Management, operations and change in the real world
Businesses rarely work exactly the way the organisation chart says they do — if one even exists.
I’ve been around the same family-owned manufacturing business since I was eight years old. This is where I explore what happens beyond the formal structure: people, operations, improvement, systems and change.
What this is about
Where the Org Chart Ends is about what happens in that space: operations, leadership, improvement, culture, technology, systems and people — and the challenge of introducing more structure, accountability and professionalism without losing the flexibility, knowledge and character that helped the business succeed in the first place.
I don’t have all the answers. But after growing up around manufacturing and now helping manage it, I’ve accumulated plenty of questions — and quite a few lessons along the way.
Start here
Where the Org Chart Ends: How a Business Really Works
The organisation chart might tell you who reports to whom. It doesn’t necessarily tell you how the business actually works.
When Everyone Wears Three Hats
In an SME, clearly defined job descriptions have a habit of colliding with reality.
The Intangible Benefits of Improvement — coming soon
We’re very good at measuring cost, output and efficiency. Some of the biggest improvements are much harder to put into a spreadsheet.
Things the Org Chart Doesn’t Tell You
Short observations about management, operations and the parts of business that don’t quite fit into a KPI.
