What information is not needed. What information do we need

In the classification of costs for management decisions, a key place is taken by the sign of materiality of information, according to which costs are divided into relevant and irrelevant. Relevant information is essential for decision making, i.e. it contains the data that should be taken into account when preparing information for managers. Irrelevant information includes non-material, redundant data. Information for management should contain the necessary, perceived and informed information necessary for the analysis of specific situations, enabling a comprehensive assessment of the causes of its occurrence and development, allowing to determine a number of alternative solutions, from which it is possible (based on a specific situation) to find the optimal management solution.

In the classification of costs for management decisions, the key is materiality of informationaccording to which costs are divided by relevant and irrelevant.

Relevant Information essential for decision making, i.e. it contains the data that should be taken into account when preparing information for managers. Irrelevant information includes non-material, redundant data on costs and revenues. They can lead to two consequences:

making an erroneous decision due to the fact that the information picture describing the problem situation should be distorted, according to which a decision should be made;
reduce efficiency and increase the complexity of the decision-making process, i.e. Information is not distorted, but the manager receives redundant data that makes it difficult to think about the situation and increase the time to solve it.

First relevance rule

Information for the leader should provide the right decision. . This is main characteristic quality of information for the leader.

Consider examples of options for preparing information leading to erroneous decisions.

Example 1 The head of the enterprise decides on the removal of the type of product from production. What data should he get?

A bakery company sells products through branched network trade stalls within the demand for each item. After a sharp increase in the price of some additives, the director, based on intuition, assumes that part of the production has become unprofitable. He asks to analyze costs and revenues.

The accountant, who was given this task, presented data on revenue for the products for the period and all costs, i.e. he attributed all production and commercial expenses to product costs in order to calculate the profit of each unit. The calculation results showed that bagels with poppy seeds were sold at a loss, and the manager removed them from production.

However, after this action, the company's profit decreased, since the decrease in revenue did not entail a proportional reduction in costs. Part of the constant production and commercial expenses remained the same. In this case, information about the share of the cost of renting trade stalls, the cost of maintaining the truck and salary directorate of bagels appeared irrelevant. Her accountant should not have been included in the calculations presented at the director’s request.

Relevant in this situation are general indicators: variable costs, sales (revenue), marginal income.

Unit costs and revenues may be relevant: unit price, unit variable costs per unit, marginal income per unit of output.

The relevance of costs is clearly seen in the analysis of “historical costs” arising from earlier decisions made.

Example 2 You dream about a TV with certain characteristics (diagonal, configuration, etc.) and have saved half the amount on it. On the eve of the anniversary, friends and relatives, knowing about your desire, decided to add the missing amount. They certainly wanted to see your birthday TV. The searches for the ordered model did not yield results and you “gave the go-ahead” for the purchase of an analogue for 300 cu After a short period of time (we abstract from consumer rights), you go to the store and see your dream TV: exactly that diagonal, the plane of the screen, the setting! In addition, its cost is lower - 260 cu

One of the colleagues, learning about your regrets, offered to buy a TV from you, but the amount that he had did not exceed 240 cu What amount in arbitrary units is relevant for making a decision to purchase a TV: 40, 60 or 20, or another?

To make a decision to purchase a new TV, you should not care about 300 cu paid for the purchase, or 40 cu differences in price. They are lost for you. These are the costs of past periods, and the past is not given to change. When making a decision, you should only consider whether it is worth paying $ 20. for the desired characteristics of the TV.

The second rule of relevance

Information for the leader should be presented in a convenient form for perception and should not contain redundant data .

Example 1 The issue of opening a separate unit in Rostov is being decided; it is obvious that there will be additional costs. Information will be relevant only about additional costs and revenues. Sales and Cost Data for Existing separate units be redundant or irrelevant.

Example 2 Increases the relevance of information for management decisions. opportunity (conditional) costs. For example, an enterprise has unused steel reserves. At the beginning of the period, their remains amounted to 1,000 units. 110 rub each for 1 unit It turned out that there are many options for using steel. The company can sell them for 190 thousand rubles. or 90 rubles each. for 1 unit, throw or produce 2 types of products.

Alternative options are discussed on how to most advantageously use the stock of steel castings: organize production, sell, and discard.

Opportunity costs transform the report so that you can immediately see how much more profitable it is to produce this or that product than to sell according to the best alternative, or vice versa (Table 1).

Table 1. Data for decision making (using opportunity costs)

Calculation Algorithm:

discusses the priority direction based on the development strategy of the enterprise;
selects the best of the selected options;
taken as contingent costs and entered into the calculation of profit for the best alternative;
it is calculated how the discussed option is better (worse) than the alternative.

According to the table, it is more profitable for an enterprise to produce product A from steel than to sell it, for 70 thousand rubles; at the same time, selling is more profitable than producing product B by 50 thousand rubles.

Thus, the management information should contain the necessary, perceived and informed information necessary for the analysis of specific situations, enabling a comprehensive assessment of the causes of its occurrence and development, allowing to identify a number of alternative solutions from which it is possible (based on a specific situation) to find the optimal management solution .

Comments (71)

Which owner do you mean? Creator or buyer?
The creator of the business a priori will and must possess the entirety of the information.
Buyer finished business may not have the fullness of information - he determines for himself why he bought it (profit, destruction of a competitor, crushing for sale, merging to increase the share of the market, know-how, etc.) and, based on the goals, determines control points by which he will receive information.

To answer

I fix the first divergence of views. :)
A business creator does not necessarily have to possess all the information about a business subject. What for?
It is enough for him to understand business processes and be able to manage the company and the people in it.

Otherwise, it’s very much not like business, but like handicraft.

To answer

At the time of creating a business, it is extremely rare that everything is built on business processes and people management. More often this is done on the multitasking and enthusiasm of the founding fathers and in austerity mode. Therefore, the owner-creator seeks to possess as much as possible all the information in order to understand what you have to pay for and what you can do yourself. :-)))
Most businesses at the stage of creation - pure handicraft. :-)))

To answer

Michael, good afternoon!

It looks like we have different experiences and different environments in this matter. :)
Not a single business started by me was based on knowledge of the subject.
Pool tables - I dreamed that this would be an interesting topic. And so it happened.
Consumer clubs (in this case, just billiard tables) - I thought it would shoot. Shot.
Industrial ventilation and air conditioning. I was not the owner there, but neither I (the sales manager), nor he - the General Director and the owner, were pros in the promotion.
Design of engineering systems of buildings and structures. Again the same thing.
zUBRA BUSINESS community: I still don’t know what the Internet is and how it works. :)

Say - this is a special case (clinical;)), I will answer - no. I have almost all the businessmen around me of the same order.
And so if you look - Chichvarkin, Tinkov, Polonsky, Branson ... the list goes on.

To answer

Naturally tried and received. The question was posed about knowledge of technology, not about control.
Even now I can’t use AutoCAD and evaluate the quality of completed projects, play billiards, make websites. :)

And everything that is connected with the market, marketing, sales must be known.

