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Clive Shearer
Management
by Design
By Clive Shearer

January 10, 2001

Tactical thinking for the new millennium

By CLIVE SHEARER
Special to the Journal

As we commence the new millennium, it might be time to consider the role of tactics in the growth and refinement of a company.

It is not unusual for a small or medium sized firm to grow into a respected regional corporation. This is usually accomplished by having satisfied clients, strong leadership and powerful marketing. A few firms have also expanded creatively, gaining not just a larger piece of the pie -- but expanding into new slices of different and non-traditional pies.

However, after several years of growth, many firms seem to "hit a wall," unable to maintain the rate of growth, creative energy and productivity of the start-up years. If they even have a long range plan it will usually be lacking in tactical detail, and therefore not useful as a decision making tool for management.

CEOs and presidents become annoyed and frustrated with the shortsightedness of their managers, yet the managers are making everyday tactical decisions without the benefit of strategic direction.

Does this matter for a company that is doing so well? It matters because little concerns, inadequacies or difficulties can cascade into a serious flood of problems, in the same way that a small hairline fracture in a dam wall can eventually result in a gigantic structural failure.

Yet, most of these companies do not fail, they simply become mired in inefficiencies and lower margins of profit. Here are a few examples:

Staffing decisions:

(a) One department is letting people go, while another department is desperately searching for new staff.

(b) A specialist in an emerging field inquires about employment, yet is ignored by human resources because the strategic thinking regarding this new field has not filtered down.

(c) A company does exceptionally well in delivering a novel technology, leading to the marketing manager suggesting a media blitz and national exposure. The division manager turns the idea down, unaware that there is a budget for such a campaign.

New location decisions: While real estate consultants, bankers, landlords and property managers may be involved in the move, no one is assigned to oversee all the tactical details. Tactical planning would include interviewing everyone involved, from staff to the movers, and assembling a master sequenced checklist of detailed actions and responsibilities.

Without tactical planning, the move costs more than it should, takes a lot longer than anticipated, and is more disruptive than expected.

Expansion decisions: A strategic decision is made to open a new branch office, but the decision is not shared with the staff until the new office is about to open. The opportunity to share tactics and brainstorm ideas with the staff, some of whom are very familiar with the local city or region, is squandered.

Quality improvement decisions: A corporate goal to improve the quality of the work is shared with the staff through exhortations to put in more hours and work more carefully, yet tactical techniques for identifying groups and sub-sets of quality problems are never developed. The result is that quality is never measured, remains inconsistent and out of statistical control.

Problem solving: When problems arise, solutions are indecisive -- meandering around like a sailing vessel without a rudder. Decisions are made each day based on where the vessel is, rather than where it should be going.

In many of the above situations CEOs and presidents become annoyed and frustrated with the shortsightedness of their managers, yet the managers are making everyday tactical decisions without the benefit of strategic direction. This omission usually occurs because of the unspoken feeling amongst the upper echelon of management that it is not necessary to share strategic thinking with their managers.

Front line managers need to be empowered with background information so that their daily focus on the "next important thing to do" will stem from sound tactical thinking, based on the organization’s long range vision. When they do this, every decision and every day brings the company closer to its goals and yields enormous personal satisfaction with the work.


Clive Shearer is a professional trainer, educator and retreat facilitator and can be reached at cgb9@yahoo.com


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