Management information – becoming e-ffective

By Greg Madsen
Senior Consultant

Getting the right information to the right managers at the right time is tough! Providing information that is clear, complete, and timely is one of the most difficult tasks facing today’s corporations. Several recent projects provide insights into the many factors that need to be addressed in order to be successful in ensuring managers have the information they need to meet their objectives. While many factors are important, the key factors for success are:

Line-of-sight objectives that stretch from the board room to the data input department are rare. Because of this, different departments will develop objectives for both themselves and their employees that are a close approximation to what the local management believes their managers desire them to accomplish. A clear example of this lack of line-of-sight linking can be seen when everyone accomplishes their objectives (or exceeds them) and the company misses their profit target.

Many senior managers fail to fully appreciate the advantages that technology such as intranets, the Internet, web portals, and shared computer drives can bring to everyone’s desktop. Organizations that still have their primary management information being supplied by paper desperately need a two- to three-year conversion plan. If management information still flows on paper and no solid plan exists to stop the paper flow, then technology is underutilized—period! End of discussion.

Bringing about change in the way management information is constructed and transmitted requires talented leadership—the most important factor. Leadership on information needs to possess a vision where the right information is provided to the right managers in the right proportion and in a timely way. The days when managers in similar departments construct their own measures, produce different success reports, and remain only accountable and rewarded for meeting their own objectives should be gone! A mountain should no longer be made out of a molehill, and a small blemish should not be a main source of discussion at the annual management retreat.

Talented leaders need to recognize that hard work, long hours, and “striving to be the best” are all important, but results are what count. Results are best achieved when line-of-sight objectives are in place, management information is married to effective technology, and leaders use the information to drive change, accountability, and teamwork.