Manage and Maintain

Small/Medium Business Operations

Pre. By jaleto S.
Identify daily work requirements
1 .Work Identification and Allocation
Every work role usually comes along with its job
description and person specification and this will
help you to identify the job requirements.
Job Description

A job description is a written record of the

duties and responsibilities associated with the
particular job.
Job description serves a dual purpose,
1.Making it easier to match the right person to the
right job, and
2.Informing all employees what their jobs entail.
The details In preparing a job description :

◦A general description of the job

◦The duties to be performed
◦The job responsibilities
◦Specific skills needed
◦Education and experience required
Once everything is put down on paper,
the employer is ready to start looking
for the person who fits the description.
Cont,
 Job analysis is a process in which employers identify
and determine the particular job duties and requirements
and the relative importance of these duties for a given
job.
During job analysis, the following leading questions should
be asked as a guide by anyone who hires, be it the business
owner, the manager or supervisor:
◦ What work has to be accomplished?
◦ Will additional help be needed to do it?
◦ How many people are needed?
◦ Would part-time help be sufficient?
◦ What are the skills being looked for?
◦ How much experience is required?
◦ How much payment will entail?
Business Environment
A business organization cannot exist in a vacuum. It needs
◦ living persons,
◦ Natural resources
◦ Places and
◦ Things to exist.
The sum of all these factors and forces is called the
business environment.
Therefore, Business Environment may be defined as a set
of conditions Social, Legal, Economical, Political or
Institutional that are uncontrollable in nature and affects
the functioning of an organization.
Characteristics of Business Environment

1. Business environment is compound in nature.

2. Business environment is constantly in a changing process.
3. Business environment is different for different business
units.
4. It has both long term and short term impact.
5. Unlimited influence of external environment factors.
6. It is very uncertain.
7. Inter-related components.
8. It includes both internal and external environment.
Business environment is of two types:

(I ) internal environment (ii) external environment

(I ) Internal Environment: It includes 5 Ms i.e. man,
material, money, machinery and management, usually
within the control of business. Business can make
changes in these factors according to the change in the
functioning of enterprise.
(ii) External Environment: Those factors which are
beyond the control of business enterprise are included
in external environment. These factors are: Government
and Legal factors, Geo-Physical Factors, Political
Factors, Socio-Cultural Factors, Demo-Graphical
factors etc.
External Environment is of two types:
1. Macro/General Environment
2. Micro/Operating Environment
 3. Micro/Operating Environment
This is the environment which is close to the
business and affects its capacity to work. It
consists of Suppliers, Customers, Market
Intermediaries, Competitors and Public.
4. Action Plan
Action Plan is a sequence of steps that must be
taken, or activities that must be performed well,
for a strategy to succeed
Cont,,
 An action plan has three
major elements
(1) Specific tasks: what will be done
and by whom.
(2) Time horizon: when will it be done?
(3) Resource allocation: what
specific funds are available for specific
activities?
Cont,,
Each action step or change to be sought should
include the following information:
◦What actions or changes will occur
◦Who will carry out these changes
◦By when they will take place, and for how
long
◦What resources (i.e., money, staff) are needed
to carry out these changes
Con,,
What are the criteria for a good Action
Plan?
The action plan for your initiative should
meet several criteria. The most
important of these are
Cont,,
Tolend credibility to your
organization. An action plan
shows members of the community
(including grant makers) that your
organization is well ordered and
dedicated to getting things done.
Goal / Objective Setting

Goal is defined as "The end toward which effort

is directed."
◦ Keep in mind that goals:
◦ Provide direction and guidance
◦ State desired results, intentions, or desires
◦ Are prioritized to reflect relative importance
◦ Are used as a basis for establishing
objectives
Cont,,,
Example of a Goal “to create a safer work
environment on the farm.”
 The biggest difference between goals and

objectives is that goals are not as concrete.

 Goals imply a purpose or a direction, unlike

objectives, which must be measurable. Often

to achieve a goal will require several specific
objectives to be met.
Realistic Timelines and Priorities
One of the main differences between those who
realize their goals and those who don't seems to be
the implementation of realistic timeframes.
No matter what type of goal you pursue, setting a
realistic timeline can help you realize your goal
Setting a realistic timeline can be an excellent
way :
◦to spur you to activity, to keep you on track,
◦to help you avoid pitfalls, and ultimately,
◦to achieve your goals with as little difficulty and
sacrifice as possible
5 Rules to Keep a Realistic Timeline

1. Create an Outline
2. Set Realistic Deadlines
3. Start on Time
4. Set Reminders
5. Start with the most time-consuming
4.3 Performance Measures
Performance measures quantitatively tell us something
important about our products, services, and the processes
that produce them. They are a tool to help us understand,
manage, and improve what our organizations do.
Performance measures let us know:
How well we are doing
If we are meeting our goals
If our customers are satisfied
If and where improvements are necessary
If our processes are in statistical control
Cont,,
They provide us with the information necessary
to make intelligent decisions about what we do.
A performance measure is composed of a
number and a unit of measure. The number gives
us a magnitude (how much) and the unit gives
the number a meaning (what). Performance
measures are always tied to a goal or an
objective (the target).
Cont,,
Most performance measures can be grouped
into one of the following six general
categories.
1.Effectiveness
2.Efficiency
3.Quality
4.Timeliness
5.Productivity
6.Safety
The following reflect the attributes of an ideal unit of
measure:

