“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
It has been almost 10 years since Peter Drucker, the world famous business management guru, died. He was 95. I am a big believer in the Peter Drucker school of management, as are thousands of business leaders and managers around the world.
Drucker is credited with inventing the very concept of modern business management – a staggering achievement. His plain-spoken style and his use of simple language to express complex business strategies resonate with managers of business and social institutions the world over. As a result, his influence is felt every day in untold numbers of business and policy decisions around the globe.
I am obviously a big fan of Drucker – a disciple, really – and have incorporated many of his principles in my business and personal life with great success. You should, too.
Here are a few of my favorite Drucker principles:
1. Care for Your Employees.
Take care of the people that work for you because, at the end of the day, every business is ultimately in the “people business,” no matter what business you are in.
2. Be Involved With Your Team.
Select the best talent when building your team. Talented people are the essential ingredient in every successful enterprise. Be hands-on in hiring and selecting new team members. I know this sounds obvious, but with 200 employees it can be hard to form a personal connection with every new team member. As your company grows it becomes tempting to delegate this important function. I try hard to personally meet every prospective employee and spend time learning his or her interests, talents and goals, knowing that an alignment of personal goals forms a powerful synergy.
When an employee decides to leave, I insist upon an exit interview and encourage openness during the process. You would be surprised how forthcoming an exiting team member can be when the relationship dynamics change. The experience is often humbling, but always informative.
3. Make the Most of Meetings.
Make meetings count by making them more about the future than the past.
According to Drucker, “Most meetings discuss ‘problems’ – especially in the areas where performance falls below expectations – which means that managers tend not to see opportunities”.
Make team meetings effective. In my General Manager meetings, I have learned to discuss opportunities and foresee the future. Yes, we share results. Yes, we talk market share and operations. But, we also discuss how bright the future can be if we want to create it.
4. Set Goals.
Drucker reminds us that effective managers put their goals in writing, and then regularly check their performance. It’s really very simple: Write them down each and every day. My Top 10 goals are posted on paper.
5. Be Mission and Purpose Driven.
Be in charge of your goals. Know when to say no.
According to Drucker, “Too many leaders try to do a little bit of 25 things and get nothing done. They are very popular because they always say yes. But they get nothing done.”
Push and be persistent. This one never fails. I have won so many battles because of the final effort. Never give up and always push for more.
6. Clearly Align Your Tasks and Objectives.
Make sure the people with whom you work understand your priorities. Where organizations fall down is when they have to guess at what the boss is working at, and they invariably guess wrong.
The CEO needs to say: “This is what I am focusing on.” Then the CEO needs to ask of his associates, “What are you focusing on?”
Avoid assumption management. I always ask questions and get down to the bottom of the issues. I avoid assuming what I believe might be the correct answer. Instead, I ask and dig for answers.
7. Be on the Forefront of Branding, Marketing, and Relationship Building.
Drucker motivated me to always keep learning, especially when it comes to branding and marketing.
He always said, “The purpose of a business is to create a customer.”
And yes, a highly branded business will have more customers. More customers will inevitably lead to an increase in customer complaints. Face customer complaints head-on.
I personally call every customer back who contacts our office to inform me – and often in colorful language – where he or she thinks we have fallen short. And I call back immediately. The more time that goes by the more frustrated the customer becomes.
These exchanges are almost always constructive. Criticism is often the early warning sign that we must “up our game”. A complaint is a customer giving us a 2nd chance.
8. Listen. Listen before you respond.
I have forced myself on this one to listen to my team, to my customers and to my critics. It is amazing what you can hear between the lines when you make time to listen.
9. Take Care of Your Community.
Business owners have an obligation to make their communities better places. Drucker believed strongly that all institutions, including those in the private sector, have a responsibility to society. He saw the corporation as a human community.
If you think I speak too highly of Peter Drucker just read his obituary on the Business in the Heart of Florida website. I guarantee it will inspire you to pick up one of his more than three dozen books.
Freddie Wehbe is the owner of Gator Dominos, a ten-store franchise serving the greater Gainesville area. Freddie is married to Daurine and has two children, Ronnie and Dany. For feedback or questions, email Freddie at [email protected].
Visit www.businessmagazinegainesville.com to read more of Freddie Wehbe’s articles.