This was a busy week. Our Family Business practice took us to small business, a women owned business and a 40 million dollar Family owned business with operations in 5 states. We worked with sales, operations, artists and Technicians. Our most successful family business owners have a schedule, a plan each day. Each of these groups came to understand that despite their initial thoughts much of each day is the same.
Observation And Data
Each person we worked with sales, operations, artists and Technicians need a plan. During the first discussions each painted a picture of chaos, an every changing quagmire of unplanned, unique kaleidoscope puzzles. Observation and data showed a different picture.
In a 2003 documentary, Errol Morris depicted the 11 from Lessons from the Fog of War, based on the life of Robert McNamara. The phrase Fog of War, was first presented in On WAR, (Vom Kreige) by Carl Von Clausewitz and published by his wife in 1832. This consummate work has its style and roots in the process of Kant. A point to consider is that, “Friction and Fog are inevitable, which together bring chance and uncertainty into play.” McNamara was the longest serving Secretary of Defense. He’s credited with developing eleven life lessons for navigating the fog.
His first and one of his most critical is “GET the DATA”. McNamara like Deming had the fundamental philosophy that data measurement and analysis were essential to attaining superior performance in every facet of business.
This fundamental principle still holds strong today for any business presence. A significant number of businesses have very little idea on how their business is performing; and more importantly identifying ways to improve it. This quote very concisely explains to us the importance of understanding and interpreting the large volume of data that gets created almost every day by the world.
Plans are as critical as data. Each or our clients, small business, a women owned business and a 40 million dollar Family owned business learned and understood the value of plans and data. Early and frequent data permits you to adjust. Month end financial report history, we want your Team to use data and adjustments to make the “inch stones” of your business.
Assessment and evaluation are keys often overlooked by the family business. Assessment just provides the data – a list of numbers and words. To learn from the data and really use it effectively is a must for an efficient quality improvement system.
Let HRB help your business, adjust and get the Key data.
Fog Of War Eleven Lessons From The Life Of Robert S. Mcnamara from DCTV on Vimeo.
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