Although here, Goldratt has his own opinion and I agree with him. :)

To answer

I think that about technology you are "slightly" disingenuous.
After all, you made decisions with whom to cooperate on the equipment - with MoVen or with Ashot from the garage on the next street ?. And, making decisions, you received and analyzed information about the technologies used in production. I do not argue - you studied this technology, as they say, in large strokes. And the depth of immersion in technology depended on the degree of trust in the specialist to whom you entrusted the initial collection of information.

To answer

If we talk about industrial ventilation, then with whom the owner of "vodka drank," he began to work as a distributor.

By the way, “Moven” is not much different from Ashot from the garage :)

About technology, I do not dissemble slightly, but I say it as it is: I am not a pro in technology. Absolutely. Although in the process of work I begin to understand to one degree or another, but not at the professional level, but at the level of system knowledge.
(Returning to the design of engineering systems, after a while I knew what kind of work was underway - the order, and after 1.5-2 years at the meetings I could make competent technical decisions, but this does not mean that I began to understand the subject.

Although now is the time. Everyone knows everything. :)
And the person who writes that he knows English professionally, wanting to report that he is not interested in this work, writes "not enterested"

To answer

Movin is very different from Ashot. At a price. :-))))))
Actually, we have come to a common denominator.
What you called "system knowledge," I called "large strokes."
I have the same approach. Including vodka. :-)))))

To answer

So consensus around the zero point of the balance.
I agree that I should not be a specialist in technology.
You agree that the owner-creator should receive and analyze system knowledge on technology. Until the full delegation of management authority, at a minimum.

To answer

As a specialist, I myself have created quite a few confirm the correctness of the position of Michael. He is right at 100%. Of the hundreds of structures created from scratch before our eyes in the past 20 years and not only domestically - not a single successful case according to Dmitry’s “standard”.
But all the cases, conditionally called by me “appropriated”, as a rule, develop according to the “standard” of Dmitry.

To answer

The proprietor’s desire to “know something” must be properly managed, i.e. these desires must be controlled and regulated and formed.

The methods and forms are different depending on the type of owners and the size of the business.

To answer

Michael, this is not advice, but a point of view that is different from the opinions of other participants in the conference.
Moreover, businesses are of different sizes and the number of owners may be more than 1.
All owners "guess" about what I wrote.
Therefore, there are auditors, boards of directors, etc.

To answer

"He is the owner, and he himself determines the amount of information he needs ..." - it is absolutely true, therefore he (or his representative of the State Duma) determines the form, frequency, structure and other components of the management accounting and reporting system ...
The discussion was initially set incorrectly. First you need to state your personal point of view, how much, and then discuss it, and it looks like collecting info :-)

To answer

My personal point is that the owner, ideally, should not even know how the business works. He should look forward and decide where to move, but about the business only know that he works. For example, when you drive a car, imagine that information on the operation of each of the thousands of parts is printed on your dashboard! The gas sensor in this information is lost. And what's the difference, is there still gasoline if there is a pit ahead?
But the question is how to achieve such manageability, when the owner just needs to look ahead.

To answer

"... the owner, ideally, should not even know how the business works ...
He should look forward and decide where to move, but ... ", but from this place in more detail, how to decide where to move the business, not knowing how it works ...: - (((((((((( ((((((((

To answer

Elementary. I may not know how production works. I may not know how, for example, information about an order for a warehouse gets. I may not know in what order the nuts are placed on the conveyor. But I can find out if I need it, because I know which of the employees is responsible for this.
Again, an example with a car: I have no idea how it works, and even how the hood opens. But in order to ride, I need to know first of all where to go. And how to get there, you need to know the road. Then I look at the sensors on the dashboard.
In my opinion, this is precisely what is important for increasing the scale of a business: it is not necessary to know something about your business in time. But where to get wisdom to separate one from another?

To answer

If you don’t know how your business is organized, how your main areas function, how to check the correctness of their functioning according to top indicators, etc. how you will choose which areas to develop in a given time period, which ones to slow down, and which ones to close at all. how YOUR business functions, even if you become a venture investor otherwise you cannot accept and, most importantly, understand what risks you take otherwise it is just roulette.
Your concepts come from the erroneous opinion that at the top level you do not need to engage in tactics, but only strategy. the experience of the best companies refutes this, for example, take J. Welch GE.
Another thing is that the systematic approach at the level of the owner as well as senior management is not formed on the basis of complex special tools and not on the basis of the process model, it is formed on the basis of the vision of the business as a whole, understanding its essence, role and place of organization (in which you work at the moment) in the industry and in the market and the ways of its development in the near and long term ...
. On the other hand, seeing the business as a whole, understanding its directions and professionally understanding this, they should “be able to get into” any special question “decompose it by the bones” and organize its solution if necessary. This is another distinguishing feature of the owner and system top manager, which allows him to move from company to company of various industry areas and successfully solve the tasks.

To answer

Thanks, Eugene! But how to draw a reasonable border between strategy and tactics? I mean your words "from the erroneous opinion that at the top level it is not necessary to engage in tactics, but only in strategy." This is not an idle question. This question arises when automation systems are created. Who needs any reports? What to display in the interface of the general, and what - in the interface of the head of the sales department?
It is still necessary to separate two questions: 1) whether the manager MUST get into any special question; 2) should the manager get into any special question?
Firstly, as many managers as you like, who did not try to understand the production technology or the specifics of the product, and do an excellent job with management. Secondly, my case is just when I have to do the most difficult and complex production tasks myself. And I think this is wrong. Thirdly, when I fully delegate production, how will I know that everything is going well? At the same time, I CAN get into any question, but I DO NOT WANT to get into. Otherwise, I’m not a manager, but a freelancer.

To answer

“Firstly, as many managers as you like, who didn’t even try to understand the production technology or the specifics of the product, and do a great job with management ...” - I would like examples of these successful managers who are successful, and not holding top positions in What personally and specifically expressed is this success (effectiveness): i.e. passwords, attendance, addresses ???
"Secondly, my case is just when I have to do the most difficult and complex production tasks myself. And I think that this is wrong ..." - certainly not right, it should not be a system, but it also depends on company and business scale. In small and some medium-sized ones, the top does something else, I say from experience, theoretically this may not be right.

