Your Staff

Your staff are those who directly contribute to the delivery of your products and services. They need to have a common goal, and a clear understanding of their role in the organisation. It might sound simplistic, but this may begin with a simple job description. A business without job descriptions is vulnerable to staff changes. How do you explain to a new employee what role they have in your structure. If you have clearly defined roles within a business, it is less likely there will be misunderstandings about responsibilities.

Outside Influences

There are any number of outside influences that impact on our businesses. You need to understand the core issues for your suppliers to avoid traps. In a complex business, other people may control factors such as delivery times, industry standards, networks and innovations. If you don’t own the IP that your business depends on – and the people who own that IP change the game rules – you can find yourself scrambling for cover when your clients complain about changes over which you had no control. In the educational setting, parents, employers and universities influence what is taught in schools yet they are not part of the delivery programme. We need to be aware of the people that influence our delivery in order to minimize potential conflict.