Expert Q& A: How to Manage Your Business For Success
March 12, 2008 By Mary White
It seems like there is always some new book coming out with a new approach to managing people that makes all other approaches obsolete. However, this approach inevitably fades away, replaced by yet another new approach that is supposed to cure all the ills of the organization that applies it. It can be hard for a small business owner to stay focused in light of the constantly changing literature on the topic.
American Small Business News thanks Dr. J. Robert Beyster, founder of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and author of the book The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company (John Wiley & Sons, 2007), for sharing his insight on how to manage a small business for success.
Question: Do you have any advice for small business owners who prefer a simple approach to management, one that is not going to change every other month?
Answer: Unfortunately, the topic of business management and leadership seems to indeed be in large part driven by the business book best-seller list. Many management fads have come and gone over the past decades, and this will likely be the case well into the future. Make no mistake about it: these books often contain good ideas, but there are certain basic approaches to managing employees that don’t change.
Words of Wisdom From Dr. Beyster: Dr. Beyster found that four simple rules helped him build a business that was particularly successful during the 35 years that he was at the helm—growing from nothing to more than $8 billion in annual revenues:
- Recruit smart, inventive people.
- Give these smart, inventive people wide-ranging autonomy and authority, consistent with prescribed financial restraints.
- Keep a constant lookout for opportunities, near-term and over the horizon.
- When a promising opportunity presents itself, unite around it and focus the company’s efforts and resources to make it happen.
For further information, you can contact Dr. Beyster at www.beyster.com
Posted in Management
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