To answer

1) The director of the network of pharmacies I worked with was a techie by training, I didn’t understand in medicines and didn’t want to understand. You again confuse the organization of a business with the essence of products: he did not understand in medicines, but he understood which ones are better sold and which ones bring more and / or stable income ...
2) The director of the hotel and restaurant holding, where I had a project, was not interested in either the maids or the cooks ... the same thing, but as a rule the chef is hired by the owner ... On the other hand, he could not help but be interested the profitability and profitability of the business, and if I was interested, I understood WHAT he specifically makes ... examples can be continued ... The owner must know how his business works and what it brings and / or can bring income, even if he has to / will have to use internal and / or external consultants ...
I’m just now invited to organize a new business for me (I will not name the industry) in the field of high technologies, for me the product is also NW, but when setting the task I designate the input parameters and, most importantly, the weekend “Wishlist” ...
I do not want to be neither the first nor the second, I remain myself :-))))

To answer

So I am about the same. The owner must understand what he earns. But he needs to be away from the actual production, this is not his question. This is what I understood (with surprise, I confess) from my own experience. That's why I ask the question: what kind of information about the business will answer the owner’s question, what will he earn? Moreover, he will answer online, i.e. earned - found out on what - concentrated his efforts - earned the same 100 times more, until the competitors reached the bottom of the net. This is the question: what information should go to the owner? There is no answer. They did not even agree on what information should NOT go to the owner.

To answer

"This is the question: what information should go to the owner? There is no answer." snapped the answer. I repeat. As V. Vysotsky wrote, the answer is and the only answer (in the sense in which you ask). The information that the owner needs is determined only by CAM and no one else, the parameters and the totality of this information depend on his qualifications and preferences, moreover, this information can change over time ... You and / or top management can recommend the types, order , frequency, etc. of this information. The owner can accept it all and / or partially or reject it altogether. Therefore, here the answer is unequivocal: you do not determine the information for the owner, once again he solves it CAM. Another thing in corporate governance there are rules and standards when, what, in what form this or that information arrives at various levels, including and the owner, but it does not make sense to discuss it; you just need to know how to execute it.

To answer

Well, I understood about the "CAM defines". Then, please say for yourself: what information about your business do you need? Or to the owner with whom you work?

Or maybe the homespun truth is that the owner does not need information about the business at all ?! That all reporting is just a farce, and everyone just pretends to be used ?!

To answer

“Then please say for yourself: what information about your business do you need?” - please.
Employment.
I am an adviser to the director of a telecom company, working with corporate clients:
- I get corporate information on my business;
- I receive information and participate in meetings of the Moscow Oblast Government;
-Tracks information about the work of the administrations of the Moscow region;
- I regularly maintain personal contacts.
Independent Director in two companies with 100% state capital, member of IDA:
- I regularly participate in meetings of the ND club and receive information on the activities of the association and colleagues;
- I receive corporate and accounting information on the profile of the companies in which I am an independent director and information on one-time requests.
Private business.
Senior partner of the Specialized Personnel Bureau (SKB) "New Recruiting and Organizational Technologies" (NORT):
-Tracks and receives information from partners on the top management market;
- I process information about the top management training market (a sad picture).
New project:
-the name of the project and the information is still closed.
"Maybe the homespun truth is that ..." - not that, but those who prepare information for the owner think that they better know what information he needs, instead of spending a couple of three days to work with a SPECIFIC OWNER, understand, accept and agree that HIS DATA OWNER needs, DATA, not the owner AT ALL!

To answer

Soon you will not be able to work without knowing exactly how the information about the order for the warehouse gets, because those who know you will be eaten :))
If you never open the hood of a car, you can drive, but it will break.
You have the opportunity to drive a car because you resort to the services of external specialists, who will largely determine the schedule for their visits, the funds necessary to continue cooperation with them, etc.
That is, in many ways this is not yours, but their car.
If in the case of a car you can get somewhere by bus, then in the case of managing a business in order to extract the funds necessary to realize some opportunities, you, unfortunately, can no longer do this: ((
Now imagine that something internal in the car, such as a chair, begins to dictate to you where to go. This happens when an “irreplaceable employee” appears who completely and completely determines the functioning of any part of your business due to your unwillingness to delve into the subtleties :)

To answer

Each System has KPI and KPR - "sensors" ...
Owners choose their "sensors" and their number to the extent of their desire to "drive safely ... and how he still wants to."
So that the owner can choose the "sensors" without delving into the theory of KPI, KPR, etc. - managers should make these sensors simple and understandable, like sensors on a car ... or on an airplane ...
If the owner does not bother to inquire which "sensors" are and which ones he needs to own, then he may soon cease to be the owner :)

To answer

you know how the stomach works ;-) or why the sun rises in the east and goes to the west. it all depends on the owner and the size of the company. if the company is a monster, with billions of sales and a network around the world, I think that the owner will only be broadly aware of what is happening in the branches. Yes, I think he will be aware of loans, profits, cost of sales, etc. but the top managers of the company, heads of accounts, will also know this executive directors. for sure you can isolate the owner by looking at the charter, all other information may be available to at least two three people.

To answer

The author asks two different questions.
Thorough knowledge of all aspects of your business is a moot point.
But the hired manager is required to keep the owner 100% up to date with the affairs, decisions made, etc. This is my point of view, if someone prefers to push his business to a hired manager and find out only about profits, this is his personal business. I saw examples when it did not end very well.

To answer

Colleagues, let me give you an example in simple words: the wife has a sewing workshop, 40-50 people. He knows the names of family members, birthdays of children and grandchildren and all that. Toyota and Ford are also created by entrepreneurs. Do you know what I mean? Crucial in the context of the topic is the scale of the business.

To answer

But how to increase the scale without loss of controllability? For example, what can be done to make the sewing workshop an international corporation with an annual turnover of one billion dollars? Also know all the workers by name?

To answer

Diana, I was not talking about business development, but about the amount of information that the owner is able to "digest" and which he needs. In this and only in this sense, I compare the scale of the sewing workshop with private corporations. And the development of the workshop to a giant company is a separate issue. By the way, not interesting.

To answer

Here I am about the amount of information. The owner is not able to know everything about everyone. But I need to know something most important. What is this? And the larger the scale of the business, the more carefully it is necessary to select what it should know and what it should spend time on and what it should not. I wish someone shared experience like that: for example, a year ago I knew in the face of all sales managers and who had children for how many years. Knows it today commercial Directorand I’m not already.

To answer

Hello Diana
"Should the owner know thoroughly how his business works?"
Thoroughly possible and should not.
"Yes? And, for example, when you fly on an airplane, do you know how it works? When you eat an apple, do you know how the stomach works? No, and you don’t want to know!"
1. The CREATOR knows how all of the above works. 2. The owner-creator knows exactly how, why, and why his business SHOULD work. It really is somewhat similar to the work of the body. And any person who cares about their health KNOW how his stomach works ... and at school everyone went through this topic :)))
3. The owner - the acquirer of an existing business (and this is similar to flying in a finished airplane) wants a “flight” SAFETY WARRANTY. This means that he will want to carry out a full check of all systems upon purchase (he will hire, for example, specialists). And then, when the business is already his ...
4. “No and do not want to know” - any normal person may not “want to know”, but wants to feel safe, and for this he will do see paragraphs 2.3.

"And in the case of business: what information should go to the owner?"
That and those parameters, which will determine the owner. Usually the owner is interested in Mrs. PROFIT and cost reduction to zero.

