Management

'To manage is to forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control.'

So said management theorist Henri Fayol in the C19th, so does this still apply in today’s faster-paced business world? To a degree, yes, though today good management also involves good leadership – aptly summed up by management guru John Adair:

 'A business short on capital can borrow money, but a business short of leadership has little chance of survival.'

In many businesses, management systems have, like Topsy, just grown and leaders are frequently chosen more for their technical skills or seniority rather than their inherent man-management, relationship building  and communication skills. The vital elements of creativity and charisma are often absent.

However, we believe that good management and leadership practices can be adopted and implemented by any business at any stage of its life. One of the most common problems to be overcome however is the inability to see the wood for the trees and the current managers’ inability to know what to change, how to do it and where to start.

We can help by undertaking an initial management audit of the business to help establish the current situation, including staff and customer attitudes (if required). We can then work with management teams in creating a vision for the future, developing the strategy needed to achieve it and formulating sound and realistic business plans. This can involve restructuring the business, or parts of it in order to ensure more effective and efficient service delivery and may involve subsequent input in the areas of leadership and teambuilding.

On occasion, we will also assist organisations with financial management systems, knowledge management and performance appraisal systems in order that they operate at optimum levels, fully utilising all available resources.