Throughout the world, change is taking place at an increasing pace. No sooner is one change in place, then other change surfaces. This rapid rate of change is affecting every level of job and operations throughout the world, causing people to learn and relearn, which, of course, is costly. In addition, it has a negative impact on the comfort level of employees at every level.
Today, there is a new system for managing any level job, improving performance, profitability, and worker relations. The system, called THINK, includes two new elements:
1. A seven-step management model that applies identically to every employee from top to bottom—senior executives, middle managers, all employees, including the local janitor.
2. The seven-step model includes objectives, feedback, processes, resources, incentives, training, and motivation. The seven steps also include a number of vital subordinate elements.
No matter the job description and title, every level job includes the same seven elements for getting a job done effectively. To expand the thinking a bit further, as long as there is an objective, the process applies to everyone, including a clown, astronaut, housewife, teacher, policeman, fireman, secretary, skydiver, etc. It’s universal.
Presently, organizations small and large and their many job descriptions can be viewed as something of a large complex puzzle. As a general rule, most jobs become thoroughly understood only by the jobholder(s), which frequently can produce borderline kingdoms. The result is an overly competitive environment rather than a team-based, cooperating, and trusting one. This becomes a significant barrier to teamwork and improved performance. THINK contributes to changing that kind of atmosphere and behavior.
With THINK, everyone has a clear grasp of what they and everyone else is doing to attain their objectives. The result: dramatically improved relationships, producing trust, teamwork, and improved organization-wide performance. Because the seven-step job structure is identical for every level position, it dramatically improves organization-wide understanding, comfort levels, relationships, and communication.
THINK can be viewed as a scientific process, no matter the job. When an individual grasps the simple power of the model and applies it over and over again, the process becomes instinctive. Consider for a moment the increased power of an organization, when all of its people grasp what everyone from top to bottom is doing…scientifically.
The THINK Model
The seven-step model is the heart of the THINK system. It is a step-by-step process designed to attain any objective by any and every level individual.
Here’s a brief overview of the seven key elements:
- Objective: A measurable objective provides what is to be attained as a result of completing each of the seven steps in any job. If there is no clear objective, there is no job, and the steps that follow become meaningless.
- Feedback: Scheduled frequent feedback to every individual is necessary as a means of monitoring the progress made toward attaining the objective.
- Process: An optimum process is assigned to attaining the objective based on how the best performers do the job. Though there may be no clear best performer at first, in time, a best performer will surface, contributing to producing an effective process, attaining the objective, and optimizing performance.
- Resources: Specific resources are assigned to every job for optimizing performance and attaining the objective. Resources include approximately six key elements critical to supporting and attaining the objective. If any one or more is deficient or managed poorly, attaining the objective will be threatened.
- Incentives: Several incentives contribute to producing the personal desire to attain the job performance objective. If any one or more is deficient or managed poorly, attaining the objective will be seriously threatened.
- Training: An effective training system is necessary as a means of providing people the knowledge and skills to perform and attain their assigned objective(s).
- Motivation: A system needs to be in place for monitoring the performance of employees and ensuring they are well suited to and interested in their jobs. That is, if an individual has changed what he or she wants to do in life/work, even though the first six elements are perfectly in place, the individual’s mind may be on something other than the job. In these cases, it’s better to help the person find his or her future. It also will open the door to a new person enthusiastic about the opportunity.
Additional Modules
Here are three additional modules in support of the seven primary elements:
- Integrated System: Demonstrates how the modules operate and work together as a system for optimizing performance and profitability of any and all jobs.
- Swapping: Demonstrates how any given element(s) within the THINK system may resolve a problem as well as or more effectively than other elements.
- Playing the Game: Problem-solving exercises are necessary, using a variety of typical problems to be resolved applying the THINK process.
The seven elements are critical to performing any job and attaining the very best results…the objective. To ensure attaining optimum results, all of the seven elements and subordinate elements need to be included in one’s thought processes no matter what the individual is doing in the workplace.
To summarize, THINK includes the following features:
- THINK is a scientific process.
- THINK applies to every level job title.
- THINK structures every job based on teamwork and performance objectives.
- THINK is a model of how the successful entrepreneur makes decisions.
- THINK is a single system for measuring, forecasting, and storing results.
- THINK simplifies and improves the effectiveness of training.
- THINK includes the seven elements designed to optimize performance.
- THINK takes one or two days, depending on increased skill practice.
- THINK is a useful opening day training module in any curriculum.
Most important, THINK is a universal model, helping any organization optimize performance and profitability of every level employee from top to bottom.
Ara Bouloutian is partner at Skillstation, which helps organizations by building educational and performance improvement programs that enable individuals, departments, and companies to optimize performance and profitability. Skillstation developed THINK, a job model that includes seven elements and is identical for senior executives, managers, and every job in any organization. Its objective is to scientifically improve organization-wide job management, performance, communication, relationships, and profitability. Major projects have been completed for Citibank, IBM, Ingersoll Rand, Pitney Bowes, Unisys, United Technologies, and others. A national training center was designed for a top 500 company, including environment, curriculum, instructor training, field training, and the management system. For more information, visit www.skillstation.com; call (215) 659-5533 or (866) 506-4209; or e-mail abouloutian@gmail.com or coach@skillstation.com