I completely agree with Mr. Kornev: "Initially, the discussion was set incorrectly. First you need to state your personal point of view, how much, and then discuss it, and it looks like collecting info :-)."
Or not your personal point of view, but unresolved examples and questions arising from them.

respectfully

To answer

Thank you for touching on the Creator. "God created the universe, functioning according to certain principles. He does not make all decisions. He put in place the principles and processes that operate independently." (Alan Kors)
The same thing in business. I want to understand how to create an operating system from people, equipment, money and other resources so that the problems that arise do not fall on the head, but at the address: where there is information for decision-making. I want my business to be built this way. If you imagine that such a system is built, then only strategic questions should go to the head: where to move further? And after choosing a target, the car should be "on autopilot." Of course, in reality, nothing like this, managers sometimes make decisions almost about the color of toilet paper. And endlessly, they either babble with the chief accountant, who does not have money for taxes, or with the suppliers, who did not buy the goods on time. And most importantly, all these people believe that the leader should babysit with them. In my opinion, no more information should appear on the head than on the dashboard and on the navigator: direction, location relative to the target, speed, remaining resources, indicators of the normal operation of the systems (supply, finance, sales, personnel, etc.).

To answer

Hello Diana
"God created the universe, functioning according to certain principles. He does not make all decisions. He put in place the principles and processes that operate independently." That is how a normal organization functions.
Diana, if I understand correctly, then you want to get information about how to create the system you want. If yes, then briefly about this below.
In order for the emerging problems to get to the address, it is necessary to create these addresses and to empower employees with solutions.
Your opinion regarding business performance is absolutely correct. In order not to make decisions regarding the “color of toilet paper”, you need to create functional organization, look for a description, articles on the TRIZ-CHANCE website (Rostov).
Define specific tasks for each department and set benchmarks / end result for solving problems; determine the effectiveness of each position provided staffing and define tasks; empower each position; to prescribe the rules for the submission of information, information flows, decision making; instructions for work (something that you do not want to be distracted by as an owner); create work standards; companies (up to the Standard on the order in the office) that describe employee behavior patterns, etc. In general, for what you want it is necessary to create a “solid” documentary base that will describe how and by what laws your “world” functions. Then, you will need to implement / “give life to the world” in order for it to become independent and after that to monitor the values \u200b\u200bon the “dashboard”.
Regarding "babysitting" is not from business, it is from kindergarten:). Therefore, create a company in which people will work safely, and not "play" or "make friends."
Define your role in the business process: who are you, owner, manager? If the leader, then why? Separate financial flows, etc.
In general, what you want to create is already created many times and works efficiently.

respectfully

To answer

I want to shout, like Stanislavsky at a rehearsal: I DO NOT BELIEVE !!! If this works so well, then why are you still not the richest person in the world?
"Prescribing" of paper does not work, because the paper does not read.
The usual recruitment does not give people who are able to be perfectly organized and do not need nannies or wipers. Such people somehow need to be made from what they manage to recruit.
The market is changing so quickly that while you come up with and prescribe pieces of paper, there will be no money, because competitors do not spend time on such a bootleg.
The point is something else. Indeed, well-organized companies exist, but there are NO prescribed regulations. There are working laws themselves, unwritten rules. How to make it work today, right now?

To answer

Hello Diana
1. You needed answers, you got them. And how you use them is up to you.
Note: Stanislavsky had the right to the famous replica because he was the author of the proven, up to date system that he taught. You look more like Thomas the Unbeliever ...
2. "Papers", "selection of" ideal "staff", "unwritten rules", etc. DO NOT WORK SEPARATELY.
3. "right now" there is NOTHING except perhaps hysteria :). If you want a WORKABLE business, you have to work a lot.

To answer

Good afternoon, Vasilina, thank you so much for the detailed answer! I also own and run my own business. And I agree that these are completely different functions. In my business there are no "pure" managers, i.e. not doing anything, but only controlling the work of others. And, apparently, it will not: as I imagine my business, it will always be innovative. There will be generals, but no functionaries. The program makes reports for me, people only enter data for them. Therefore, the question arose: what reports should the program do so that I get exactly as much information as I need, no more and no less. And about any other business: and what reports are needed for the head of the trading, construction, real estate, restaurant, etc. business, so that they get exactly the information they need?

To write down technologies on paper, they must be worked out in life, but they are not worked out. I can’t imagine a consulting business in which you can prescribe something for three years, since the market has changed dramatically over the past three years. Even the sales technology, which worked perfectly for us in the spring, doesn’t work anymore in the autumn, every day we look for new methods and methods of sales and production. Every day we change our main product, we enter new markets and niches. Business comes down to continuous innovation, employees, without exception, should be creative in their area of \u200b\u200bresponsibility, I don’t immediately accept “gray” performers on the basis of a self-developed test. That is why I still don’t believe that you have done so as you write.

Is prescribed technology for daily innovation possible? Is it possible to formalize and add to job descriptions?

To answer

Hello Diana
Technology only becomes technology when it becomes operational in the face of change.
Please read the description of the Any-Trade package after all, I am not saying that it is "perfect", but the approach can be used.
Answering your question: possible. Moreover, if this is not done, the company’s economy begins to suffer, and especially “innovative” employees can quickly begin to suffer from a “star disease”.
To believe or not to believe is not the issue we are discussing. In business, issues of faith are usually resolved through verification and evaluation.

I wish you success!

To answer

Vasilina, you too success! In my opinion, we have similar businesses, all the more interesting is the fact that the points of view diverge. For example, I believe that the creator’s faith in his business is the most important thing that this business can keep afloat. “A miracle should be from faith, and not faith - from a miracle” (Berdyaev). And yet, I can’t find a single “innovative” employee, I need to come up with all the changes myself. Employees are looking at me: oh, I can’t do it, but what should I do? Do something different? It’s like, they didn’t teach me this at school (institute, graduate school, doctoral school)! Tell me how, write step by step instructions, answer a hundred questions, then I can do it if the working day does not end! But the instruction tomorrow will become obsolete. Tomorrow there will be another order with completely different problems, and today's sales technology will give zero result, and again we need to come up with something. How to delegate inventing, so that it does not turn into a hired dream in the execution of an employee?

To answer

Diana, I welcome you.
I apologize for the delay in responding.
"Innovative" employees, as a rule, are "evil" for any company, because in the end they tend to become "stars", about which they write and speak so much about the "fight".
There are no instructions for "innovation"; you are right. But there is a system of typical orders, actions for order processing, customer support, etc. There are standards of conduct, communication, etc. Read the materials on TRIZ-CHANCE.
If you dream of a mercenary who will “come up” with new sales technologies, you dream that someday you will transfer your business to someone. As far as I understand, you have been doing business in the field of consulting, and, apparently, have been doing it for less than 5 years, if so, then read the materials on the Treko portal. Just the last conference was devoted to this topic. As for questions of employees of the “tell me how” type, this is a legitimate question of a hired employee to whom the Company MUST provide methods and ways of working, to indicate how he should and how should not act. We pay employees money for working according to our rules and achieving our goals. Employees work for us because they need a salary, experience and some comfort. But here they are, I’m sorry, they didn’t engage in pulling out our business, developing it on their own, “investing a soul in it”. And for our part, it’s just not fair to demand this from them.
If you believe in "innovative" / ideal employees, you are mistaken.

