Chapter 17. The Operations Bucket

CORE COMPETENCY #17
We affirm the high and noble calling of management and the spiritual gift of administration. We reject the fallacy that leaders lead and managers manage. We relentlessly pursue both effective and efficient operational solutions to organizational challenges. We are experts at ruthlessly eliminating costly bureaucracy that impedes results. We are yes men and women!

RESOURCES IN THE OPERATIONS BUCKET

• WORKSHEET #17.1:  "Prime Responsibility Chart." Download this Word document and begin now to eliminate all fuzzy roles--and identify a point person (or champion) for every major task.
  
• MANAGEMENT VS. LEADERSHIP.  Download this excellent article by Olan Hendrix, "Management That Leads." He writes, "Leaders must learn to manage, and managers must learn to lead. When we see the two as interdependent we are more apt to improve at the work of getting work done through other people. When we see the two as totally separate we more easily excuse our deficiencies in one or the other and thereby deny ourselves the potential for learning."
  
• GREAT IDEA: Every Friday morning with coffee, host a Bagels & Bureaucracy stand-up meeting. Award Starbucks gift cards to the best ideas for ruthlessly eliminating bureaucracy in your organization!
  
• READ: Order these helpful books in the Operations Bucket and delegate your reading. With a team of just four people (formal or informal), each person can read just one book a month and give a five-minute report at your weekly meeting.  You'll become friends with 50 books a year!