Goals are goals, true – but when you’re in business it’s important to recognize that there are several different types of goals to keep track of. For the most part therea re three main types of goals:

1. Goals set at individual levels
2. Goals set for different areas
3. Goals set to meet time frame requirements

Goals that we set for individual levels of the organisation refer to a company’s mission statement and operational ideals. They govern the purpose of the organisation and involve setting both strategic goals (usually set by upper management), tactical goals (usually set by middle management), and operational goals (usually set by lower management).

Different areas of an organisation need goals as well. For example, the marketing department and manufacturing plants are definitely going to have a different set of goals. The same applies to finance departments, maintenance, and even support staff.

Time frame goals refer to short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals. You may want your processing plant to complete 1,000,000 widgets in two days (a short-term goal) or you may want to open 25 new stores over the course of 5 years (a long-term goal). Time-oriented goals can apply to any of the levels or areas of an organisation separately – or to everyone as a whole.

It’s important to recognize that you can’t simply set a goal and hold your breath waiting for it to be met. You have to set focused goals and make sure that the people who need to work towards meeting that goal are properly educated and advised. Use your decision making skills to decide who is best suited to complete a given task and then delegate the project. You’ll be pleased with the results you get from a focused group.

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

You may have your own methods for understanding and coping with diversity, but your organisation will have methods for dealing with these types of changes as well. Most often you’ll find that organisations deal with workplace diversity by setting policies and procedures that govern the entire workgroup. Here are a few examples.

Organisational practices are methods an organisation takes to monitor and control the way their employees are treated – both by management and by their fellow employees. For example, your employee manual will likely have pages discussing how to handle harassment (specifically sexual harassment) within the workplace. These policies apply to victims, perpetrators, and witnesses. I now see companies issuing separate mission statements outlining exactly how they feel about the way their diverse culture should grow.

Organisational policies are a little different than practices. These policies govern how individual can be treated on a professional level – including the way they are compensated. For example, single parents may find they need specific vacation holiday schedules while a woman who wants to help her ailing grandparents may want to flex her work-week schedule. Some people need less insurance than others and may be compensated accordingly as well.

Diversity training is also becoming more and more popular these days. Diversity training is an organisation’s method for making sure all employees are properly informed when it comes to understanding the differences between their cultures, beliefs, and work ethics. Employees who are educated often find it easier to cope with differing personalities.

Does your organisation have a diversity training program? If not, what methods does your organisation take to control or educate its employees about diversity?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

We’ve spent quite a bit of time this week reviewing not only the different types of social responsibility, but how it’s perceived by the public as well. Some people support it and others are against it. We’re going to look at one more aspect of corporate social responsibility before giving it a rest for a bit, and that is how organisations actually approach the issue themselves.

You’re going to find that most organisations take one of 4 approaches. They’ll either:

1. Obstruct the progress of social responsibility;
2. Take action to defend social responsibility;
3. Make accommodations to support social responsibility; or
4. Take a proactive stance towards the issue.

Companies who stand in the way of, or obstruct, social responsibility are usually those with the most questionable ethical practices. These organisations won’t take responsibility for the harm they’ve caused the environment and might even attempt to bribe others to support them, even if their goals don’t have the welfare of the general public in mind.

Organisations who take a defensive stance will make the smallest contribution to the public or environment that is possible but insist that they are in business to turn a profit, no support others. For example, in the US many casinos place advertisements about the addictive hazards of gambling within their buildings, which shows they care about the public at large. But do they? Those same casinos with buildings in other countries may not be required to place the same signs – so they won’t.

A company that merely accomodates social responsibility will particpate actively, but only when asked. In short, someone from the charitable organisation needs to physically knock on the door, pinpoint a contact, and make a plea. They’ll usually be met with a positive response, but would not have received the same support had they waited for the corporation to act first. In other words, don’t hold your breath waiting for these companies to wake up.

Proactive organisations are the best to deal with. They have strong missions and goals that support not only their own agendas but the public at large. One of the best examples is the McDonald’s corporation and it’s support of the public through the Ronald McDonald House and several other organisations have followed suit.

What type of stance does your organisation take towards social responsibility? As a manager, are you supportive of the stance your organisation takes?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Manager Training

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”