Respectfully,

To answer

It’s still necessary to think over and prescribe - to prescribe the rules and processes ... to ascribe quickly and quickly to implement - to force to work according to the rules (written and unwritten) ... and beat just as quickly and mercilessly, and it’s also indicative of all those who do not comply . And those who perform - praise quickly and exponentially ... for three months - and everyone reads ... pieces of paper - no, but the Rules - Yes! (The task of the Manager is to create rules and not pieces of paper :))

To answer

It is harmful to the owner to know everything thoroughly. He is bogged down in small details and performs his own functions - to set the motion vector. Big seen in the distance. This is an axiom, and a rule from which there may be exceptions.
The owner, who also manages his own business, often falls into the trap of routine work. I went through this myself personally and very often see others. And either a person comes to understand the need to separate ownership and control, or not. To explain and drag by the hand is useless. Sooner or later he will understand. It would be better early, but ...
Although I’m a coach, in the minds of the majority - the one who "breds" for supposedly help, but also from a medical practice clearly defined for herself - does not hurt - do not touch! So what about the fact that I see an impending disease in humans? The maximum that I can do for him to begin with is to say what I see and what the consequences may be. And to make a decision to be treated or so to leave everything for the time being, it will only be the person himself. If I insist, but the person does not realize the need specifically for himself, then he will take pills a couple of times or follow my some onerous recommendations and abandon everything.
The same goes for sales. The same is in consulting. The same is true in the issue being discussed now - or the owner understands that the details prevent him from seeing the big whole picture, or not. Hence, 2 views on the problem, which we see in the discussion

To answer

That is the question: after all, what needs to be taken by the owner, and what is not? Knowing everything is thoroughly harmful, knowing nothing is also harmful. Where is the middle ground? Does it depend on the type of activity, does it depend on the owner as a person? Does it depend on the age of the business, on its size?

To answer

You need to know the key information. She often envy both the business and the identity of the owner. It is determined only by himself, and not by the hired director, that's for sure. It is possible and necessary to determine. From time to time, an audit is carried out and adjustments are made to these very key parameters, more precisely, to their list.

To answer

That's it, key information! And what information should it be? I have to answer this question on every project, and there is no technology for finding the answer. Only trial and error. When I need to make a map of targets and benchmarks, and then forms for making plans and management reports, I go in a circle: done - not that, done again, again not all, not complete, too detailed, too long, too short, contradictory etc. I would like to find a technology for answering the question: how to understand the composition of key business information needed by the owner? Why is it precisely speed, gasoline, engine speed for a car? And for business - what’s that? It’s important to detail the budget line items (budget report) and% of each in their total volume.
Return on working capital can also be detailed.
The crisis is usually associated with an acute shortage of working capital. So the question arises of evaluating the effectiveness of their use: assessing the "return on working capital" in detailed sections: by product groups, lines of business, retail outlets, and even groups of customers. In each "section" the turnover is "frozen" (in the form of an average daily indicator for the period). For example: the average daily cost of inventory in a warehouse. So the question arises: what kind of return (income) each ruble brings. this "frozen" turnover.
What is it about: it is very important to pay attention to the economic model and the SYSTEM of business activity indicators. If it is not, then you need to create this "indicator control panel." It is this "panel", in confirmation of the intuition of the Owner and the General Director, that will show the necessary "points of application" of additional management efforts.
And the Owner should simply be well versed in this "indicator control panel" The economic business model (including the scorecard) cannot be built without consideration, in isolation from all other elements of the organizational management system and the specifics of the business activities of the enterprise.
about this on the website www.ed-kosheev.ru "About the Problem and its solution (systematic approach)"
In fact, in the end, the Owner is interested in only two linearly independent indicators: (managerial) Profit - an indicator of the effectiveness of the business (capital), like the gross indicator and Profitability equity - Profit / Daily Average own assets enterprises - an indicator of business performance (the capital that is driven into it). Only two ...
And just the current indicators are not indicative, they become interesting only in comparison with indicators for past periods. Those. their dynamics are important. It is the dynamics of these two indicators that demonstrate the business development trend. Namely, this is interesting to the Owner.
Moreover, in order to exclude fluctuations, it is interesting to consider the dynamics of the averaged (for example, for the last three months) these indicators. Consider seasonally adjusted business, etc.
Well, then: "moving forward, development is not sticking out the pros, but eliminating the cons." And the owner is interested in finding these "cons". Those. It is interesting to see these two "indicators" "in detail." Answer the question: why, for example, this month, the profit has become less. In this case, indicators of a lower level are considered (Income, Budget expenses, etc.). Further: why income has become smaller, income is considered in the context of: for example, product lines or lower-level indicators are estimated: sales volumes (in cost prices) and average margin

The second one. Does the owner fulfill only the ownership function or combines it with the management function? If it combines with the management function, then which management - strategic or operational? In the case of an answer to all the yes questions, he should receive three information packages: as an owner, as a strategic manager and as an operational manager.

The third. How much and what information he should have. There are, as you know, two ways of owning business information. The first is when they present it to you; the second, when you yourself have easy access to information, that is, the information is easily accessible to you. As you know, this is a different amount of information. We, as owners, determine the types, forms, volumes and terms of regular and emergency reporting, as well as information that should be easily accessible to the owner.

Fourth. Should the owner know everything? No, of course, and this is beyond human capabilities. But he must (if even a little bit included in the management processes) know exactly the inputs and outputs of the main business process and the inputs and outputs of the stages of the main business process. When the smallest forecasts for their deviation in any direction of the owner appear, the following levels of indicators begin to interest.

Of course, the owner or owner-manager has the right not to know the production, but then he must know that sooner or later he will incur unreasonably high costs in this area of \u200b\u200bwork, he will purchase the wrong equipment. This is more of a Russian specificity than a western one. Do you know how many expensive new machines are gathering dust at the corners of warehouses and workshops that were purchased at the request of seasoned production workers who received a decent rollback for this purchase? This also applies to other activities, whether it is logistics, finance, personnel, capital construction and so on on the list. When you own an enterprise, you must always remember that we are not Great Britain or even Germany. At a minimum, the owner must have “knowledge of ignorance,” that is, he must know exactly what he does not know and attract, in the right cases, to the cooperation of qualified independent experts whose knowledge compensates for the blank spots of the owner’s knowledge.

In addition, the owner should know the indicators of those work areas where the risks of fraud and theft most often arise, since in our country it is to these "business processes" that there is a special craving.

Fifth. The indicators presented to the owner should not depend on those who are responsible for these indicators, and moreover, receives remuneration for their achievement.
So, if the owner does not participate in the management, then information for him is provided by the department of the owner who works at the enterprise, has access to any information, but is not subordinate to anyone at the enterprise. If the owner is included in the management system, then the information is presented to him, as you know from the experience of the best enterprises, the IT director and his service, but not the executive (managing) director, who is personally responsible for these indicators.

