Developing Skills As An Executioner

When we as common individuals that is to say non management types think about the world of business assuming that this topic is even what we like to think about, we discuss among ourselves our incompetent those people in management really seem to be... and, are amazed how anyone like those people could have actually gotten to where they were without performing some kind of nasty sexual act... and, mutually agree that the company is in the position that it is in because of all those assholes in power.

When we as management types think about the world of business, we think of nothing more than how we can get to the top of this organization and/or another one, not really caring about what needs to be done in order to get there, nor do we think about anyone from the “rank and file” of employees who may be jeopardized or hurt by our transactions that we are going to implement regardless of knowing their feelings or not... and, the community is just the dump site beside where we live.

While this may seem a little radical to you, the reader and perhaps to you who might be in labor or management, it is and for the most part, nonetheless true... and, if we were true to ourselves we would admit it but we have been taught never to be negative, especially about our employer(s).

And so, the world of business continues as it has always continued.

Companies with bad management are typically acquired by those companies with even worse management from the standpoint of worshiping and servicing the bottom line because those acquisitions are on the “chopping block” because:

• they are cash (easy liquidity) heavy
• they have many customers
• they have different products
• they have different markets
• they have a unique product we want
• they can be refurbished and sold

No... no... no... you are speaking untruths here dude, you might be saying because we have read about or heard on the news about takeovers where they were simply merging...

And, to this I would say true... true... all true... but I am talking about the ones that you do not read or hear about....

In my earlier years, several companies fought over the acquisition of the Textile Giant Burlington Industries and the Canadian Firm that finally won her, only wanted her denim division and “shit canned” all the rest of her... and, on the surface this seemed like a legitimate business deal but in the communities where employees lived, it was a nightmare... families and the communities in which they lived were devastated and never came out from under...

But, this Canadian Firm and her management never once looked back... as they were taught only look toward the future and the opportunities that are yet to be discovered there as the past is the past and is gone...

This reminds me of exactly what happened in the USA a couple of years after 9/11...

But, the reason for all of this is PISS POOR EXECUTION...

And this ladies and gentlemen is the sacred chambers and sole responsibility of MANAGEMENT which is why only these assholes can be blamed for their incompetence... which is exactly what our workers saw and were talking about at the beginning of this article.

To the best of my knowledge (and that knowledge is obviously limited), no Business School in the US teaches execution other than it needs to be done correctly with individual interpretations of what the word CORRECTLY actually means... Of course, no one ever thought about asking Bill Clinton for advice.

Management is rotten because their execution is rotten and their execution is rotten because no one ever explained to the “poor souls” how to execute... I guess they assumed it was common sense... and, for the most part it is... but when did management types actually have any common sense???

Now you see their dilemma... and, who do they ask?

Well now... open the doors to the world of Management Consulting... because these dudes and dudettes have the answers to all things having to do with the world of business... but, you are going to pay dearly for those answers.

For a while, I was an Organizational Development Consultant and at first focus my energies on those companies inside the boarders on the State in which I lived at the time and thought my fee of $50/hour was reasonable if I had to travel more than 4 hours by car and $25/hour if I did not... but, I got very few clients and was toying with the idea of quitting and going after a “real job.” Then, I decided to raise my rates to $100/hour plus expenses in State and $2,500/day plus expenses out-of-State and I immediately acquired more work than I could handle and had to hire associates to help.

It was an interesting lesson but the perception was if businesses paid a higher fee they would be receiving better consulting... but, consulting is consulting and will always be consulting... so, the key here was not the consulting but the recommended EXECUTION...

And the road to proper execution lies in one's ability to FOLLOW UP...

The world of business is like parenting children and this is true at ALL LEVELS within an organization with the understanding that no one is excluded.

The idea is very simple, you assign someone a task and you record that task and to whom it was assigned and you make clear that the outcome of that task has to has specific outcomes and you record those as well... and then you give that person so much time to accomplish that task but with the understanding that you are going to follow up every so often with status reports and if the task is not on target then course corrections will automatically be addressed, made, and implemented.

Does this sound familiar???

It should... because it is nothing more than PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

Sadly, in the world of business, most management types do not make the connection or the correlation between EXECUTION and PROJECT MANAGMENT; in fact, everything and I mean everything that is done in as well as outside the world of business is a frigging project and should be managed as such but in the US it is not seen that way and consequently is not managed that way... and, the workers see management as having piss poor management abilities and skills... go figure?

Managers love to delegate... I guess because it makes them feel powerful and important in the eyes of those to whom they are delegating... but, they hate to follow up... maybe because the devil is in the details... and that is too mentally challenging and cannot be memorized like they did in College.