Management begins with planning. Good management starts with good planning. And proper advance planning prevents… well, you know the rest. Without a plan you will never be successful. If you happen to achieve the goal, it will have been by luck or chance and is not repeatable. You might make it a flash in the pan, an overnight sensation, but you will never have the track record of results that determine success. Know what your goal is (or listen when your boss tells you). Then find out the best way to get there. What resources do you have? What can you get? Compare strengths and weaknesses of individuals and other resources. Will assigning four workers to a task that takes 14 hours to cost less than renting a machine that can do the same task with one worker in 6 hours? If you change the first shift from an 8am start to a 10am start, can they handle the early evening rush hour so they don't have to hire an extra person for the second shift? Look at all the likely scenarios. Plan for them. Identify the worst possible scenario and plan for that too. Evaluate your different plans and develop what you think will work best and what you will do if it doesn't. TIP: One of the most often overlooked management planning tools is the most effective. Ask the people doing the work for their input. Organize Now that you have a plan, you need to make it happen. Is everything ready before your group so that the right things get to your group at the right time? Is your group ready to do its part in the plan? Is the downstream organization ready for what your group will provide and when it will arrive? Are the workers trained? Are they motivated? Do they have the equipment they need? Are spare parts available for the equipment? Has the purchasing department ordered the material? Is it the right stuff? Will it arrive on the appropriate schedule? Do the necessary work to ensure that everything needed to execute the plan is ready or will be ready when needed. Check back to make sure everyone understands their role and the importance of their role to overall success. DirectNow flip the "ON" switch. Tell people what to do. I like to think of this part like conducting an orchestra.