Regroup - How to do it and Why it works! Ernest F. Oriente / Business Coaching Section / ComPortOne of Rockford Illinois

Regroup - How to do it and Why it works!
by Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach

Regroup…is this a new management trend? Not a chance!

Regroup is simply an opportunity to end one month’s business cycle, recap the performance of the business you manage and outline a plan of success for the new upcoming month.

Why does it work? Because it allows each person on your team to assess their performance from the previous month, and to make any necessary adjustments for the new month. Here’s how it works.

Scheduling and preparing regroup: Regroup should be scheduled during the slowest time of each month and should start early in the morning, if possible.

A solid and productive regroup takes about two hours and will require about one hour of preparation. Be certain to have a blank chalkboard or a standing easel for taking notes and keep distractions to a minimum.

Regroup is also a time to build on the creative juices from each person on your team, so make regroup a special part of each month and allow everyone to have equal time to share their feedback. Simply stated, there are no wrong questions or topics discussed at regroup and your team will respect and respond positively to this freedom.

Tip from The Coach: As the executive of your business, it is critical for you to attend regroup and actively participate in them. Your preparation for each regroup should begin by reviewing the agenda from the previous month with your manager, to assess if the to-do list from last regroup was accomplished. Then, review together the new regroup agenda making certain your manager’s gameplan is consistent with your company goals and expectations.

Running the meeting: Each month’s agenda for regroup should begin by reviewing the financial information important to your company and its investors. This might include "actual" revenue and income versus budget, customer retention percentages, collection issues or expense performance versus the budget.

Then, have your manager address any problems experienced during the past 30 days or any upcoming issues that will affect your business.

Next, map a calendar of activities that will develop new revenue opportunities. This might include a monthly event to thrill your customers, a new marketing plan, or a special focus on your key prospects. This part of regroup is where the creativity of your team really starts to roll and if you listen closely, you will hear many "golden" ideas.

Lastly, have your manager recap the team goals for the new month and be certain the meeting always closes on a positive note!

Tip from The Coach: As the executive of your company, take detailed notes during regroup, then send a brief memo to your manager recapping the day. Include in this memo a to-do list for the upcoming month, so your manager will clearly know what is expected. Clear communication is the cornerstone of management success.

Meeting individually with your team: At the close of each regroup, plan to spend another thirty minutes more with your manager to recap the day, cheer their success, and discuss the specific performance of each individual they manage.

During this meeting ask your manager if he/she needs any additional support or training to develop their skills or the skills of their team. This is the most important part of regroup as time spent developing your team for future opportunity, will make for pro-active management which means you always have a sharp person ready to be promoted to the next position.

Tip from The Coach: In the same spirit of the individual meeting you have with your manager, ask him/her to have a similar meeting with each member of their team. This will help to grow their skills as a leader and you will want to attend the first few meetings to be certain the agenda for the individual meetings are exactly as you expect. In fact, as a manager, always "inspect what you expect". A good rule of thumb!

Wow! Such an important topic and so much to share! Incorporate regroup into your next 30 day business cycle and see for yourself how successful the time is spent! Need help planning your agenda? Fax a quick note on your letterhead to 435-615-8670 and the Coach will fax you a sample agenda in ten minutes. It’s easy! The Coach says so!

Author’s note: Ernest F. Oriente, The Coach, founder of PowerHour®, a professional business coaching service delivering customized training, by telephone, in management, marketing and sales for property management companies, apartment locator/corporate housing services and publishing companies worldwide. We specialize in global distance learning by telephone, using our state-of-the-art conference call system for interactive and dynamic TeleForums. Twice-monthly TeleForums link 10 -100 executives/ professionals/ individuals who are geographically dispersed, in a time efficient and profitable format. PowerHour® is based in ski-town—Park City, Utah, at 435-615-8486, by E-mail ernest@powerhour.com or visit our TeleForum website: www.coachingsuccess.com. To receive a FREE property management success newsletter send an E-mail to: ernest@powerhour.com. Recent PowerHour® articles have appeared in 1500+ business/trade publications and websites.

List of Ernest Oriente Articles
Back to Business Home Page
Back to ComPortOne Home Page