How can I make sure workers do their jobs?

(FSB magazine) -- Dear FSB: I own a landscape-design company, and I want to draw up an organization chart that will clarify everyone's job description and keep track of everything as we grow. What's a good place to start looking for these charts? - David B. Katz, President and CEO, Elite Landscaping Inc. Wappingers Falls, N.Y. dbkbeyond@aol.com

Dear David: Verne Harnish, CEO of Gazelles Inc. (gazelles.com), a Virginia-based consulting firm for startups, suggests a system invented by business guru Jack Stack (co-author, with Bo Burlingham, of The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome, Currency, $17.95 and $15.95, respectively). "Take your financial statement and write a name next to each line item so that you have a list of who's accountable for revenue, gross margin, net profit, cash, the bank loan, and so on," says Harnish. List only one person for each role.

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To download a form and instructions for turning your list into an effective chart, go to the Gazelles website and click on Growth Tools. Note that, unlike most big-company organization charts, this model lacks redundancies and fancy titles, which is probably one reason it works so well.

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