In Phase I, we learned how your organization specifies the project mission, objectives and effectiveness criteria. Phase II entailed setting requirements for project tools, budgets and schedules to manage your project. Phase III taught us about identifying and testing processes within the system.

With all of that behind us, next its time to learn about learning.

Part One of Series: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/01-13-05_Systems_Discovery.html?src=ART42

Part Two: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/01-18-05_Systems_Planning.html?src=ART43

Part Three: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/01-27-05_Systems_Development.html?src=ART44

Next Week: Re-Discovery

Management Process

Implementing an effective management system is much like the first day of school. When young children walk into that big new classroom for the first time, the effect can be intimidating, even overwhelming. New students are like blank slates: intelligent, capable, but completely untested and unschooled in the challenges that lie ahead. By the time the final bell rings on their academic careers (many lectures, raised hands and exams later) those same students have grown into talented experts in their chosen fields. The difference between "before" and "after" is training, testing and time.

In the same way, implementation is all about information and assessment. Your class must be educated, indoctrinated, tested, and graded in the ways of your management system in order to graduate to effectiveness. No one ever said it was easy, but with studying and hard work, your organization is sure to score straight A's.

Process Training and Assessment

The first assignment for Effectiveness 101 is a pop quiz to see exactly where the focus of your improvement efforts will need to be. A preliminary assessment of your employees' skills and competencies will help determine the training gaps your people need to close.

Once you have identified your training needs, then your lesson plan can begin in earnest. Your training program will introduce your employees to the job descriptions, processes, and procedures that compose the management system. Just as importantly, your employees must be trained on the relationships between themselves and your objectives and effectiveness.

Once the coursework has been taught, it's time to do some grading. A top-to-bottom audit should be conducted of your entire system against your objectives and compliance requirements. With this audit completed, you will be able to graduate from where youve been to where you want to be.

Processes and Procedures to Implement a Stable System

No one goes from kindergarten to college overnight. You are working toward a stable system, and it will take time - roughly 50% of the projects total time, in fact. While implementation usually takes a three- to six-month "semester" to complete, the exact amount of time youll spend will depend on how many employees, locations and processes you have.