◦ Reflects the customer's needs as well as our

own
◦ May be interpreted uniformly
◦ Provides an agreed upon basis for decision
making
◦ Is compatible with existing sensors (a way to
measure it exists)
◦ Is understandable
◦ Is precise in interpreting the results
◦ Applies broadly
◦ Is economical to apply
Monitor and manage work
Steps in Conducting Meeting
1. Identify Goals and Objectives for the
Meeting
2. Determine the Appropriate Participants
3. Develop An Agenda
4. Review the Agenda and Ground Rules
5. Allow Sufficient Time to Facilitate the Work
6. Produce and Distribute a Meeting Summary
7. Evaluate the Meeting
Group and Team Work
 Group is defined as two or more freely interacting
individuals who share collective norms and goals and
have a common identity. The size of a group is thus
limited by the possibilities of mutual interaction and
mutual awareness. If the group is formed by a manager
to help the organization accomplish its goals, then it
qualifies as a formal group. An informal group exists
when the members’ overriding purpose of getting
together is friendship or common interest.
Cont,,
Team is a small number of people with
complementary skills who are committed
to a common purpose, performance
goals, and approach for which they hold
themselves mutually accountable.
The two major types of Teams are
1. Self managed team 2. Virtual team
Cont,,
1. Self managed team are groups of workers
who are given administrative responsibility for
various activities normally performed by
managers—such as planning, scheduling,
monitoring, and staffing.
Self managed teams are typically cross
functional, meaning they are staffed with a
mix of specialists from different areas. Self-
managed teams vary widely in the autonomy
or freedom they enjoy.
Cont,,

2.Virtual team is a physically
dispersed task group that
conducts its business through
modern information technology
such as the Internet.
Conflict Management

Conflict
◦ A battle, contest or opposing forces existing between
primitive desires and moral, religious or ethical ideas
(Webster’s Dictionary)
◦ A state of incompatibility of ideas between two or
more parties or individuals
Conflict management is the practice of identifying and
handling conflict in a sensible, fair and efficient manner.
Cont,,
General Causes of Conflicts
◦ Poorly defined goals
◦ Divergent personal values
◦ Lack of cooperation/trust
◦ Competition of scarce resources
◦ Unclear roles/lack of job description
Effects of Conflict in Organizations
◦ Stress
◦ Absenteeism
◦ Staff turnover
◦ De-motivation
◦ Non-productivity
How to prevent Conflicts?

◦ Frequent meeting of your team

◦ Allow your team to express openly
◦ Sharing objectives
◦ Having a clear and detailed job
description
◦ Distributing task fairly
◦ Never criticize team members publicly
◦ Always be fair and just with your team
◦ Being a role model
Cont,,
Conflict is unavoidable because of
◦Complexity of organizational relationship
◦Interaction among workers
◦Dependence of workers on one another
Conflict is a healthy sign not a negative

process
Conflict reflects dynamics
Cont,,
Healthy responses to conflict:
◦The capacity to recognize and
respond to the things that matter to
the other person
◦Calm, non-defensive, and respectful
reactions
◦A readiness to forgive and forget,
and to move past the conflict without
holding resentments or anger
Cont,,
Unhealthy responses to conflict:
◦An inability to recognize and respond to
the things that matter to the other person
◦Explosive, angry, hurtful, and resentful
reactions
◦The withdrawal of love, resulting in
rejection, isolation, shaming, and fear of
abandonment
◦An inability to compromise or see the
other person’s side
Cont,,
◦The fear and avoidance of
conflict; the expectation of bad
outcomes
◦The ability to seek compromise
and avoid punishing
◦A belief that facing conflict head
on is the best thing for both sides
Problem Solving Techniques

Problem is the gap between the current situation

and a desired situation.
Problem solving is an ongoing process that is an
integral part of everyday life either at home or
at work.
A problem must first be felt, understood, and
alternative choices created before effective
groups can consider its solution, implement the
decision, and evaluate how well the solution is
working.
Work and Performance Monitoring

Monitoring is the systematic and routine collection of

information from projects and programmes for four
main purposes:
1. To learn from experiences to improve practices and
activities in the future;
2. To have internal and external accountability of the
resources used and the results obtained;
3. To take informed decisions on the future of the
initiative;
4. To promote empowerment of beneficiaries of the
initiative.
Cont,,
 Monitoring is a periodically recurring task already
beginning in the planning stage of a project or
programmed.
 Monitoring allows results, processes and experiences
to be documented and used as a basis to steer decision-
making and learning processes. Monitoring is checking
progress against plans. The data acquired through
monitoring is used for evaluation.
Information Management System (IMS)

