The Tribune

By Simon Cooper Res Socius LAST week I shared some thoughts on the subject of treating paralysis at executive level. Someone stopped by and told me they thought my wording was a little harsh. I don't agree it was. It is a serious matter, and if I caught attention I am glad to hear it. Hopefully I made the point that leaders are responsible for leadership, not employees - especially when timber logs jam up a business, and the ship starts going nowhere. I also left some clues regarding what business owners ought to do about this. These are my primary thoughts in a bit more detail. * Plan, plan and plan again - While business plans and budgets may not be perfect instruments in a coalescing world, they are still the best alternatives, provided we manage them along the way like little children. Your blueprints must be your own creations, too. They are your voice, and they must speak for you. By all means ask key staff to unearth the details. Use this information to chart the way ahead yourself. * Follow through - You are the boss, and it ought to stay that way. Your role includes following through on the implementation of your strategies. You do this by planting seeds in your employees' job priorities. If you nurture them, they sprout. If you do not then they shrivel in the dust. Meanwhile, your employees get on in the same old way with the very things you are endeavouring to change. * Treat employees like yourself - You are in business because you enjoy the sense of fulfillment this provides, and the rewards it gives. Everybody is the same in that regard, and this includes your own employees, too. Involve your staff in the planning process as appropriate to their level. And, when your ship comes in, try saying something a bit more effective than a silent: "I feel great, I made more money". * Lead from the front - I was mightily impressed when I visited the Middle East a few years ago and discovered how the shepherds operate out there. They walk ahead of their flocks so they can look for dangers and find the safest route. You need to be out there and leading the way forward, too. There is more to management than sitting behind a desk and doing numbers. This is definitely not advanced science. But how many of us actually do this? Show me a successful business leader, and I will show you a man or women who: * Plans and re-plans continuously * Tracks implementation and rewards success * Manages in a participative fashion * Leads from the front and not from behind the office desk Why not try this yourself? I guarantee you will find this a more refreshing way to run your business. And one that will considerably enhance your own work satisfaction, too. NB: Simon Cooper is a founding partner of Res Socius, a business brokerage firm authorised by the Bahamas Investment Authority that facilitates the sale and purchase of businesses. Contact 376-1256 or visit www.ressocius.com.