Talking about Enterprise management

"Talking about Enterprise management"
Athson | 2015-04-20;2015-4-29 ~ 2015-5-1
Original address: http://blog.athson.wang/?p=53

This work is performed by Athson, Athson Wang, Peng Shu original, with the CC Attribution-Non-commercial use-Prohibition deduction (BY-NC-ND) licensing terms for the implementation of the public License (Knowledge sharing license Agreement text: Simplified Chinese version).
This work is derived from http://blog.athson.wang/.

Talking about Enterprise management
Athson | 2015-04-20;2015-4-29 ~ 2015-5-1

Two levels of management

Management has two levels of difference. On the macroscopic side, they are obviously different, but on the microscopic side, they are difficult to distinguish the boundary. Like book and literati, are scholars, but obviously the level of learning is different, but we have to precisely define what kind of standards can be said to be a scholar, then can not answer. Similarly, in the management of enterprises, there is also the difference between entrepreneurs and professional managers, or the difference between strategy and tactics.

I think China's current situation, should be entrepreneurs very few, professional managers are very few, so the enterprise is generally a strategic vision is not wise, tactical play is not smart enough.

An effective enterprise management is the need for these two levels of simultaneous implementation and cooperation. On the one hand, executives have to think carefully about the direction of the strategy, on the other hand, the middle and lower echelons of the cadres should also implement effective tactics against that clear strategy. An enterprise does not adopt specific tactics to implement the strategy, it will not be implemented, it will not create value, enterprises can not achieve profitability. And on the contrary, but only mindedly dry, do not know how to plan, it will be less, in disorderly mediocrity slowly eat away their own resources and value, will eventually zuochishankong and bankruptcy closed. Here we have to care about which aspect is the weight, is not much value also in fact can not be compared. When to consider strategic planning, when to determine the specific tactics, this depends on the actual situation. Enterprise management is not only to do planning, the management and planning of the same management ideas, will eventually fail, because there is no doubt that the only constant in the world is the change itself, as the saying "plan to catch up with the change", the plan may be to achieve the management of an effective means, but it will certainly not be our ultimate goal. The goal of our management is to pursue the optimal allocation of overall resource efficiency. Obviously a far too ambitious strategic planning, can not timely solve the immediate problem, effective management, it requires enterprise management personnel to make an effective balance and choice at all times, always seeking truth from facts, always the best overall.

The two main aspects of management

There is a ratio between management and combat. The battle has the siege and defends the city two sides the contest. Management is also divided into expansion and operation of the two-party balance, which and financial balance of payments is a dilemma.

Nor is there an absolute solution that can be applied to a specific management decision. When you are fighting, you may to retreat, or you may use offense to defend. Sun Tzu's Art of War, 36, how enterprises decide where their resources are going to rely on the strategy of their own systems and the actual situation in order to answer. But when the enterprise makes the decision analysis, if can in these two aspects, at the same time to consider, then can obtain the system question appearance, but also can make the effective system strategic plan better.

As I have in the article "on the growth of programmers" in the analogy, the enterprise itself is like an engine, talent is to build its fuselage parts, money is its fuel. If the enterprise intends to focus on the expansion, it is like the human body is the capital of revolution, talent should also become the primary concern of the enterprise, and if you intend to focus on the operation, then ensure that strong capital strength and smooth and healthy capital liquidity is its primary goal.

Sometimes, the management decision of expansion and operation is the opposite relationship, such as how to prepare the budget for the new business department and the old Business department, but also in fact, expansion and operation are mutually reinforcing cooperative relations, such as the cooperation between the research and development department and the operation team is a good example. Enterprises can not only through good operation to prepare for the future expansion of strong capital and talent strength, but also through the expansion of the market business to the operation to transport more capital and talent, strong its own strength. This dialectical analysis of the middle, will undoubtedly be a manager should have the basic qualities. The optimal disposition of the enterprise is to reduce the opposing decision of the two parties, and to pursue the effective decision of cooperation and mutual win as far as possible.

Two dimensions of management

Macroscopic and microscopic. The more the situation tends to be macro-considered, the more management elements of the control class will be, and the more the situation tends to be microscopic, the more the management elements of the collaborative class will be.

Control of the management of the elements, the first recognition of the overall blindness, as the "mob" discussed, they need to be managed; Secondly, the systemic problems are often complex and profound, if we do not through the control of the strong constraints of the rules, and assume that only by the inherent commitment and agreement, it will not shake the structure of the system, In order to solve the problem effectively, finally, it is from the world itself, the diversity of the elements will have their own inherent custom conventions, and some even the conflict between the left, then only through the control of the coordinated means to resolve the contradictions, improve the efficiency of collaboration.