Information Management System (IMS) is a general

term for software designed to facilitate the storage,
organization and retrieval of information.
Operation Management
Operation Management is concerned with creating the
services and products upon which we all depend. And
all organizations produce some mixture of services and
products, whether that organization is large or small,
manufacturing or service, for profit or not for profit,
public or private.
Cont,,
Resource Management
 Resource Management is

the process of using a company’s resources in the most

efficient way possible. These resources can
include tangible resources such
as goods and equipment, financial resources,
and labor resources such as employees.
Cont…
Resource management can include ideas such
as making sure one has enough physical
resources for one's business, but not an
overabundance so that products won't get used,
or making sure that people
are assigned to tasks that will keep them busy
and not have too much downtime.
Develop effective work habits

Work Habits
We humans are creatures of habit, therefore to develop good
habits should be simple - right! Well, not always.
7 Seven Simple Steps to Develop Good Habits
◦Identify the habit.
◦Make the decision, and then the commitment to change
◦Discover your triggers and obstacles
◦Devise a plan
◦Employ visualization and affirmations
◦Enlist support from family and friends
◦Find healthy ways to reward yourself
10 Good Work Habits

1. Punctuality
2. Professionalism
3. Positive Attitude
4. Individuality
5. Diligence
6. Time Management
7. Organization
8. Energy
9. Communication
10. Creativity
Work Prioritization
Prioritize your work by urgency of the task
◦ Needs to be done now
◦ Should have been done yesterday
◦ Should be done today
◦ Can wait until tomorrow
◦ Can wait until time permits
After prioritizing your work by urgency, it should
then be prioritized by the date it was received.
Time Management Strategies
 The term Time Management is a misnomer.
You cannot manage time; you manage the
events in your life in relation to time. Much
like money, time is both valuable and limited:
it must be protected, used wisely, and
budgeted.
Cont…

People who practice good time management techniques

often find that they:
◦ Are more productive,
◦ Have more energy for things they need to accomplish,
◦ Feel less stressed,
◦ Are able to do the things they want,
◦ Get more things done,
◦ Relate more positively to others, and
◦ Feel better about themselves (Dodd and Sundheim, 2005).
◦ By incorporating some, or all of the ten strategies below, you can
more effectively manage your time.
Cont…
◦ Know how spend your time
◦ Set priorities
o Use a planning tool
◦ Get organized
◦ Schedule your time appropriately
◦ Delegate: get help from others
◦ Stop procrastinating
◦ Manage external time wasters
◦ Avoid multi-tasking
◦ Stay Healthy
Quality Assurance Principles and Methods
Quality is the ability of your product or service to satisfy
your customers.
Quality Assurance (or QA) is what you need to do, to
demonstrate that your product or service will satisfy
your customers.
Quality Assurance System is the organizational
structure, the processes and procedures necessary to
ensure that the overall intentions and direction of an
organization as regards quality are met and that the
quality of the product or service is assured.
Quality Assurance Tools & Techniques

There are many tools and techniques that form

the basis of the key quality assurance
principles. Some of these include...
◦Cost-Benefit Analysis
◦Cost of Quality (COQ)
◦Control Charts
◦Benchmarking
◦Design of Experiments (DOE)
◦Statistical Sampling
Cont…
◦ Flow Charting
◦ Quality Management Methodologies (i.e. Six Sigma,
CMMI, etc)
◦ Cause and Effect Diagrams (i.e. Fishbone Diagram)
◦ Histogram
◦ Pareto Chart
◦ Run Chart
◦ Scatter Diagram
◦ Inspection
Evaluate work performance(5)
 To Keep your staff productive and motivated
conduct regular performance evaluations.
 Performance evaluations, provide employers

with an opportunity to assess their employees’

contributions to the organization.
 It is essential to developing a powerful work

team
Performance Evaluation
 The primary goals of a performance evaluation system
are to provide an equitable measurement of an
employee’s contribution to the workforce,
 produce accurate appraisal documentation to protect
both the employee and employer, and obtain a high
level of quality and quantity in the work produced. To
create a performance evaluation system in your
practice, follow these five steps
Steps in Work Performance Evaluation

1. Develop an evaluation form.

2. Identify performance measures.
3. Set guidelines for feedback.
4. Create disciplinary and termination
procedures.
Cont…
 These procedures should outline the actions that will
be taken when performance deteriorates – a verbal
warning, a written warning if there is no
improvement or a recurrence, and termination if
the situation is not ultimately resolved.

5.Set an evaluation schedule.

Cont,,
The last analysis
 A performance evaluation system should be a

key component of your practice structure.

 When implemented effectively, it ensures

fairness and accountability, promotes growth
and development and encourages a sense of
pride in your employees’ contributions to the
practice.
Cont,,
KEY POINTS
 A performance evaluation system can motivate staff

to do their best for themselves and the practice by

promoting staff recognition and improving
communication.
 Evaluations should be conducted fairly, consistently

and objectively to protect your employees and your

practice.
 An effective performance evaluation system has

standardized evaluation forms, performance

measures, feedback guidelines and disciplinary
procedures.
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