Organizational development directing behavior and culture often, if not always, requires the setting up of a management system through which an organization determines what needs to be done, how, when and by whom on the way to towards desired objectives and success.
To allow best results of a management system – concerning no matter what business area – a limited number of issues have to be properly addressed and followed: [a] the process along which the management system will be build, including:
1. the contents of the management system in terms of management activity areas or “elements”, and
2. the structure of the elements making up the management system.
The process towards management system success includes a number of steps to be taken in a preferred order. The number of steps is not really that relevant and could vary between 10 and 20. Starting at the top of the organization and incorporating Top-down and Bottom-up principles, these steps may include:
1. Senior Manager Leadership
2. Management Team leadership training/orientation
3. Project Improvement Team established
4. (Internal) Expertise available
5. Project communicated to all
6. Opinion Survey concerning system subject matter
7. Base-line Assessment to establish actual system activity
8. Activity Area (element) selection for first plan
9. Introduction Training throughout organization
10. Element Coordination Team(s)
11. Coordination Team training
12. Making the first (standing) plan – critical elements of specific management activities
13. Implementation training to carry our plan
14. Management briefing to allow proper management motivation during implementation
15. Do – implement the activities according to plan
16. Review by the Management Improvement Team
17. Extend system as appropriate
During step 12 the standing plan or management system is put together including the management activity area or “elements” and their specific element activities, depending on the purpose and objective of the management system. All steps prior to making the plan are intended to allow management support and leadership and to prepare relevant people in the making of the plan. The steps following the plan include training of people for implementation of plan activities and ongoing support from management and staff. Periodic evaluation of element activities and the results obtained and system review may require extension of the plan by adding elements depending on results obtained and/or changing societal, technical and legislative environments.
Main subjects during step 12 include:
1. determining what the content of the management system should be in terms of management activity areas or elements, and
2. putting the proper structure in each of the elements selected to stimulate element activity implementation as well as periodic evaluation concerning implementation as well as element results compared to set objectives.
The content will depend largely on the purpose of the system although systems such as for safety, quality, productivity, etc. will often include elements that are more or less generic to no matter which business area. To a large extent these, and their specific element activities, can be obtained from industry standards, certification norms, legislation, etc. and may include:
– Management Leadership
– Management training
– Design engineering/change management
– Mechanical Integrity
– Materials and services management
– Hiring and placement of personnel
– Rules and permits to work
– Risk/problem identification/evaluation
– Control of critical tasks
– Skill training,
– Personal protective equipment
– Inspections and maintenance
– Communications
– Emergency preparedness
– Post event planning
– Product stewardship
– Environmental care
– Unwanted events investigation/analysis
– Culture and behavior modeling
– System evaluation and review
– Documentation, records and reports
The structure shall be present in each management activity area that is required to reach management system objective(s). If your management system includes activity areas for which this structure is not considered necessary it may indicate that the activity area is not important for the success of the management system. The structure may include:
1. Need assessment, management statement and setting of element objectives
2. Co-ordination of element activities
3. Element standing plan preparation, to include:
3.1. Review of legislation and standards for minimum requirements
3.2. Additional element activities as required by other sources
3.3. Employee participation in development of element activities
3.4. Employee training to develop, execute, manage and review element activities
3.5. Employee participation in executing element activities
3.6. Communication needs to internal and external parties
3.7. Periodic element plan assessments, activities carried out and results obtained against objectives set, and
4. Review and improvement.
The above route to management system success is based on the Topves Platform Model for improvement and change. This 3-dimensional model can be seen as a variation of the Deming circle Plan-Do-Check-Act. The Topves model shows that the performance level of an organization rests on three columns: Plan – Train – Do, which are founded on Management Motivation and Leadership. The “Do” includes the Deming Check and Act which and is included in the element structure 3.7 and 4.
The process which is the critical item when building a management system to allow and obtain emotional ownership at all levels in the organization. More information about process, content, structure, a process rating system and background information can be found on my website.
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