The management elements of the collaborative class, first of all to recognize its individual characteristics, some of the characteristics of the business can be artificially modified, such as employees, we recognize everyone's rights, respect each member's personality, beliefs and self-thinking, we can through the training of employees and appropriate corporate propaganda, To achieve the coordination of individual personality and organizational culture, so as to stimulate the individual to complete the task of the initiative, to create an optimal efficiency of the production environment. There are also some of the characteristics of the business can not be human intervention, we can only use it to the advantage of the non-control, such as the third-party cooperation, we should accept the intrinsic attributes of their firm, and then change their own management decision to adapt to the collaboration between them, instead of trying to fits, which will only aggravate the deterioration of the situation, Further reducing its own production efficiency.

The more we plan our management, the more we go to the smallest individual level, the more we need the Eastern mystical philosophy, and the more we need the Western rationalism philosophy if we go to the macro-synthesis, to the greatest systemic level. Rationality exists only in interconnected systems, a single individual is not rational, he (it) is his (it) itself, neither right nor wrong, we want to use reason to control the individual, it can only be the persecution and repression of its individual, but not to the resolution of the matter. The revelation to management is that we should know how to guide the coordination between the individual and the whole, instead of asking the individual to obey the whole.

Four types of management

Modern classical management, such as "It Project management" in the description, the project management divided into 9 areas of knowledge: 4 of the core knowledge areas, including scope management, time management, cost management, quality management, 4 of the areas of knowledge, including human resources management, communication management, risk management, procurement management; Project Integration Management is the 9th area of knowledge, it will be integrated with the above two areas of knowledge. Obviously, this is an authoritative and scientific project management framework, but based on the aspects of system thinking described earlier, I have derived an agile and lightweight personal version from these 9 areas of deep and complex knowledge, and have divided management into four main types of concerns: risk management, process management, operations management, team management.

A, risk management. The most important thing in the process of management is a scientific spirit of seeking truth from facts. It includes planning management, quality management, quantitative management and other management tools for evaluation and control. What's interesting here is that I've incorporated quality management into risk considerations. One reason for this is that quality as a certain risk will help us to develop a scientific approach to its attitude. For how to evaluate the quality of products, what is the quality of products, seems to be so illusory, and too conceptual abstraction, so that although we focus on them, but often feel unable to grasp them. However, the elusive grasp does not mean that we have to give up thinking about it, to evaluate it, "data decision" in the book has proposed a set of solutions, it is important that if your project really has a high and clear quality requirements, then use a scientific attitude to dispose of it. Second, I think that, in its essence, quality is indeed a risk, not a project entity. On the one hand, the "basic availability" of quality standards is any value of the product, the inherent nature of a quality requirement, we do not need to identify the unique specific, so that only the endless tangle and increase the complexity of the project. On the other hand, like Germany's superb industrial products can not sell the same dilemma, we are unreasonable quality of the pursuit of, instead of wasting enterprise resources can not achieve corporate goals. Whether quality or risk, they are the elements inherent in the project, have been included in the various elements of the project, we may be able to use such a vocabulary to summarize them, but it is not possible to use an entity alone. Treatment of quality, like the risk, need to know the balance and control, to more accurately meet the actual requirements of the project, is a very pragmatic approach.

b, Process management. The most important thing in the process of its management is the spirit of professionalism. It is the main part of the project and the overlapping of management knowledge and expertise. Its management is closely related to the area of expertise, such as the software sector, which includes, for example, task decomposition (WBS), agile processes, or management knowledge of the unified process. In the agile process, more specific such as Scrum or XP, user stories and other expertise is the knowledge base of their effective management, unified process, such as waterfall model, iterative incremental model, and UML system analysis and other professional knowledge is also the basis of its effective management. In a word, process management is the configuration management of its professional functions. Obviously, lack of professional or professional professionalism, can not be very good management of production process, the ultimate result is very low production efficiency, high production costs, enterprise waste serious. If enterprises want to save costs, the implementation of professional and efficient process management may be the fastest and most effective way.

C, Operation Management. All matters of ensuring capital and talents are in the scope of its operation and management, so it contains about human resources management, financial management, purchasing management, organization management, knowledge management and so on. It is necessary to put forward that the so-called executive power Management, in fact, has been embedded in human resources management and organizational management, so there is no independent management requirements. There is also the management of the Organization, unlike the executive team, it will be about the management of the macro-structure, such as strategic planning, a common vision, the management of the baseline and management process guidance, corporate organizational structure management and so on.

and team management. This is the management of specific executives, in contrast to other ambitious management dimensions of the pursuit of different control concepts, in this limited and well-targeted mini-management dimension, trust decentralization is the management should be implemented. The most important thing in team management is to define goals and have trust. It covers the management of personnel structure, team learning management, communication management and so on.

