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Other Added - Technomanagement: A Deadly Mix of Bureaucracy and Technology
Back during the late nineties, a conversation at a swank Auburn Hills, Michigan, French bistro turned heated when the talk shifted from personal pleasantries to discussing the ending of one of the most storied names in the automotive world: Oldsmobile. Gathered together in a separate room, the eight men and one woman were tasked with the responsibility of plotting multi-brand strategy for General Motors as well as to discuss concept cars that would make it off of design team drawing boards and onto production lines.Suddenly, a red faced, balding middle aged man got up and left the group, and walked at a clipped pac
• In a financial crunch, Technomanagers often "cut heads," "trim the fat," and "tighten belts" in short-term attempts to bring costs down. While wholesale slashing and burning can be a short-term success, it's often a long-term disaster. Not only is the organization weakened and demoralized — while customer service plummets — but, in addition, the fundamental cost s
It’s almost a given that at any time in the United States and around the world some form of Law and Order can be seen on television. The show’s creators have done a tremendous job of franchising this brand. So what can we, as entrepreneurs and small business owners, learn from this example? Once we establish ourselves in the marketplace for our first line of business, we should not be afraid of branching out.Just look at the Law and Order model. The creators waited until they were a mainstay in viewers’ weekly television fix. Once they were established they brought out SVU. Then of course came Criminal Intent, the
Far too many organizations are ruled by bureaucrats and technocrats either in management or staff support roles. One of their (often unconscious) driving motives is to "eliminate the human factor." They feel that their technology, systems, and processes would work so much better if it weren’t for all the people always messing things up.
Here are some telltale signs and examples of Technomanagement:
• Bureaucratic language is a dead giveaway of a technomanager. In talking about cross training and moving people around, one bureaucrat called it "rotationality." He said it with a straight face and everyone in the room nodded knowingly.
Hierarchical language also shows where many technomanagers are coming from. "How many people work for you?" (to which one dissatisfied manager replied, "about half"), "subordinates" (and its especially repulsive companion "superiors"), "staying on top of things," "my people," and "down the organization" show the need many technomanagers have to dominate and control.
• A senior manager in a professional services company assigned a staff support person to fix the marketing efforts of their divisions. It didn't work. The failed effort sprang from an all too typical view of the organization as segmented and separate functions and divisions. But marketing couldn't be separated from running the business. Business development (sales) people weren't effectively trained and supported to position to the larger strategy or new market position (they got a one day information session and a few updates).
A key division that provided the umbrella strategic services to position and pull through the core business services was forced to continually justify itself as a stand alone, profitable business to the accountants running the company. So the structure of the organization couldn't support working across a broader market that called for integrated divisions serving customers through regional (rather than head office) management.
• Management's needs, goals, and perspectives are the starting point for all activities. Managers and their staff professionals are the brains and employees are the hands. Employees serve their managerial masters and do as they are told. Broad business perspectives and strategies, operational performance data, problem-solving and decision-making authority, and cross-functional skills are kept by management.
• In a financial crunch, Technomanagers often "cut heads," "trim the fat," and "tighten belts" in short-term attempts to bring costs down. While wholesale slashing and burning can be a short-term success, it's often a long-term disaster. Not only is the organization weakened and demoralized — while customer service plummets — but, in addition, the fundamental cost st
Businesses like to brag in their advertising about quality of work, commitment to their customers, and excellent service. These statements are also proudly advanced in Mission, Vision, and Values Statements. They are foundational to success.But, let’s face it we all occasionally make misteaks (misspelling intentional) and, even in the best of companies, anger a loyal customer. If we are lucky, we have built up enough “satisfaction-equity” with miffed customers that they will take the time and effort to complain, giving us the opportunity to correct the situation instead of them just silently defecting to the com
Hierarchical language also shows where many technomanagers are coming from. "How many people work for you?" (to which one dissatisfied manager replied, "about half"), "subordinates" (and its especially repulsive companion "superiors"), "staying on top of things," "my people," and "down the organization" show the need many technomanagers have to dominate and control.
• A senior manager in a professional services company assigned a staff support person to fix the marketing efforts of their divisions. It didn't work. The failed effort sprang from an all too typical view of the organization as segmented and separate functions and divisions. But marketing couldn't be separated from running the business. Business development (sales) people weren't effectively trained and supported to position to the larger strategy or new market position (they got a one day information session and a few updates).
A key division that provided the umbrella strategic services to position and pull through the core business services was forced to continually justify itself as a stand alone, profitable business to the accountants running the company. So the structure of the organization couldn't support working across a broader market that called for integrated divisions serving customers through regional (rather than head office) management.
• Management's needs, goals, and perspectives are the starting point for all activities. Managers and their staff professionals are the brains and employees are the hands. Employees serve their managerial masters and do as they are told. Broad business perspectives and strategies, operational performance data, problem-solving and decision-making authority, and cross-functional skills are kept by management.
