Part 2 - One More Fact ...
To review: A) You’re the “boss.” B) The two simple facts are: 1) You make the rules; and 2) you enforce them. C) You can play one fact against the other ineffectively. D) When you play so that you’re not following the business plan, your operations suffer. E) What can you do to assure you play by the rules - your rules?
Now if you’re a lot like most people, you created the role of being boss because you most likely wanted to be left alone by all those idiots who got in your way and continually didn’t want to DO what YOU wanted to DO. OR perhaps you knew better but didn’t have the authority to change the rules at the time to streamline the process to make things happen.
And there are dozens of other reasons for becoming the boss that span the gamut from having unresolved childhood authority issues to wanting to follow a dream. All these roads leave you with the same original two facts when you willingly have the little title “boss” dumped on your lap.
Not withstanding these previously mentioned factual tidbits, there’s another “third” fact that being the boss requires us to understand and take action on. Without it, your boss “title” has about the same value as a human body has when reduced to its basic elements. Do you know what the current rates for a few gallons of water and a few pounds of salts and minerals are these days?
But let’s not address this third fact up front just yet. Let’s talk about what excited you into absolute action in the past when involved in other operations. I’m talking about everything from family systems and learning institutions to being on the street and having to deal with the characters there.
Think about every system you’ve been involved in previously that spurred you into action. You know, to the higher realms which required you to use that systems structure to accomplish great things. Without that “structure,” things just didn’t get done. So, think about all the different systems that you were involved in that required “from” you more than you required from yourself. System structures like 1) school; 2) work; 3) family; 4) marriage; 5) associations; 6) sports/games; and 7) partnerships. How well did you excel? What were the contributing factors? Go ahead, make a list. See any common threads?
Now go ahead and think about all the systems you were involved in that held you back (please refer to the same list of systems listed in the previous paragraph.) How well did you excel? And in what directions? How was your creativity affected? Be specific! See some more common treads?
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, these types of systems got your blood boiling, imagination flaring and “want factor” heightened. Most likely your innovative spirit pegged its fuel meter to full, your engines were “red-lining” and you searched for any and all opportunity to put all this into motion. In a phrase, you were pumped, wanted relief and were more than willing to take the necessary actions to do so!
Back to that bucket of salt water: Without structure, what makes up your body is usable only for its compounds. With structure, your body becomes a system that has potential and no more. With structure AND instruction sets, your body becomes a producing machine, producing whatever that instruction set dictates. (Please refer to the Danny DeVeto film “Renaissance Man” where he has the sobering revelation “The choices we make dictate the life we lead!” - see also previous published article on “choosing to decide.”)
Now for those of you who haven’t got it yet, when a person incorporates formally or not, they’re creating an “em-body-ment.” Hence the word “inCORPorate” comes into play signifying a “CORPUS” was formed.
To create a return on investment, that corporation must be more than the sum of its parts. It must not only have structure but an instruction set that will cause returns greater than that which was and is being invested in the system and its structure.
Back to that third bit of factual grizzle: If both your system and its instruction set are perfectly designed to avoid responsibility, answerability, amenability, liability, and accountability for certain “key factors” in its operation, your system is out of control. I call this whole blurb, “Outcome Control.” Without it, the whole system’s performance is hinged on the whim’s of its workers. And if that worker is you, well, the results are guaranteed to vary.
If you want to get a firmer grip on what I’m saying, here are some things to ponder. There’s two old adages that apply. First “It’s a rare writer who can edit his own work.” and second “It’s the plumber’s sink that’s always clogged.” Control has everything to do with “monitoring performance and making adjustments to get the desired results.”
If your system hasn’t the necessary checks and balances needed to monitor performance and make the necessary adjustments to assure the results that are desired, it’s out of control. So brace yourself for ...
THE THIRD FACT: To assure the first two facts work well together, a system of checks and balances must be put in place AND maintained to assure the results desired. Hence, system integrity and results vary in direct proportion to its checks and balances.
CAPITALIZING ON A THEME: Successful bosses and business owners have systems of high accountability in their businesses. It’s called “Structured Autonomy” and it helps sole proprietors keep their act together. Ask yourself what support systems are required to assure system integrity. What are the windows of flexibility for each function being done? What liabilities are required for each person responsible for doing these functions? Who and what can you trust and depend on to hold your nose to the wheel despite the squeal you let out, excuses you might make and behavior you manifest that directly and indirectly sabotages your business and success efforts?
AGAIN: Successful bosses and business owners have systems of high accountability in their businesses. Without it, the whole system’s performance is hinged on the whim’s of its workers - you!
Let’s talk more about putting “structured autonomy” into place next time.
Have a BODACIOUS week!
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Coach John S. Nagy is CEO and Lead Business Coach for Coaching for Success. Inc., a Business Coaching Service specifically designed for top level decision makers dedicated to peak performance in all facets of their activities. He's hired to focus them continuously in activities that bring higher returns on their resource use. His programs are for the seriously committed. This means having his clients work "ON" their businesses, not just "IN" it. He's a published author and a multi-degree professional with a nationwide client base. Coach Nagy can be reached through his E-mail address at his website at http://www.coach.net and by calling 813-949-0718.
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Copyright © 1999 John S. Nagy