Management of four as

The management of the enterprise, in addition to the requirements of the two levels are considered, the quality of management personnel also affect the quality of management. I have roughly identified four types of managerial accomplishments in order to decide on the quality level of the managers.

A, not as. "Muddle through", which in China's enterprises, should be very common. Many Chinese, generally misunderstood the doctrine of the mean of the philosophical interpretation, there are some tendencies, think sleek and worldly, ordinary is a virtue, or a talent. Of course, some people are because of this philosophy does not act, and most of the people because they really do not have the talent, so can not make a difference. But whatever the cause of such omission, in terms of management, would be a result of resignation. Some do not act as the manager because of its non-work, but the team morale is high, the atmosphere is positive and harmonious, efficient, and the unfortunate manager, let the team of the destruction, but also neglect the effective decision-making implementation, resulting in a worsening team contradictions, low morale, and more can not make achievements. If enterprises promote this kind of management personnel, then is the future of the enterprise to the fate, or luck.

B, Disorderly act. In Chinese enterprises, this category should be a lot, at least from my limited experience has been several cases. They always show a very strong initiative, give people the first impression is very good, only a long time to see the human heart, will find its disease. This kind of characters in enterprise management persecution is particularly difficult to identify, and latent long, sick into the bone marrow, difficult to remove. Enterprises may be able to pass the implementation of effective performance appraisal system to identify the elimination of them, but effective performance appraisal itself requires the enterprise has a high level of management, so that most enterprises can not reach, this more pragmatic approach, or from the source, the recruitment on the elimination of this batch of people, as the start-up enterprises to handle recruitment as cautious. It may be because they are not competent enough to make the wrong decision (think about the decision of some bosses to take a head), but most of the situation is actually a conscious mistake, because they pay more attention to personal vanity than to all the others. such as professional ethics, such as the organization of collective interests, such as personal interests and so on. In order to satisfy that vanity, they will not hesitate to sacrifice subordinates and groups, or even personal interests. Interestingly, for the poor management of the enterprise, this kind of people will be quickly promoted and reused, although the natural line of employees will not buy their accounts, but the superiors are likely to think that they are very proud of responsibility and self-motivated, although not always satisfied with the work, but eventually will be a person to do things, So the leaders thought, it may be more promotion exercise, in the future will have to grow to take the big. Like their Shimo climbed, talented people have left, which for the enterprise, is more serious than the waste of resources of the consequences, is drastic work. Enterprise managers are not realistic, do not implement the real state of the first line, it will be difficult to find their hypocrisy.

C, pseudo-act. This is to say that they are able to make a noticeable achievement in fulfilling their tasks, but behind these facts may be a departure from our ultimate goal or the purpose of certain activities. Their proud achievements, in the short term, in the problem-solving aspect, is indeed very successful, but it is likely to worsen the other aspects of the system and trigger a deeper systemic problem, may be to take the enterprise's future capital to do the consumption of resources, damaging the long-term benefits, like termites in the woods. Obviously, this kind of hypocrisy, without long-term testing or careful analysis of the system, we will be difficult to discriminate their profit and loss. In fact, due to the limitations of our own knowledge, to a certain extent, this kind of pseudo is, we are almost inevitable. Dogma-type management is an example of this kind. Dogmatic managers, abandoning a pragmatic attitude, or the fact that they are in their eyes, are the facts they wish to see after processing their own knowledge, and they may not consider themselves to be deviating from the truth, and they will look at the false truth in their hearts, Then the textbooks on the various doctrines excessive choice, and then choose one of the self-feeling very good solution, and also can not understand this way of people fooled a Leng Leng, think expert experts, from which to obtain trust, and then establish self-meritorious. If this is due to natural limitations rather than self-immoral intentions, what I think we can do, perhaps, is to remain humble and cautious and conscientious. Worse, it is a case of moral decay. They are not unintentional injuries, but the deliberate damage that occurs when the blind pursuit of self-interest is higher than the interest in all other interests. However, whether there is moral or moral pseudo for the enterprise, is both inevitable and can achieve the goal of the useful personnel, the key is also a higher level of management staff coordination and management capacity. Their such can be used but embarrassed big use of the crowd, especially the moral pseudo as a faction, in fact, is the enterprise future talent training good seedling, if the enterprise can put these personnel in the best position, configuration in the most able to play their own level of position, it is clear that the stable operation of the enterprise will be beneficial. After all, the task of planning class is more difficult, but the implementation of the task is capable of the best people.

