The Value of Systems of Work: Integrating Management Operating Systems, Leaders Standard Work, and Management Behaviours
In today's fast-paced business environment, the value of systems of work cannot be overstated. These systems provide a structured approach to managing operations, ensuring consistency, and driving continuous improvement. Three critical components of an effective system of work are the Management Operating System (MOS), Leaders Standard Work (LSW), and Management Behaviours. While each of these components serves a distinct purpose, they are intricately linked, creating a cohesive framework that enhances organizational performance.
Management Operating System (MOS)
A Management Operating System (MOS) is a framework that organizations use to define their expectations, processes, and goals. It operates on various cycles—annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily, and even hourly—to ensure that the organization's goals are met. The MOS includes several key elements:
Forecast: This involves predicting future conditions and trends to set realistic goals and expectations. Accurate forecasting is essential for effective planning and resource allocation.
Plan: Based on the forecast, detailed plans are created to outline the steps needed to achieve the goals. This includes setting targets, allocating resources, and defining timelines.
Execute: The execution phase involves carrying out the plans and ensuring that all activities are aligned with the set objectives. This requires coordination and effective management of resources.
Report: Regular reporting on progress is crucial to track performance and identify any deviations from the plan. This includes collecting data, analyzing results, and communicating findings.
Each level of management has a role to play in this process, and the learnings from execution and reporting should feed back into forecasting and planning. This creates a closed-loop information flow, ensuring that decisions are objective and based on accurate data.
Leaders Standard Work (LSW)
Leaders Standard Work (LSW) is a set of recurrent management techniques, tools, and skills that are standardized in the manager’s daily and weekly routines. It empowers managers at all levels to maintain systematic practices through activities such as floor tours and collaboration in recurrent meetings. The key aspects of LSW include:
Standardizing Leadership Tasks: LSW involves standardizing routine tasks and activities that leaders perform to ensure operational excellence. This includes daily evaluations and visual controls to hold everyone accountable for meeting the standard.
Two-Fold Standardization: Leaders not only standardize their own tasks but also ensure that their direct reports follow standardized work processes. This creates a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
Structured Coaching: LSW provides a framework for structured coaching, helping leaders empower their employees with proactive management.
By standardizing leadership tasks, LSW fosters cross-team communication and promotes an improvement culture, ensuring that management performance is consistently high.
Management Behaviours
Management Behaviours are crucial for managing the day-to-day workload effectively. These behaviours ensure that leaders can guide their teams towards achieving organizational goals while maintaining a focus on safety, quality, efficiency, and minimizing waste. Key management behaviours include:
Understanding & Communicating the Plan: Leaders must clearly understand and communicate the plan to their teams, focusing on safety, quality, efficiency, and minimizing waste. This ensures that everyone is aligned and working towards common objectives.
Follow-Up on Execution of the Plan: Regular follow-ups on the execution of the plan are essential to ensure that tasks are being completed as expected. This helps in identifying any deviations and taking corrective actions promptly.
Identify & Correct Losses: Leaders need to identify and correct losses through containment and countermeasures. This involves analyzing issues, implementing solutions, and preventing recurrence.
Reporting and Communicating Progress: Effective reporting and communication of progress, both up, down, and side to side, are vital. This ensures that all stakeholders are informed about the status of projects and any challenges that may arise.
Training and Developing Employees: Continuous training and development of employees are essential for maintaining a skilled and motivated workforce. Leaders should focus on enhancing their team's capabilities and providing opportunities for growth.
These behaviours help leaders manage their teams effectively, ensuring that day-to-day operations run smoothly and contribute to the overall success of the organization.
Linking the Three Components
While the Management Operating System, Leaders Standard Work, and Management Behaviours are distinct components, they are deeply interconnected. The MOS provides the structural framework and goals, LSW ensures that leaders consistently apply systematic practices, and Management Behaviours create the right environment for these systems to thrive. Together, they form a cohesive system of work that drives organizational performance and continuous improvement.
By integrating these three components, organizations can achieve greater alignment, enhance communication, and foster a culture of excellence. This holistic approach ensures that all aspects of the business are working together towards common goals, leading to sustained success and growth.
