Creating an Operating Rhythm

What are the critical meetings, communications and feedback systems that keep your contracting business running like clockwork?

D. Brown Management

May 4, 2018 1 minute read

Daily >> Weekly >> Monthly >> Quarterly >> Annually

Leadership Tools: Operating Rhythm and Cadence of Accountability.

How do those Operating Rhythms at various levels; within different functional areas; in different geographic locations; and at different job sites interlock with each other effectively?

Retired General Stanley McChrystal and his team talk about these Operating Rhythms in their books Team of Teams and One Mission

The team at FranklinCovey talks about Operating Rhythm as a Cadence of Accountability in The 4 Disciplines of Execution.

For a contractor to grow sustainably they need to move from “Doing Things” and ad-hoc communications into effectively integrated Operating Rhythms.

When these changes don’t occur it causes stress on the organization and impacts profitability.

Production Tracking - Don't Be a Dry Monkey

Put a few monkeys in a cage with a ladder that has bananas on top. One monkey immediately goes for the bananas. Cold water sprays on the others. Don't let anyone on your team be a dry monkey when it comes to production tracking or schedule management.

Governance Structures Enabling Ownership Transitions

Governance structures including the board of directors, policies, information flow, operating rhythm, and decision rights must continually evolve through each stage of growth and ownership transition. The first board is typically driven by a transition.

governance ownership transition succession

Setting the Conditions for Success

The contractors that will continue to grow profitably in the future are those that master talent development. Leaders must (1) setup the conditions for success with their team and (2) lead by example when it comes to their own development.