Have Clear Lines of Responsibility

In the high performance business culture, everyone knows what his or her role and function are. They are defined within the constraints of the strategic agenda and the direction of the business.

Having control mechanisms in place, such as documented position descriptions and standard operating procedures, for instance, ensures consistency in communication and feedback.

These mechanisms also provide a means of coordinating multiple initiatives and tasks, in terms of objectives and measures, consistent with resources and capabilities of the strategic agenda.

Razor Sharp Focus

Everyone knows what the goals and objectives are, in keeping with the strategic vision that must be aspired to. This is because they are clearly defined and spelled out. This can be done very simply and elegantly – in fact, the simpler the better.

Having a Small Business Plan that is aligned and cascades into the company’s functional areas and into its individual work plans will ensure that the vision of the business is communicated in concrete, achievable and measurable terms.

Highly Motivated People

Successful businesses are full of committed and dedicated people. All of the people in such businesses exhibit a high drive for self-improvement and achievement, both at the personal and the corporate level.

Such business environments create a high-trust and winning culture. Activities are focused on the “cause of the business”. Creating such a developmental culture is essential in the high performance business.

Decision Making Happens Where the Action Is

In highly successful businesses, everyone leaves “ego” at the door. Work is about getting the job done and getting results.

This means having a common approach to understanding what is going on. It means people are able to make decisions where they are within the business. This type of on the ground decision making occurs within the boundary conditions of the Mission, Vision and Values of the business, and within the company’s Strategic Agenda.

Conversely, highly centralized decision making environments slow down the flow of information. This results in ineffective decision making and an inability to act quickly in response to opportunities or threats to the business. Information, particularly new information, is the life blood of a successful small business.

Get Rid of the Politics

Company politics slows you down. The successful, adaptive business minimizes political interference, by having undertaken business policy development. It also adopts common approaches to decision making and conflict resolution, through having clearly articulated processes, procedures and measures.

The political factor is minimized by having these elements in place and through paying careful attention to the other six factors outlined in this article.

Of course, you will never completely eliminate this element from corporate life, but you can manage it and sideline it to a large extent.