| All business owners juggle numerous | | | | Every critical success factor (CSF) will have an |
| responsibilities over the course of a normal day. | | | | owner within your organization who is responsible |
| We process information from a wide variety of | | | | for meeting that particular goal. Creating and |
| sources while wearing many hats. The volume of | | | | holding an owner accountable for reaching a |
| information that we process makes identifying, | | | | number instills a culture of accountability inside |
| focusing on and measuring the really important | | | | your business and sheds light on the |
| data difficult. Many business functions appear to | | | | effectiveness of your business structure and |
| be critical and, therefore, worthy of our attention. | | | | personnel. |
| The result, we spend too much time working | | | | Once the owners are in place, you'll need a |
| inside the operation and not enough time working | | | | process to manage them and a standard |
| on the operation. | | | | reporting structure. Once the standard report is |
| At Four Point, we encounter many businesses in | | | | created, establish a regular reporting time frame. |
| many industries. We find the companies that work | | | | Weekly is probably too often based upon the |
| the best are those that work simply. That is, the | | | | time taken for direct reports to compile reports. |
| best businesses combine their people and | | | | Quarterly is not frequent enough. Monthly is just |
| processes to efficiently meet daily goals in the | | | | right. |
| normal course of business without involving their | | | | Once a business owner has identified and |
| chief executive or executive team. Therefore, | | | | measured the CSFs, making improvements to |
| the executives are free to stay above the day | | | | these numbers is the next logical step. We will use |
| to day business operations to develop new | | | | our factors and the structure around them to set |
| products and services, respond to market | | | | goals, support the owners of the goals and hold |
| changes and manage those key ingredients of the | | | | them accountable to the results. Setting goals and |
| business that are critical to its success. | | | | communicating these goals to their company |
| Critical success factors are those that most | | | | peers stimulates tremendous motivation to |
| directly relate to the health of the business and | | | | succeed. Whether it is fueled by a fear of failure |
| the first step is to identify them. Next, take | | | | or determination for success, we want your team |
| advantage of their real value by measuring, | | | | to make hitting their numbers a matter of |
| understanding and using them to create | | | | personal pride. In doing so, you will have an |
| accountability. With limited time and resources | | | | opportunity to monitor your staff to gauge their |
| within our businesses, using critical success factors | | | | reaction to accountability, help them with their |
| can promote a business culture of management | | | | obstacles and develop a stronger team. |
| by the numbers. | | | | Take some time to reflect on how well you are |
| We will begin by examining how many factors | | | | managing by the numbers in your business and |
| should and can be measured. The list can be | | | | how well your team focuses on the critical |
| lengthy, so pare it down by balancing the need for | | | | success factors in your business. At Four Point, |
| as much data as possible with the reality that it is | | | | we find that removing the burden of back office |
| difficult to give a long list proper focus. We want | | | | employee matters allows our clients to focus on |
| to think about the most critical items such as new | | | | the important work of improving their companies |
| business deals, pipeline vitality, operating expenses, | | | | rather than working inside their companies' daily |
| and customer satisfaction. Generally, the list should | | | | processes. A culture of accountability emerges |
| contain four to six critical success factors, | | | | from these activities as business owners create |
| depending upon the complexity of your business. | | | | ownership of results within their staff members. |