Insights from D. Brown Management
Connecting Metrics to Activities and Outcomes
D. Brown Management
March 31, 2024
Outcomes are created through doing the right activities. Data is only a proxy for that activity and a metric is a synthesis of lots of data points. Metrics are valuable, but always have a skeptical view of proxies for performance, especially with growth.
business management scoreboard technology
TOOL: Growth Inflection Point Summary + Self-Evaluation Worksheet
D. Brown Management
March 25, 2024
At certain growth inflection points, you must re-evaluate your strategy, systems, structure, and leadership focus. Use this worksheet as a guide to help you determine if you are at an inflection point requiring change or focus on refinement.
Organizational Development strategy
Headcount, Management Structure, and Systems
D. Brown Management
March 23, 2024
Your management structure and systems must be able to support your forecasted 2-month peak headcount, including the ramp-up to that peak.
growth management talent
Succession Readiness at All Levels
D. Brown Management
March 16, 2024
Succession goes far beyond ownership transitions every generation or two. Succession readiness at all levels is what allows contractors to grow profitably and safely. How would you evaluate succession readiness across your team?
Organizational Development succession Talent Value Stream (TVS)
Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) and Contractor Growth
D. Brown Management
March 16, 2024
A responsibility matrix is a simple but powerful tool for helping everyone on a project and in the company see who is responsible for what. With a few added columns, it can easily indicate when, what tools, and link to the "how-to" procedures.
business management talent Talent Value Stream (TVS)
Strategic Choices and Operational Execution
D. Brown Management
March 10, 2024
The best strategic choices will not outrun the results of poor operational execution. The best operational execution will be limited in performance by the quality of strategic choices. Both must be in alignment.
business management strategy
Racing, Equipment, Heart Rates, and Contractor Growth
D. Brown Management
March 10, 2024
The fastest marathon runner used shoes costing $300 and is 2X as fast as an intermediate runner. The fastest 100-mile bicycle time is about 2.5X faster than the fastest marathon runner, going nearly 4X as far. Contractor and career growth is similar.
business management Organizational Development Talent
Degree of Discretionary Time with Growth in Role Levels and Business Size
D. Brown Management
March 4, 2024
The degree of discretionary time that someone has in doing their job grows with their role level - for example from crafts person to VP of Operations. For similar roles, that time decreases with company growth as the job roles become more tightly defined.
project management Talent Value Stream (TVS)
Business Model Basics for Contractors
D. Brown Management
March 4, 2024
A contractor's strategic choices along with the supporting management systems and organizational structure must fit into a viable business model. A business model IS NOT a business plan.
business management business planning
From More Generalized to More Specialized with Growth
D. Brown Management
March 3, 2024
Job roles, tools, and equipment progressively get more specialized as projects and contractors grow. These changes must be balanced with versatility and talent development.
Organizational Development OrgDev Talent Value Stream (TVS)