Page 52 - (DK) The Business Book

50 KEEP EVOLVING BUSINESS PRACTICE

summarized the science of Japan for dry beer and allowing the
management (which is essentially company to capture more market
the management of business share. Similarly, a group of Motorola
process) into two factors: enablers middle managers was lauded for
and enterprise capabilities. successfully developing a new
Enterprise capabilities stem from wireless digital system for a client Middle management as
senior management, and include in under one year (the process a technology enables the
culture, tight governance usually takes two to three years). organization as we know it.
mechanisms, and strategic vision. Sitting between senior leaders Alfred Chandler
Enablers, however, are the task of and operational staff, middle US business historian (1918–2007)
middle management. They include managers are the communications
design, infrastructure, process, conduit through which executives
protocol, responsibilities, and remain attuned to day-to-day
performance management. The business and personnel issues.
enablers turn vision into reality. Middle managers, as the Asahi and
Motorola examples show, are often
Realizing the vision at the heart of corporate inspiration lessons learned through business
Hammer claimed that while the and perspiration—they generate experience. The true science of
aspiration for business growth ideas and they work to realize ideas management is the conversion of
might come out of the boardroom, in practice. Middle management experience into repeatable and
it is a company’s infrastructure— is also the driver of functional reliable process—today’s problems
designed and implemented by efficiency: improvements in cost, become tomorrow’s processes and
middle management—that makes quality, speed, and reliability are next year’s capabilities.
growth possible. Vision without delivered by middle management Process is the “stuff” of
infrastructure is just a dream—it and the processes it introduces. management. Business processes
cannot become a reality. Leaders are essential to maintaining order;
of growing companies know that, Growing the business like a country’s rail system and the
regardless of their own aspirations, As a business evolves, so must the rules that accompany it, processes
the building blocks of growth are management processes that enable are the infrastructure around which
laid by middle management. it. Whereas initial stages of growth a company organizes. Business
At the Japanese brewer Asahi, rely on individual initiative and practice must evolve as the business
for example, it was a team of entrepreneurial spirit, evolving grows from a single outlet to a chain,
middle managers who developed ad-hoc practices into sustainable from one staff member to many,
Super Dry Beer, starting a craze in growth needs to be based on and from national to multinational.

Cath Kidston English fashion designer, author, she had to buy her stock
and entrepreneur Catherine carefully, mixing her own fabrics
Kidston was born in 1958. Raised and wallpaper with items from
with her three siblings near tag sales and fabric from eastern
Andover in Hampshire, she was Europe. Gingham ordered from
educated at a number of English Europe arrived already made
boarding schools, before moving into duvet covers and
to London at 18. pillowcases, rather than as a
After working as a store fabric bolt. Kidston realized she
assistant, she ran a vintage curtain would have to improvise, so
business with a friend on London’s decided to “cut it up and make
King’s Road for five years. In 1992 it into other things.” She kept
she sold the business and a year some of the bedding, but altered
later opened a store selling vintage most items into products such
home goods, wallpaper, and fabric. as toiletry bags. The Cath
With about $23,000 in her pocket, Kidston brand was born.