January, 1st, 2001
last updated July, 29th, 2010

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Methods:

Administrative Method

by Chris Sunami

• Creating a vision
  Use tripartite analysis to find the goal that is most central to your organization. It should include:
  1. one facet that responds to a higher moral imperative
  2. one facet specific to the individual identity of the organization
  3. and one facet that relates to your organization's position, as compared to its peers, in the world at large.
  
  Every subgoal must relate directly to one of these facets, or be discarded. In summary: there should be one main goal, with three facets (moral, personal, practical), and a balanced set of subgoals, all of which directly support the main goal.
  Your vision should be periodically revisited, refocused and reinterpreted.
  
  
• Establishing standards:
  The key in establishing effective standards is to understand them and their function. They are detailed codes of behavior that support the achievement of the main goal, or a subgoal. The higher objective is what ennobles the standards. Without a clear rationale, the standards become oppressive and pedantic.
  
  
• Creating processes:
  A process is a controlled, standardized transformation, an attempt to tame the forces of change. When creating processes (as with establishing standards) it is important to relate them directly to your vision. There are four basic kinds of processes. Two are individual, and two are relational. Two of them (one individual, one relational) are based on breaking down a structure, effecting a change, and rebuilding. The other two are based on imposing a structure, effecting a change, and removing the scaffolding. A complete process must return to the initial structural level (low or high). Follow the above link for more information.
  
  
• Making decisions:
  Every worthwhile achievement involves sacrifice. When a difficult decision needs to be made, pick the choice that most directly supports your vision. If you have problems doing this it probably means that you need to refocus your vision.
  
  
• Implementation:
  The most important thing to remember in implementation is the “one goal above” rule. Every action taken must relate to a higher-level goal and objective. This will focus your implementation and make it more efficient and effective. When you focus at the same the level at which you work, you end up ensnared in unimportant details and mindless redundancies. The details are important, but only as they relate to the larger context.
  
  
• Crisis response:
  Unforeseen disasters are inevitable. When they occur, the proper course of action is to remain calm and to undertake containment and clean-up immediately. Outsized responses are rarely helpful, and often make the problem worse. Face the problem honestly and directly.
  
  
• Avoiding burnout:If you follow the above rules, your organization should increase greatly in productivity, and enter a state of continual improvement. However, making this ongoing process sustainable should be a major sub-goal. Remember:
  
  1. Take time periodically to evaluate your work, celebrate your achievements and refocus your goals.
  2. Progress is only as positive as the goal it progresses towards.
  3. Overwork is usually a sign of inefficiency.