its leading-edge practices, and next-generation materials and processes?
• How much of the reluctance to experiment with (or even to become familiar with) manufacturing and process technology is driven by real (as opposed to assumed) assessments of costs and benefits? By product strategies that ignore the potential for process-based product innovation? By history, politics, and culture?
• Do our accounting practices unduly limit or misdirect investments in process knowledge and innovation? What might be more instructive or revealing measures of return on investment in process knowledge?
• Do our staffing, compensation, and career development practices contribute to an undervaluation of process knowledge?
• What exactly are the unwritten rules of product design?

Source:
Cash Flow Forecasting: Keeping Your Company One Step Ahead
by Clare C. Jones, CCM
TreasuryPoint.com Knowledge Center

173No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/24/relationship-between-design-and-manufacturing/Relationship+Between+Design+and+Manufacturing2007-09-24+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Operations Questions

• If we were freed from the tasks we are doing today, what could we do to increase the shareholder value (in other words, the competitive advantage) of our company?
• What tasks are we doing today that we would be willing to surrender, as long as we were sure they would be handled correctly?

Source:
Directions in Collaborative Commerce: Managing the Extended Enterprise
by John Ferreira
Deloitte & Touche

172No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/23/miscellaneous-operations-questions/Miscellaneous+Operations+Questions2007-09-23+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Operations Questions

1. Which value chain issues are most troublesome for your company (e.g., customer retention)?
2. Which pain points do you have with key trade partners that hurt your revenue potential or increase your costs? Or impede your competitiveness?
3. Which competitive capabilities do you believe your competitors are better at? How critical are these to your business?
4. Do you have visibility of demand, inventory, and/ or product availability issues with trade partners? What have been your challenges?
5. Are there frequent inventory shortages, frequent stock outs, high inventories, or high product costs (driven by the inherent process) that are causing tension among partners? Is this also decreasing customer satisfaction?
6. Do you believe that all critical information required from your key trading partners is made available when needed?
7. Are you seeking to reduce product development time and costs?
8. Are you presently improving the multi-tasking among product design engineers both within and outside your company?
9. Do you have a proliferation of initiatives that utilize different underlying technologies?
10. Has the resulting proliferation of deployed technologies prevented you from scaling or supporting initiatives as fully as you would like? Has this resulted in reduced realization or benefits for the business units?

Source:
Directions in Collaborative Commerce: Managing the Extended Enterprise
by John Ferreira
Deloitte & Touche

171No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/22/10-questions-to-consider-when-identifying-collaborative-commerce-opportunities/10+Questions+to+Consider+When+Identifying+Collaborative+Commerce+Opportunities2007-09-22+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Operations Questions

1. Every product has a well-defined service, manufacturing and inventory deployment strategy?
2. We have a comprehensive and effective sales and operations planning process that is management’s throttle on sales, production, inventory and lead-time?
3. We have agreements with key vendors for short cycle deliveries and mutually agreed upon goals for continuous improvement?
4. Will improved supply chain management performance give us the leverage to transform ourselves into market place leaders?
5. Have we redesigned new supply chain management principles, processes and systems to help us achieve our objectives for cycle time reduction, lower inventories, improved service, reduced costs and increased market share?
6. We have clearly defined supply chain management information and material flow processes with quantified objectives for improvement and we are aggressively pursuing superior performance?
7. We have developed the right links with our customers and suppliers and implemented the best supply chain management processes for our company?
8. We can exchange relevant demand and supply information online in real time?
9. Our performance measurement and reward systems are heavily weighted toward a high velocity supply chain with a minimal and inventories and maximum service?
10. We can quickly simulate the impact of material availability on manufacturing schedule performance and customer service using internal and external information? 

Source:
e-Supply Chain Management: Managing The Extended Enterprise
by R. Michael Donovan

170No Comments »http://www.mgmtquestions.com/2007/09/21/10-questions-to-benchmark-your-companys-supply-chain-capabilities/10+Questions+to+Benchmark+Your+Company%27s+Supply+Chain+Capabilities2007-09-21+18%3A15%3A00Administrator Posted by Administrator / Operations Questions