Sixth. An important aspect of obtaining information is the quality of this information. It is impossible to talk about management information and not indicate the quality of this information. The receipt of poor-quality information by the owner will easily remove the very problem of owning this enterprise, soon there will be nothing to own. Information, as you know, should be objective, reliable, complete, accurate, relevant and useful (valuable) for property

Diana, we live in Russia. Unfortunately, Russia is not Germany. As a person who “ate a dog” in enterprise management, I’ll say that in order to preserve his property there are two options:

First: to know deeply the current financial and economic situation in business, the strategic situation and trends in the industry, to have a clear objective kPI system and BSC, control the dynamics and trends of the business, put controls on indicators of pre-crisis conditions, limit the amount of managerial decisions made to mercenaries, use independent auditors for regular checks, etc. etc. Do everything that is called homework and do it well. But this does not remove all the risks, so the owners avoid very smart managers to hire, that’s why the business will stole. It is also necessary to distinguish between small, medium and big business - everywhere their toys.

The second option. The manager should know that dishonesty, theft or decisions leading to losses will definitely be followed by harsh organizational conclusions associated with the most difficult, incorrigible consequences for the manager and his family. It is built in businesses owned by reputable businessmen at a time when they are in places not so remote. In St. Petersburg, such examples are enough. The famous phrase of Al Capone says: with a kind word and a gun you can do much more than just a kind word. So, of all the well-known reputable businessmen, there is not one who would lose a business at the time of its absence.

And I wrote the article only for one purpose, in order to emphasize that if you engage in a conversation about something, it is advisable to know the problem not at the household, but at a professional level, at the same level and discuss it. I would not want to offend anyone, but very often, judging by the content of some posts, people begin to press a computer keyboard on a matter without having the slightest idea about the problem. Moreover, there are entire topics in which the most common words are not professional terms, but interjections: wow, oh, oh, fu, hmm, ha, eh, hey, ehma or pah ... As you understand for the portal with the name "professionals" that's cool.