Ding, true as. Obviously, this is defined for pseudo-acts. I think, the real management, like I in the "on the growth of programmers" in the article discussed, should be its ability to cultivate, not limited to some fixed management skills and knowledge, in the text, I also specifically put forward, the ability of system thinking is the management personnel to focus on the cultivation of a talent, The manager who does the system work is the real act. Only see the system and long-term planning, in order to fundamentally, with the least side effects of the way to solve the problem, this is the way for themselves, the enterprise is good.

Three types of business

The above is only in the management of this side of the system thinking, as for the enterprise this side, in fact, is to classify the discussion, not generalize. I have roughly three types of enterprises to discuss separately, they can actually be said to be three different stages of enterprise development.

A, entrepreneurial enterprise. As discussed in lean entrepreneurship, finding its growth engine is a priority for management. Management, team management is also its top priority. If a start-up enterprise fails to achieve sustained and reliable business growth and has a passionate and efficient teamwork, it is doomed to fail in the first step of enterprise development. The vast majority of entrepreneurial enterprises will not be large-scale, a lot of management tasks are micro-and tend to the enterprise expansion considerations. These for entrepreneurs, actually does not require how superb management skills, as discussed earlier, the ability is the essence of management, entrepreneurs should have, perhaps, is a good spirit, a good insight into the market intuition, and some basic management skills. You look at jobs, Zuckerberg and other characters, which is the management trained, and in fact, professional managers of management thinking is not conducive to the development of entrepreneurial enterprises.

B, struggling enterprises. This is the moment when companies are really facing challenges. Struggling enterprises, some, indeed have found a reliable growth engine, but the organizational structure of the growing and complex, before the micro and rough management plan has not adapted to the present situation, resulting in enterprise contradictions, dangerous, and some, although still did not find a reliable growth engine, But there is already a considerable amount of capital strength, which may be from the VCs, may also be from the initial profit of the market, in short, the company has been given the opportunity to develop breathing, but there is no reliable sustainable growth, these funds will always be burned out of the day, they are still on the brink of life and death struggle. The management of the enterprise will start to constantly improve the level and complexity of management to meet the new challenges, of course, but also those who still do not find the growth engine of enterprises, in addition to operational management challenges, the operation itself will be a challenge. This way, there is no doubt, full of risk, which is quite a trap of decision-making. Some enterprises may begin to be impatient and anxious, perhaps began to question the original idea of entrepreneurship, and put forward the enterprise transformation or start business restructuring, and some enterprises struggle between the reality and the ideal of the rift, may be a tree on the so-called idealistic justice banner, blindly deceive themselves as long as there is a good product, there must be a market, Even in the harsh circumstances in which each condition Kusakabe, it is not intended to review some of the mistakes of self-reflection. These are really dangerous signals. To know, success is really not simple, become a powerful enterprise, not a said can achieve the cause, struggling enterprises to embark on a smooth and healthy growth of the road, the quality of its management personnel to continue to improve, to be able to comprehensively use the above types of management tools, not only to do a good job of risk management, but also to focus on team management, It is necessary to strengthen the process management and can be neglected the operation management. These learning and growth pains, is always difficult to avoid the inevitable path, struggling enterprises to do this awareness.

C, growth-oriented enterprises. If an enterprise stops growing, it is a setback. The industry is generally defined as a mature enterprise, but I think, in reality there is no so-called mature enterprise one said, the growth of enterprises without boundaries, even as IBM, Google, Apple, Microsoft, such as extremely wealthy imperial enterprise, if not struggling to grow, also difficult to escape the situation of life and death struggle. IBM business restructuring, Apple nearly bankrupt, Microsoft now also must transform to seek a breakthrough, these are in fact vigilance our outside world competition cruel, enterprise behind. Therefore, in addition to the growth of the enterprise no more advanced stage. Everyone will often put some good-looking enterprises, as a growth-oriented enterprises, especially those listed enterprises. In fact, even if the money or talent is abundant, and may have been listed, but its enterprises may still linger on the brink of life and death, but not on the path of healthy growth. On the one hand, the market environment is changing, before the reliable growth engine, it is likely to become fragile with the market changes, on the other hand, if the enterprise through the pseudo-act of management and constantly made a breakthrough in business, then with their own continuous growth, the system will only be more serious problems, the ultimate boss can not be solved, Talent begins to drain, capital is scarce, competitiveness is weak, profits are shrinking, and development is stalled. The real growth of the enterprise, in addition to maintain the effectiveness of the growth engine, but also has superb management skills, so that the enterprise has a good operational status, but also to take a chance to break the expansion of new business. Growth-oriented enterprises to worry about, on the one hand is to maintain competitiveness in the changing market, on the other hand, it is not easy to constantly find new profit growth, this is not easily, the industry has a term called internal entrepreneurship, perhaps it can be interpreted its difficulties: no less than a new venture.

Talking about Enterprise management