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30 • AUGUST 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Do you ever get conflicting signals at work? Do you sometimes wonder what is important and what is super- fluous? Did you ever come to that proverbial "fork in the road" and not know which way to turn? Welcome to the club, we have probably all been in that situation. Here is a hint to help you make the right choice. The first step lies in your com- pany's mission statement, which should explain where you want to go as a firm, and basically is a general map of how to get there. I spoke about the importance of having a mission statement in my last article. Some companies may want to even go a step further to clarify the Creating a highly functional organization BY TOM LUBY, PROFIT BUILDERS INTERNATIONAL goals of the company through what we call a mission pursuit, but either way, hopefully the stated company goals in the mission statement should point you in the right direction. Once a company has an estab- lished mission statement, everyone in the company needs to be aware of what it is and what it means. The next step in creating the most efficient way to reach your company goals and to make the right choices along the way is to build a functional organization to accomplish your company mission. It is critical for so many reasons to The Original! LOWBUCK PIPE NOTCHER Notcher features Made In The USA! Don't Accept Cheap Imitations That Bind Up! Lowbuck Notcher with 13 Cutter Set for 2-21 ⁄2 pipe or tubing up to and including Schedule 40 with one machine. The Williams Lowbuck Notcher features patented upper and lower ram supports and heat-treated tool steel cutters for long life and smooth action. This improved machine has been in production in California, USA for over 30 years, with thousands of satisfied customers. 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Schedule 40 Notcher Now includes individual male cutters for each size . . . 13 ⁄8 , 15 Also Available Size 23⁄8 ⁄8 , 17 ⁄8 Cutter establish a functional organization; without it, the job of accomplishing all of the necessary tasks to make money for the company and create a pleasant work environment becomes increas- ingly difficult, especially in larger companies. In fact the bigger the com- pany, the more critical a functional or- ganization becomes, mainly because in a company with only a handful of employees, each employee must wear so many different hats that the indi- vidual functions become diluted. OK, you say, but why not just a general organization? Why a func- tional organization? In fact, how many of you know the difference between general organiza- tion and functional organization? A functional organization is an or- ganization built around a core of processes needed to be completed to accomplish the company mission and to make money. A general organiza- tion ignores functions and is built around personalities and employees, and boy, can that create havoc! That said, if you choose to estab- lish a functional business organization, one of the first mistakes you could make as an owner, president or general manager is to build the organization around the needs and/or skills of the employees, instead of the opposite. What I mean by that is do not take a person and try to fit a strategic and necessary process to the operation of the company around that person, mak- ing adjustments to the function or job description so that it fits the skill set and limitations of the employee. No, you must do the opposite and find the right person with the skills and quali- fications to fit the job. Never take people you have in your organization and simply find the best spot for them, regardless of need or qualifications. Saying we do not really need Bill there but that is the only place where he is qualified, or we do not really have anyone in the company who can perform a necessary function, there- fore we redefine or eliminate that job or function defeats the purpose of functionality. That is a disfunctional organization and one doomed to fail- ure. What you have to do is look at what you and your company want to accomplish (goals and objectives, as well as mission statement) and build an organizational chart of functions and positions that are needed to achieve those goals and objectives and realize your company mission state- ment. Then you must establish the du- ties, tasks and job descriptions needed to support that functional organization. Once your organization chart is completed, place the most qualified people you can in the positions you have determined. The employees must fit into the needs of the organization; not the organization fit the needs and qualifications of the employees. Remember, the organization can- not change to fit the skills or needs of the individual; it is the individuals who must be changed to fit the needs of the company. If you have questions or would like help completing these tasks, you can contact me directly toll-free at 866-6PROFIT or visit our web site at www.profitbuilder.org. Important: Once the above steps have been completed, your functional organizational chart must be displayed in a high traffic, prominent spot in the company. It must be viewed and un- derstood by all. This is extremely im- portant. Everyone in the company must know where they stand: To whom they report, who (if anyone) reports to them, what are their duties and re- sponsibilities (in-depth job descrip- tions) and the parameters by which they will be measured and held ac- countable. All of these things must form one big complete circle of goals and ob- jectives: mission statement, the func- tional organizational chart, clearly defined profit centers by which the company operates, ADA compliant job descriptions, performance evaluations and all associated authorities and re- sponsibilities. A company that has all of these continued on page 32 Aggressive Pricing Shorty Shorty Orleans Belly Orleans Belly Princeton Princeton Twist Patent No. D512,165 Classic Classic Parkway 1 Parkway 1 Ball Parkway 2 Ball VictorianVictorian Colonial 1 ¼" Colonial 1 ¼" Colonial 1 ½" 1 ½ Colonial 2" 2 Newel Post 4" x 4" x 48" y Ball Twist Patent No. D512,165