• In a financial crunch, Technomanagers often "cut heads," "trim the fat," and "tighten belts" in short-term attempts to bring costs down. While wholesale slashing and burning can be a short-term success, it's often a long-term disaster. Not only is the organization weakened and demoralized — while customer service plummets — but, in addition, the fundamental cost s
Don't think branding. Think brand power.As a small business entrepreneur, you are savvy enough to know that branding isn't just for large multinational corporations. However, when it comes to branding there is still too much attention given to colors and designs and not enough given to achieving brand power. Visibility and repetition are the keys to success and can even overcome average designs. When you are imagining what your logo should look like, don't stop there--imagine where it will go. Imagine the knowledgeable and helpful staff behind it. Now you are thinking brand power.The Logo
• A senior manager in a professional services company assigned a staff support person to fix the marketing efforts of their divisions. It didn't work. The failed effort sprang from an all too typical view of the organization as segmented and separate functions and divisions. But marketing couldn't be separated from running the business. Business development (sales) people weren't effectively trained and supported to position to the larger strategy or new market position (they got a one day information session and a few updates).
A key division that provided the umbrella strategic services to position and pull through the core business services was forced to continually justify itself as a stand alone, profitable business to the accountants running the company. So the structure of the organization couldn't support working across a broader market that called for integrated divisions serving customers through regional (rather than head office) management.
• Management's needs, goals, and perspectives are the starting point for all activities. Managers and their staff professionals are the brains and employees are the hands. Employees serve their managerial masters and do as they are told. Broad business perspectives and strategies, operational performance data, problem-solving and decision-making authority, and cross-functional skills are kept by management.
• In a financial crunch, Technomanagers often "cut heads," "trim the fat," and "tighten belts" in short-term attempts to bring costs down. While wholesale slashing and burning can be a short-term success, it's often a long-term disaster. Not only is the organization weakened and demoralized — while customer service plummets — but, in addition, the fundamental cost s
Gone are the days when traditional advertising was enough to promote your restaurant. Today, restaurant business has got very tough competition and will continue to do so. So, as a restaurateur you need to be very savvy about the advertising of your restaurant. Your adverting strategy should be very creative and different from the crowd. It should create that much excitement that people cannot stop themselves from visiting your restaurant. Below are some creative ideas to help you in your advertising efforts even without a big advertising budget.Place Searchlights on Your Restaurant’s TopIt’s a great idea to
• Management's needs, goals, and perspectives are the starting point for all activities. Managers and their staff professionals are the brains and employees are the hands. Employees serve their managerial masters and do as they are told. Broad business perspectives and strategies, operational performance data, problem-solving and decision-making authority, and cross-functional skills are kept by management.
• In a financial crunch, Technomanagers often "cut heads," "trim the fat," and "tighten belts" in short-term attempts to bring costs down. While wholesale slashing and burning can be a short-term success, it's often a long-term disaster. Not only is the organization weakened and demoralized — while customer service plummets — but, in addition, the fundamental cost s
If you are like most individuals, you probably are not happy with your current career or JOB (Just Over Broke), and occasionally think about working for yourself. The 80-20 rule just might apply to everything, including careers and jobs? Being self-employed, however, does not necessarily mean owning a business with the burden of employees, inventory, capital expenditures, and the other trappings of the 20th century “brick and mortar” business model.Many are finding success in the trend of working as independent contractors, freelancers, and even as online business owners, as services and products offered via the In
• In a financial crunch, Technomanagers often "cut heads," "trim the fat," and "tighten belts" in short-term attempts to bring costs down. While wholesale slashing and burning can be a short-term success, it's often a long-term disaster. Not only is the organization weakened and demoralized — while customer service plummets — but, in addition, the fundamental cost structure hasn't really been changed. So costs creep back up.
• Technomanaged companies are head-office-driven. Field professionals have little input to product development priorities, marketing focus, accounting systems, etc. Their only means of providing input is on committees (which take months to meet and decide anything), by screaming the loudest (or to the right political player), or by working through the entrenched hierarchy. There are few mechanisms or channels to systematically collect field input on emerging or latent market needs/trends. Accountants aren't out in the real world looking behind and beneath the numbers and learning how revenues are built.
• The quality movement gave rise to a new breed of technomanager — the qualicrat. These support professionals see the world strictly through data and analysis and their quality improvement tools and techniques. While they work hard to quantify the "voice of the customer," the face of current customers (and especially potential new customers) is often lost. Having researched, consulted, and written extensively on quality improvement, I am a big convert to, and evangelist for, the cause. But some efforts are getting badly out of balance as customers, partners, and team members are reduced to numbers, charts, and graphs.
• In his book, Organizational Culture and Leadership, Edgar Schein, professor of management at the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reports on one of his studies of "IT (Information Technology) assumptions about people and learning." Some of his most deadly findings include "technology leads and people adapt," "all people can and should learn whatever is required to use the technology," and "people already know how to communicate and manage; therefore, IT needs only to enhance these processes."
Technomanaged organizations have things backwards. They manage the organization from the inside out. People serve the systems or processes. Customers are made to fit the organization. Technology drives behavior.
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