This week’s focus: A couple of weeks ago I met the CEO of a major UK plc. I commented on his desk and how clean and tidy it was. “Well,” he replied, “that’s because I don’t allow myself to get involved in operational affairs. I want operational decisions to be made as close to the front line as possible and if I got involved I’d probably only make matters worse. My role, as I see it, is to set the direction, clarify the goals and sharpen accountabilities.”
Perhaps you can’t achieve such an arms-length management approach, but what impact could you have on your own performance, your customers’ experience and your company’s results if you better focused your time on setting direction, clarifying goals and sharpening accountabilities?
Off the record: I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind, It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun-shiny day.
© Stuart Cross 2011. All rights reserved.