Top Management Leadership Is Essential
By James V Chapman
Companies with the most productivity enjoy ongoing visible support from the highest corporate levels.
But top management leadership needs to use well defined patterns of activity to make this effective.
With a focus on core competences, you will promote more the sharing of information and improve job security with a need for expansion with new recruits.
By managing the task boundaries you will allow others' to show their creativity and at the same time be able to allocate the right type and amount of resources needed for a task.
Extend people's horizons with outside events, promote open discussion and frequent job rotation. Cut bureaucracy and make sure that you do not let peoples' ideas be killed.
Develop a culture for cooperation by using teamwork and instilling early participation. People really are critical assets, measure their key task performance and become a learning organization, make success visible.
Significantly, the teamwork and values necessary for increased and sustained productivity are determined at the top of any company. High quality, good value, product development, innovation, the development of people and good relationships with suppliers, but these messages have to be passed down through the organization, so that everybody knows what you are trying to achieve.
You have to have teamwork at the top to get teamwork down below. Win others commitment by being the facilitator, not the owner and ensure this message is understood by all the people within the top management team.
Set and reinforce these patterns of activity and the results will follow, creating an environment for leadership that will motivate your own workforce to greater heights.
Companies who operate in this way are seen by their customers as progressive and open, giving them confidence in your organization's capabilities to perform effectively.
The outcome is not just increased productivity, but a loyal workforce, customer dedication and noticeably improved profitability.
Top management leadership is essential and it will ensure your future business success.