To answer

New technologies are data processing devices designed primarily for the individual user. But speaking of information, we are mainly talking about information for the enterprise - at least in the previous part of this chapter it was just that. However, the information necessary for the work of management plays a no less important role - moreover, for all mental workers. Indeed, for intellectual workers, for management in particular, information is a key resource. Information unites employees with each other and with the organization as a whole. In other words, it is information that enables mental workers to do their job.
But it is already clear today that no one but themselves can provide the knowledge workers and management with the information that they need. Unfortunately, few managers are thinking about what kind of information they need, and there can be no question of developing the principles of its organization. Management prefers to shift this work to those who supply them with information - information technology specialists and accountants. But data providers do not always know what data the user needs, what data will become for him not just information, but information. Only the brainworker and only the manager himself are able to turn disparate data into information. And only the brainworker and, in particular, the manager can decide how to organize this information in such a way that it becomes the key to effective action.
To obtain the necessary information, the manager must first find answers to two groups of questions. What information should I provide to the employees with whom I work and from whom I depend? In what form? And what time?
What information do I personally need? From whom? In what form? And what time?
These two groups of questions are closely related. But at the same time they are quite different. The question "What should I?" comes first because it forms the paradigm of information exchange. And as long as it is not installed, there will be no reverse flow of information from employees to the leader.
We have known this since Chester Barnard (1886-1961) published in 1938 his (current today) book The Functions of the Executive. Despite the fact that management unanimously admired (and admires) this work, Barnard’s ideas are hardly applied in practice. True, Barnard paid little attention to information exchange, relating it to the sphere of human relations and personal life. However, information exchange can also be effective in the workplace if it concerns items that are not related to personal life. Information exchange should be focused on common tasks and on common problems, in other words, at work.
Question: "To which of the employees should I provide information so that he can carry out his work?" - determines the focus of information exchange on common tasks and common work. This makes sharing more efficient. Therefore, here (as in any case, when we want to make relationships effective) we cannot start with the question: “What do I need and what do I want?” The first questions should be phrased as follows: "What should I do for others?" and "Who are these others?" Only after receiving answers to them, you can ask the following: "What information do I need? From whom? In what form? What time?"
Thinking about these issues, the manager will quickly find that his company's information system does not provide too much information. Some information comes from accounting, but in most cases, in order for the manager to use it in his work, they must be rethought, presented in a different form and expressed in other indicators. Most of the information necessary for the leader to work comes, as already mentioned, from the external environment. This information should be organized separately and delivered independently of the internal information system.
To the question: "What information should I provide? To whom? In what form?" - Only the one who will receive this information can give an answer. Therefore, if the manager wants to have the information necessary to carry out the tasks facing him, he must first of all turn to the employees with whom he works, from whom he depends, in general to everyone who, by the nature of his activity, needs to have the most complete information. But before asking, you need to prepare for the fact that you have to answer questions from the opposite side. For the one to whom the leader addresses his questions may and should, in turn, ask: "And what information do you need from me?" Therefore, the manager must first think through the answers to both questions, and then contact the employees with the question: "What information should I provide you with?"
Both questions: "What should I?" and "What do I need?" - deceptively simple. But anyone who has ever asked them knows that answering them requires a lot of thought, experimentation and hard work. In addition, the answers often change. Therefore, these questions should be asked regularly, approximately every year and a half. In addition, they must be asked at every significant change, for example, when changing the business theory of the company, the nature of the job of the asker or his position, as well as in the case of changing the work or positions of those to whom the question is addressed.
If the manager seriously thinks about these issues, then he will soon understand what information he should provide and what information he needs. And then he will be able to start organizing both types of information.
ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION
Unsystematic information is just information. Only in a certain way organized information makes sense. However, depending on the form of organization, the same information may have different meanings. For different workers and for different purposes, the same information must be organized in different ways.
Here is just one example. Since Jack Welch took over the leadership of General Electric in 1981, the company has created more wealth than any other company in the world. One of the main factors of this success was that General Electric organized the same performance information for each of its divisions differently for different purposes. The company has retained the traditional annual financial and marketing reports as a way to evaluate the performance of its units. But to develop a long-term strategy, the data from these reports were systematized differently: so that unexpected successes and failures were visible, as well as events that did not fit into the framework of previously drawn up plans. The third way to systematize the same data was to focus on the effectiveness of the company's innovative activities, because it is this indicator that becomes the main factor in determining the amount of incentive payments and remuneration to the general manager and management representatives of each individual unit. Finally, the same data was organized according to a different scheme for the needs of managing departments and improving the professional level of employees. It was on this last type of report that management relied subsequently, making decisions on the promotion of managers, especially when it came to senior posts in the division.
As far as I can judge from my own experience, there are no two leaders who would organize the same information in the same way. And this is correct: information should be systematized in a way that is convenient for the work of this leader. However, there are a number of fundamental techniques for organizing information.
One of them consists in highlighting the key event and is determined by the question: "Which events (because usually it is not one, but several events) most influenced the overall result of my work?" A key event may be related to technology (for example, the success of a research project). It can be connected with people and their professional growth; with the offer of a new product or service to target consumers; with the attraction of new consumers. Which event is considered to be the key is usually determined personally by the leader. However, he must first discuss this issue with the employees on whom his work depends. Perhaps this is the most important principle that must be brought to the attention of all employees and management.
The second technique is developed based on modern theory probabilities; Incidentally, it is the basis for universal quality management. Within the normal probability distribution, there is a difference between normal deviation and exceptional events. While the deviations do not go beyond the usual probability distribution for a given type of event (for example, for the quality level in production process), no action needs to be taken. Data on such deviations are classified as information, not information. But exceptions that do not fit into the framework of the probability distribution already represent information and require immediate action.
Another technique for organizing information is based on the theory of a threshold phenomenon (effect) - the theory that underlies the philosophy of perception. The German physicist Gustav Fechner (1801-1887) was the first to understand that we begin to feel, for example, a pin with a pin, only after the sensation reaches a certain intensity, in other words, when it passes a certain threshold of perception (the so-called Weber-Fechner law. - Note . ed.). Very many phenomena fall under this law - in our situation, of course, we are not talking about phenomena, but about data, the volume of which must be of a certain value to overcome the threshold effect.
This theory applies to work and personal life; it allows you to organize information - about a variety of events - into information. When we talk about a recession in the economy, we are talking about a threshold effect: a decrease in sales and profit level goes into a category of recession, in particular, when it lasts longer than a certain period of time. Similarly, a disease becomes an epidemic after a certain percentage of cases of a certain population has been reached, i.e. after a certain threshold is passed.
This concept is especially useful for organizing information about personal life events. Events such as accidents, injuries, minor troubles, etc., begin to matter after their number exceeds a certain threshold value. All this applies to the effectiveness of innovative activities of the company, with the only difference: here we are talking about a threshold below which a drop in the effectiveness of innovative activities becomes dangerous and requires urgent action. The concept of a threshold effect is also very useful for determining the moment after which a sequence of events turns into a trend, begins to require increased attention and, possibly, some measures; or vice versa, to determine the situation in which events, even looking at first glance quite alarming, do not entail serious consequences.
Finally, many managers have found in practice that a very effective way of organizing information is to gather information about everything unusual.
One example is a letter to a manager. Monthly employees of the unit write letters (informal reports) to one of the managers, telling about all the unusual and unforeseen events that happened in their area of \u200b\u200bactivity for reporting period. Most of the above facts can be completely forgotten. But there are "exceptional" events that go beyond the usual probability distribution framework. Consistently looming sequences of events that are insignificant in the context of one area of \u200b\u200bactivity, but acquire great importance when combined with others. Each time letters to managers reveal new events that should be paid attention to. Each time they carry new information.
NO SURPRISES
None of the systems created by intellectual workers, and especially managers, to provide the information they need, can (and never will be) perfect. But still, these systems are constantly improving. An indicator of the quality of the information system is the absence of surprises in the work of the company. In other words, the leadership manages to find out about upcoming events, analyze them, understand and take appropriate measures before these events occur or become large-scale in nature.
Here is one example: for just three or four - in general, for very few - US financial institutions, the economic crisis that erupted in Asian countries at the end of the 1990s was not a surprise. These institutions timely analyzed the “information” they received about the economic situation and the currencies of Asian countries. Gradually, they refused all the information that their own divisions and branches provided in these countries, because they realized that this was not information, but simply information. Instead, they strengthened the collection of information on subjects such as the ratio between fixed and portfolio investments in these countries, the ratio between portfolio investments (for example, short-term loans) and the balance of payments of the country, as well as the amount of money available to the country to service foreign short-term debts. Long before these ratios took on a dangerous character and pointed out the inevitability of disturbing events on Asian exchanges, the leaders of these financial institutions understood what was going on. They realized that “they have to make a difficult decision: to leave these countries and guarantee short-term growth or stay for the implementation of long-term - and very risky - strategies. In other words, they highlighted really important economic data in time, managed to organize them, analyze and correctly interpret them They turned information into information and developed priority measures long before they became really necessary, while the vast majority of American, European and Asian companies doing business in mainland Asia and / or investing capital in their enterprises relied on that information only. that their representatives in these countries reported. It turned out that this information cannot be called information at all - at least, in fact, it turned out to be a form of misinformation. Only those leaders who spent several years searching for answers to the question were ready for the crisis: information may be considered essential "Tween and adequate when it comes to our business in Thailand or Indonesia?"
Too often, information is simply a large amount of data. The difference between a large amount of data and information is about the same as between a phone book in which there are millions of names, and the last name, place of work and the address of the person you need. Management is obliged to learn two lessons: firstly, it is necessary to eliminate data that are not related to the desired topic; secondly, the data must be organized, analyzed, interpreted, and only then used to make decisions about actions. For we collect information not in order to accumulate knowledge, but in order to undertake right actions.
GO TO THE WORLD
Example companies from developed countries, for whom the Asian crisis came as a complete surprise, underlines the importance of obtaining significant information from the external environment.
Ultimately, the leader has only one way to do this: to go out into this external environment himself. Even the most remarkable reports and the brilliant economic or financial theories underlying them are not capable of replacing personal, direct observation, and in a form when it is truly external observation.
The chain of English supermarkets is trying again and again to gain a foothold in neighboring Ireland - almost unsuccessfully. The leading position in Ireland is occupied by the Super-Quinn supermarket chain, whose founder and leader is Fergal Quinn. The secret to his success is not in a wider assortment or low prices, but in the fact that he forces all company leaders to spend two days a week not in workrooms, but at points of sale. The first day managers spend in one of the Super-Quinn supermarkets, doing some work, for example, checking receipts or monitoring the unloading of perishable products, the second day - in competitors' shops: they look, listen, and talk with employees and customers.
One of the founders of the largest company in the United States - a supplier of medical equipment spent his vacation (four weeks a year, twice in two weeks) at the counter as a seller. He demanded the same from the entire top administration of the company. After these two weeks, an ordinary seller returned to the counter and listened for a long time to customer complaints about his “colleague”. For example, castellan from a Catholic hospital, purchasing medical preparations, she was indignant: "What kind of dumbass was working here instead of you? All the time I asked why I buy goods from other companies, and not this one. I couldn’t even really accept the order." Work with clients allows top management to receive simply unique information about their products.
By the way, it has long been noticed that nothing has a positive effect on a doctor’s work, like turning him into a patient for a couple of weeks.
Marketing research, focused group interviews and more - all this is very valuable and has a right to exist. But all these types of research are focused on the company's product. They never set out to find out what else the consumer is buying and what other products they are interested in. To get genuine information about the external environment can be the only way: to turn into a consumer, seller, patient, etc. But such information is largely limited by the experience of consumers and non-consumers of one particular company. What is other information about the external environment that management needs in its work? And how can he get it?
By the way, this is one of the reasons why volunteer work in nonprofit organization - we will talk about this in Chapter 6, - it is very important not only in the sense that it allows you to better prepare for the second half of life and career. It is no less important in the sense of obtaining new information about the external environment - information about people, their work, lifestyle, their knowledge and value systems, views on certain problems, decision-making methods and actions. For the same reason, an increasing role will play additional education for workers who already have one education. For in the process of obtaining such an education, a mental worker at the age of about 40-45 years old - whether it is a company manager, lawyer, university rector, clergyman - communicates with new people who have a completely different way of life and a different value system. This is a great way to not only increase your level of knowledge, but also to get what the bosses divorced from life always lack - information about the lives of other people.
Summarizing, we can say that information about the external environment is the very important information that management needs to work. At the same time, this is information that always requires systematization. This information is not only the foundation for making the right decisions. It is also the foundation for solving two problems, which the following two chapters are devoted to: increasing the productivity of a mental worker and managing his own career. Both tasks can only be done by specialists who know what information they need in their work and what information they need to provide to others, and who are constantly improving methods that turn the chaos of erratic world information into organized information necessary for work.

