As a business strategist my previous blog highlighted the importance of creating the right organisational structure that reflects how you want the business to operate and not one that reflects functionality and seniority.  

One of the keys is to build it around roles and not individuals – often easier said than done. 

To separate the role from the individual take a fresh look at the role and ask what are the deliverables of the position?  

Deliverables are the measureable results that the person holding the position needs to achieve. 

The deliverables for a sales management position could be: 

• Sales and profit targets
• The creation and execution of a sales plan
• The turnover and profitability of the individual sales people or products and services  

The deliverables for a production management role could be: 

• To deliver products on time, every time
• Achieving ongoing cost reductions and output per man day  

The deliverables for a production management role could be: 

• Management accounts delivery targets
• Cash and credit control targets
• Production of management information reports
• On  time compilation of the strategic business plan  

As a strategy consultant I find a good question to ask at the start of this process is, “What measurable achievements does this position have to achieve in the next 12 to 18 months – and what extra would you expect to be achieved during that time?” 

Pinpointing the decisions to be taken to deliver the desired measurable outcomes is the next step in the process. This is not a task that can be done by the CEO or top team and requires a 360 degree input from everyone involved. 

For each position four levels of people are involved: 

1. The incumbent
2. The superior
3. The peers
4. The subordinates 

Each has to be asked what decisions they would expect the job holder to make and how this impacts on them and their position. This consultation process invariably produces some interesting insights as to how the business is currently working – and the gap that exists between how it should be working! 

Allocating adequate time and resources to completing the Deliverables and Decisions exercises is critical for the success of the project. Never lose sight of the goal to simplify the decision making process so that when “you put the foot to the gas the business leaps forward every time, on time”.

If you would like more information on this you can also email me richard.bosworth@whatifspecialist.com, follow @richardwhatif on Twitter and find me on LinkedIn under Richard Bosworth.