There are no teams!

There are no departments. There are no business units. There are no customers and there are no suppliers.

There are, however, individuals who comprise all of the above!

The human person.

It is the human in management that must take primacy at all times.

Teams don’t under perform – individuals in teams underperform and when such mediocrity is tolerated, over time, it becomes the norm and that’s how teams fail.

For, in every grouping of individuals, there are those that perform and those that don’t.

Individuals need to have a sense of purpose. Who have to be given accurate assignments and then constant regular feedback on how they are performing to those assignments.

They need to know how those assignments, when executed, well help achieve the organisation’s goals.

These individuals need to be rewarded by what they deem to be value. For some it’s money, for others just an opportunity to work and contribute, for even others a sense of belonging.

And here’s where it gets interesting – everything changes constantly!

The same intern that started a few years ago just wanting an opportunity to enter the organisation even at reception has moved on. Her next want was permanency of work. Then, purpose in the work place. Later, it was the ability to contribute…leave a legacy.

Over time, her lifestyle changed too! She now wants to buy a house. Soon she’ll want extended time off for a wedding and a honeymoon. Then she may want even more extended leave to raise a family.

Management is about keeping up. 

It’s about staying in constant contact with your people, satisfying their needs as much as possible…ensuring they are fully engaged in the organisation and the organisation is fully engaged with them.

For in the end, and in the beginning, and throughout the journey it is always about the individual.