I’m trying to understand the logic by which our TV channels select occasions for news stories. For a long time I stopped thinking about the radio. I realized that there is news - this is the gap between music and advertising. "Echo" has stopped listening since last summer. So about TV news. I have several versions. About brainwashing and propaganda, everything is clear to me, something else is interesting.

For example, the other day, the Vesti channel without comment shows snow drifts, hell knows in which state of the USA. The people in baseball caps are walking, huddling, such as he is very cold. Cars stalled. Harvesting technology doesn’t cope with the hell out of happiness that has fallen on the head of unhappy Americans. And so without words, three or four minutes. What for? Come to any town in the Urals, even in ours, and see what is happening on our streets, especially inside yards and neighborhoods.

Further news of the economy, at least on the same Vesti, at least on NTV. When several times a day they rattle about another expansion of the dual-currency basket and a slight weakening of the ruble, why? About the “high-tech nasdak” and “esen bi pi” indices? What should this information give to a simple layman? After all, are economists and traders unaware of the numbers by the scammer? Well, in the end, for them, RBC or Bloomberg exist.

This either has some deep meaning, which alas I can’t understand, or it’s just hack and don’t want to strain and think, but what people really want to hear and see. It's easier, I took a picture from the bourgeois channel and let it "no comment". “Business” news can also be sculpted like pies and then repeated ten times a day. He planted a pretty girl reading smart phrases about options and futures from the teleprompter, launched a ticker with stock prices, and the information product is ready, you can stuff it with advertising.

In fairness, I tried to present the perfect television that I would like to watch. Nothing comes into my head. I have already lost the habit of watching television, the efficiency is too low for this source of information. I can’t tune in to Expert TV so far, although I don’t have much hope for it either. Perhaps in the future there will be interactive paid TV channels on which viewers will go on the air in the likeness of video chats and communicate with presenters with other viewers. This would be interesting to observe, and possibly participate. This is something like social networkin which it will be possible to communicate virtually, but in real time with much greater speed.

This question excites me from a practical point of view. I myself am constantly thinking about the appropriateness of this or that material in our publications. What information do I need myself? Facts. If we talk about TV direct reporting. Submission of information from various points of view. The opinion of experts. The same facts, only passed through the experience and understanding of a specific authoritative person in this field. His picture of events and the forecast for further development. In order for the picture to be voluminous, three-dimensional information is needed. Opposing points of view and bare facts.

I now evaluate all the information by whether it helped me improve my understanding, which in turn should help me act more efficiently. To understand, you need a counter question, you need to look for the answer to what excites you. Or at least be able to formulate, realize that which does not suit you, shares with the ideal development of events. So you set traps for the necessary information.

Information for managers, including all knowledge workers, for their own work, is perhaps much more important than information for the enterprise. Information is increasingly connecting them with colleagues and with the organization itself, with their “network”. In other words, it is information that enables mental workers to do their job.

It is now clear that no one can provide mental workers with the information they need, except for themselves. But few of the managers have so far tried to decide what they need, and even fewer of them have sought to understand how to organize this information. Managers typically rely on data producers (IT specialists and accountants) to provide them with this information. But data producers cannot themselves know what data users need and are able to turn into information. Only specific workers brain workers are able to decide how to organize their information in such a way that it allows them to act effectively.

To get the information necessary for work, managers should start by answering such questions.

What information should I provide to the people I work with and whom I depend on? In what form? What period?
What information do I need myself? From whom? In what form? What period?

These issues are closely interlinked, but still differ from each other. What should I go first, because the answer to this question allows you to start communication. Until communication is established, no information can go back to the manager.

We know this since Chester I. Barnard (1886-1961) published his book The Function of the Executive back in 1938. And although Barnard’s book was internationally recognized, it had almost no effect on practice. For Barnard, communication was a vague and general concept, a phenomenon associated with the relationship between people and deeply personal. But to make communication effective in the workplace allows the fact that it is aimed at something outside of the person himself. Communication should focus on a common goal and a common goal, at work.

Asking himself: “To whom should I provide information so that these people can do their job?”, The person focuses communication on a common task and a common work. Communication becomes effective. Therefore, the first question (as in any form of effective relationship) does not sound like “What do I want and what do I need?”, But “What do other people need from me?” and "Who are these people?" Only after that you can ask: "What information do I need? From whom? In what form? In what period?"

Managers asking these questions will soon realize that they receive very little necessary information from the information system of their own company. Part comes from accounting, although often such data has to be rethought, reformulated and redesigned so that the manager can apply them in the work. However, a significant part of the information that is useful to the manager in the work, as already mentioned, comes from outside, and it needs to be organized completely separately from the internal information system.

The only one who can answer the questions "What information do I owe to someone? Who exactly? In what form?" - this is a different person. Therefore, the first step for obtaining the information that managers need to work is to turn to the people with whom they work, to everyone on whom they depend, to those who need to know what they are doing, and ask them. But first you must prepare yourself for the answer. After all, the interlocutor will and must ask questions in turn: "What information do you need from me?" So, first, managers should think over both issues and only after that turn to other people with a request to tell what information they need to provide.

Both questions - "What should I?" and "What do I need?" - At first glance it seems simple, but this is a fallacy. Anyone who ever asked them soon realizes that in order to find the right answer, you need to carefully think through everything, conduct many experiments and make a lot of effort. Moreover, the answers received are not eternal, they have to be searched for again and again, every one and a half years. In addition, these same questions must be asked whenever serious changes occur, such as changes in the theory of business in an enterprise, in the tasks or work of a specific person or many people.

However, if a person seriously asks these questions, then he will soon learn to understand what he needs and what he must provide to others, after which it will be possible to proceed to the organization of both types of information.

It might be useful to read: