Companies are always looking to hire people who can solve problems and think strategically. They put these attributes in their recruitment listings and job descriptions. Thinking is a big deal.
That is until the person actually gets the job. Sure they’ll start out thinking. They’ll have lots of ideas as the new person. Then it happens. They start doing and stop really thinking. They put some thought into their work, true, but it’s not strategic.
And to be sure, they’ll solve some problems. But the more harried they are, the more likely the resolution will be based on conflict avoidance and making sure everyone is ‘happy’ with the outcome, even if there is no long term benefit of the solution.
Making the matter worse, performance reviews reflect your ability to do, not think. This is due to a large flaw in the process. We insist upon having concrete measurable objectives, and doing is more concrete than thinking. We can measure doing because we can measure done. We reward employees for the number of things they do and the speed at which they do them. In order to get fast, one has to repeat the same process over and over and over. New thought about the process would slow them down. This would impact performance and therefore wages, which of course, is unacceptable.
So, guess what? There’s no time to think at work. And it shows. I have scores of examples which I won’t bore you with because I’d rather think about solutions than relive problems.
I think the no-time-to-think phenomenon is the reason for so many meetings in companies today. Meetings are an acceptable venue by which to think about an issue. Meetings have the added value of including colleagues who have pieces of the pie you don’t, so you can all think together and achieve a better result than thinking separately.
Perhaps it’s time to recognize we have more strategic thinking assets than we know, right under our noses, in the form of our existing employees. We can start increasing our company’s or team’s thought power by encouraging more thought on a regular basis.
For example, the next status meeting you have, ask a question or two to get the team thinking. Once they share their status, ask “What kinds of problems do you routinely see and which you think we as a team or company should address?” Next, stay quiet. Give your employees – wait for it – time to think about what you just asked! Be sure to drill down to the real problem. If you solve a symptom and not the underlying problem, you’ll only create different problems.
You’ll also want to make it clear that the employee who shares a thought and a possible solution doesn’t necessarily become the one to implement it. People don’t speak up when they don’t know how to implement something. Conceptualizing and implementing are different ends of the spectrum for the personality trait governing these. Often people who can see the big picture and the final result haven’t a clue how to get there. Others can’t see the big picture, but once you describe it become like a terrier with a bone in implementing it. Occasionally you’ll find people who think of strategy and implementation together, but it’s not that common.
Then there’s the issue of time. If something is worth doing, you have to give people time during the day to do it. Something else they’re doing will have to give temporarily. The challenge for management is to keep their eye on the prize which the solution will provide. If the solution to a problem can improve customer satisfaction by 25%, how much time is it worth to find that solution?
Next we need to find more and better ways to reward employees for thinking. Spot bonuses, recognition, and a host of ideas come to mind. Performance appraisals should be modified to reflect recognition of the result of thinking, not just the result of doing.
One last thought. In our current economy people are focused on keeping their job. To many, improvement equals layoffs. This need not be the case. I once completely re-engineered an organization and had to hire more people as a result. If you focus on solving problems which increase customer satisfaction, you’ll get more customers. With more customers and more business comes more employees, and the cycle continues.
Think about it.
Annie Bartlett is The Company Doctor, specializing in taking the stress out of marketing for small business service professionals. She is also the author of The Indispensable Manager and uses her 25 years of management experience to help small companies align their goals and employees using commonsense management. She can be reached at annieb@co-dr.com.
You’ve heard the expression “An apple a day keeps the doctor a way” but have you heard “An apple a meeting is for more than just eating?”
You see, an apple and a meeting – specifically problem-solving meetings – have a lot in common.
Both require preparation, consuming, and digesting to greater or lesser degrees.
And you’ll notice there is not just one way to eat an apple, just as there isn’t one way to resolve a problem.
Let’s start with the preparation. And for the sake of discussion, let’s say you keep your apples in your refrigerator’s crisper. Now, some people just reach into their crisper, pull out an apple, and start chomping before they even close the door. No preparation here.
The same applies to problem-solving meetings. Some people don’t assign any value to thinking about things in advance. As a matter of fact, doing so might even limit them if they become fixed on a particular idea. The assumption is that the meeting is self-contained and they will learn what they need to within the confines of the meeting itself.
Others put more preparation into their apple-eating experience. They may wash it, peel off the grocery store sticker, twist the stem until it snaps, peel it, core it, slice it or some combination of the above. Some only like baked apples and others have to have something with their apple (like cheese or honey) in order to be satisfied.
Again, the same can be said about people and problem-solving meetings. Some study the issue in advance and try to really pinpoint the issue so they solve the problem not just its symptoms. They collect information even without being asked, reason through alternative solutions, and are prepared for a meaty discussion with lots of viewpoints.
When it’s time to eat the apple, people start and continue in different ways. Some start in the middle and work their way around the circumference of the apple, then finish off the top and bottom in the same fashion. Some eat top to bottom. Others appear quite random in their approach. Some eat their slices, which can be very thin or wedges. Some won’t eat in front of others. Still others don’t eat the whole apple. Some chomp with relish while others are more reserved and tidy.
You guessed it, meetings unfold the same way. Someone jumps in, while someone else listens to everyone else before offering comments. Others won’t comment at all in the meeting but might approach someone afterwards with a question or comment. Some people are ahead of others in terms of defining and resolving the problem, possibly even becoming impatient with them. Some hear better and process information faster than others. Some pairs or groups of people function better together because they naturally play off of each other’s ideas, just like some people can’t enjoy the apple-eating experience without a slice of cheese to accompany it. Sometimes there’s a straight line from problem definition to resolution. Often it’s a messy process.
The parallels continue with the digestion of the apple. Everyone’s body chemistry is different, so the physical digestion of the apple and whatever accompanies it, may be different for everyone and may not be the same twice. Some people visualize the healthy effects the apple will have on them, while others rush off to the next thing.
Problem-solving meetings operate the same way. Some participants leave the meeting and rush off to the next one, with zero time to process the significance of the meeting they just left. They may even forget most of what transpired in the meeting. Others, particularly those tasked with implementing a solution, leave the meeting with their head spinning with ideas. They may experience an adrenaline rush because a long-experienced problem will soon be a thing of the past.
By the way, there is no correlation that I know of between the way a person prepares, consumes and digests his apples to the way he prepares for, participates in, and digests the meeting.
There is no right or wrong here – only different. And, that’s the point. We have to deal with what we have, not complain about what someone else did or didn’t do.
So the next time you’re honored by being invited to be part of a problem-solving meeting, take an apple. Let it remind you about how different we all are and how those differences can be the best way to solve the problem.
Now that I’ve planted that seed, I’m hungry. Time to grab an apple!
Annie Bartlett is The Company Doctor, specializing in taking the stress out of marketing for small business service professionals. She is also the author of The Indispensable Manager and uses her 25 years of management experience to help small companies align their goals and employees using commonsense management. She can be reached at annieb@co-dr.com .
If you lived in a perfect world at work, people would do what you asked without complaint, every deadline would be met, there would be no human errors, and everyone would get along and work together to achieve the company’s common goal.
I’m guessing I don’t have to point out it’s not a perfect world. I know it, you know it – we all know it.
So why do we respond so poorly when presented with the imperfection we know is bound to occur? And how should we respond?
Let’s look at a typical example in the workplace.
You’re working with someone on a project. He owes you some information by the end of the day on Friday. You need the information in order to do your part of the project. It’s now 4 p.m. on Friday and you haven’t heard anything. You’re righteously annoyed and stressed because if he doesn’t meet his deadline, you might not meet yours.
You’re tempted to stew in your juices and rant to anyone who will listen about how rude this guy is. You’re thinking you need to visit your boss to explain that you might not meet your deadline because HE isn’t meeting his.
But you won’t carry out either of those thoughts, because you’ve read this article and know there is a better way to respond.
Reacting versus Responding. There is a difference between reacting and responding. Reacting is more immediate and is physical in nature. You’re stressed over the prospect of missing a deadline – a prospect you abhor. Your body reacts with chemicals and hormones, gearing you up for a fight. Your brain translates the fight response into thoughts and before you know it, you’re ready to kill the guy. The speed of your reaction makes warp drive seem like standing still. Consequently those thoughts come up and out, externalizing your internal reaction, seemingly before you can control it.
But the brain is a marvelous organ – you can interrupt the cycle. In that split second between your internal reaction and your external response, you can train your brain to pause and consider your response.
You can distinguish between a reaction – an internal response you might not be able to control – and your response, an external reaction to the situation which you can control. So the next time you feel those hormones responding to stress, ask yourself a simple question, “How do I wish to respond?”
Efficient and Effective. That’s a loaded question to be sure, because you may want to indulge a few righteously indignant thoughts. Using the scenario above, you might be thinking:
- He’s a grown-up; he has a deadline to meet – what’s his problem?
- You meet your deadlines, why can’t he?
- You’re not his parent or babysitter, so why should you call and remind him of the deadline?
- You shouldn’t have to remind him – he’s a professional for goodness sake!
But the fact is, those thoughts don’t get the job done. They’re unproductive.
In reality, your needs mean more to you than they do to anyone else. So, in order for you to meet your deadline, recognize it’s not a perfect world and talk to the guy. Ask him where he is on getting you the information. Ask him what he needs and what you can do to help.
In other words, your response should consider the twin values of efficiency and effectiveness. Both are important, as sometimes what is efficient is not effective. Doing someone else’s job for them may be efficient in the short term, but it’s not effective in the long run. Training someone may be more effective in the long run, but might not be the most efficient response in an emergency.
And for sure, stewing in your juices or complaining to your boss are neither efficient nor effective. Neither solves the problem.
As you are considering responses, ask yourself, “Is this an efficient response? Will it get the job done quickly and satisfactorily?” If the answer is no, then keep thinking of other responses. If the answer is yes, ask yourself, “Is this an effective response? Will it get the job done without compromising something else of importance? Will this response further the company’s goals?” If the answer is no, keeping asking your brain for another response.
You may be tempted to choose between efficient and effective. If you’re on a tight deadline, you may think efficient takes precedent over effective. But keep asking your brain for a response which is both efficient and effective. Your brain loves a challenge, particularly a paradox, and it will rise to the challenge.
Happy responding!
copyright 2009 Annie Bartlett
Annie Bartlett is The Company Doctor, specializing in taking the stress out of marketing for small business service professionals. She is also the author of The Indispensable Manager and uses her 25 years of management experience to help small companies align their goals and employees using commonsense management. She can be reached at annieb@co-dr.com
I finally figured out why we’re all so tired. We’re tired all the time because two of our most precious assets, time and money, are being pecked to death by ducks.
Money. Consumers and companies are in a downward spiraling dance. When you’re flooded with information and marketing messages, your brain tries to file each message. When your brain senses a large quantity of messages about the same product or service, it starts to lump everything together and reduce it to its lowest common denominator. Consequently, everything looks and sounds like a commodity. And how do you shop for a commodity? By lowest price.
Here’s how the pecking plays out: You need a toaster, so you ask yourself, “Where can I get the cheapest toaster?” You buy the cheapest toaster for $7. It lasts a year. Next year the cheapest toaster is $8 (peck). Then $9, $10, and $11 (peck, peck, peck). In the course of five years, you’ve spent $45 for toasters and taken at least 5-10 hours of your time to do so (peck, peck, peck, peck, peck).
But what if you’d bought a higher quality toaster for $24, and at the end of five years it was still working? Let’s see, $24 and one hour of my time to research and buy, versus $45 and one more thing to do every year. That’s a no-brainer. And, if cash flow is an issue, then ask yourself – do you really need everything at once? If not, then prioritize.
Time. You can already see the time you’d save buying the quality toaster. Maybe you’re thinking saving an hour a year is no big deal. But if you multiply the time you save on each decision by the number of purchase decisions you make in a year, it adds up – quickly and scarily.
The same phenomenon happens at work. Here the emphasis on doing versus thinking and responding is pecking us to death.
Anton in Department A performs a task and sends the results to Betty in Department B. Every day Betty fixes something Anton forgot to do. It’s always the same thing, so it’s a matter of routine to her. It only takes 15 minutes to handle and she doesn’t mind – after all, it’s all in a day’s work (peck). Every day equals 5 days (peck, peck, peck, peck, peck) times 15 minutes = 75 minutes or 1.25 hours per week. That’s 65 hours or more than 8 days per year – each and every year (hundreds of pecks).
And Betty still has all of her work to do, so she either spends more time at work or delays doing something else on her plate, which means she now feels behind (peck and peck).
So, how long might it take Anton to do the task correctly in the first place? Maybe 5 minutes? It takes Betty longer because she has to interrupt her work flow, find the missing information which was actually available to Anton, then fill in the missing information, all before she can resume her tasks.
How does this happen? Well, Betty likes Anton and she’s a nice person. She interprets correcting Anton as criticism and criticism is conflict and Betty doesn’t “do” conflict. Companies inadvertently reinforce this behavior by focusing on the wrong things and confusing tasks with results.
When companies try to measure results, two things happen. First, they try to work backwards from the desired result and determine what tasks must be accomplished in order to achieve the result. Second, they list only things they can measure with numbers, believing this to be the most objective way to rate employees.
But if I take more customer calls than anyone else, have I helped accomplish my company’s goals? Maybe, maybe not.
I know for a fact that customer service reps actually hang up on you (and blame it on the phone system) in order to keep their time per call down to their goal, because their performance review and paycheck depend on it. Something is very wrong when that happens.
Performing tasks is only a part of performing a service. If your company provides a service, how your employee performs the service is an important part of the service. And because we’re all different, every employee will perform the same service differently. Consequently, it’s not just okay to use non-quantifiable measurements; it’s imperative.
Challenge. The next time you feel pecked to death by ducks, start quacking! When someone asks you why you’re quacking, tell them what’s on your mind.
Annie Bartlett is The Company Doctor, specializing in taking the stress out of marketing for small business service professionals. She is also the author of The Indispensable Manager and uses her 25 years of management experience to help small companies align their goals and employees using commonsense management. She can be reached at annieb@co-dr.com
Yesterday, I was on LinkedIn doing a little networking, when I came across an interesting question. The author relayed the fact that consulting firms had developed over 20 drivers of employee engagement and posed the question of which ones should leaders use now, when their company is in crisis. Below was my answer:
I agree with the majority of responders who think 20 drivers of employee engagement overcomplicates the questions. I say this as a consultant and someone with decades of management experience. The question I think I hear you asking is “How do you make sure your best people stay, are productive during a crisis, and allow you to emerge a better and stronger company?”
As consultants we can talk about clearly and consistently communicating, soliciting ideas for quality improvements, and murmuring reassurances all day long, but if the guy next to you was just laid off and you don’t know why, you’re going to be wondering if you are next. Period.
When people in the crisis situation hear their leadership utter reassuring sounding words, they ask themselves one question – can I trust the person mouthing the words? If they can’t, they’re not going to engage. If they can, they then ask themselves, do I believe this leader can see this company through? If the answer is no, they’re not going to engage because they don’t believe that anything they do can or will make a difference if the ship is sinking. In short, they see (what we call) engaging as a waste of their precious energy.
No 20+ drivers are going to change that. The answers to the yes/no question boils down to trust. And you can’t suddenly apply trust. By the time the employee has asked himself the question, he’s answering based on his past observations of his leaders.
So, the highest and best advice I have to offer leaders and managers is to fill your well with actions (DON’T say “trust me!”) your employees can trust. Then when times are tight and they ask those questions, the answer to both will be yes. Share your plan, take action, and don’t make promises you can’t keep. Then engage employees by appealing to shared values and a common goal. Then they will give you their ideas on how to improve things. They’ll work with you to be ‘lean and mean.’ And if you do this right, some of those who didn’t trust you initially, will see by your actions that they can trust you.
If you fail to instill trust before the crisis, then trying to do so during the crisis is tantamount to closing the barn door after the horse has left.
You can read the entire discussion at: http://www.linkedin.com/answers/management/organizational-development/MGM_ODV/509820-933031?browseIdx=0&sik=1247741185789&goback=%2Eama
Annie Bartlett is The Company Doctor, specializing in taking the stress out of marketing for small business service professionals. She is also the author of The Indispensable Manager and uses her 25 years of management experience to help small companies align their goals and employees using commonsense management. She can be reached at annieb@co-dr.com
©2009, Annie Bartlett
You ask your employee to do something. He asks, “Why?” You’re tempted to respond with, “Because I’m your boss and I said so!” Before you do however, consider the real reason for the question and why you might want to answer differently.
When employees ask why, they’re not questioning your judgment; they’re seeking more information. Whether consciously or unconsciously, the employee is trying to connect the dots mentally between what you’ve asked him to do and the result which is expected of him. Sometimes the employee has no knowledge of the end result, so his brain can’t put the task you asked him to perform in perspective. Sometimes, he can’t see how a task can accomplish a result and he doesn’t want to get it wrong, so he’s seeking clarification.
Clarify the Result. Let’s say you own a company which develops specialized software for small community banks. Your mission is to become the premier banking software company for these banks. Let’s further suppose you’ve noticed a series of calls from clients about your Teller package. Seems your clients are trying to do something they can’t. You have one overworked support person answering the phones so you instruct her to simply tell the client they can’t do that. She asks why.
You look at your employee like she’s lost her mind. The answer is simple. “Because the client can’t do that function with the software and telling him that is the quickest response. After all you’re busy right?”
Clarifying the result forces you to think about the result in your head vis-à-vis the company mission. If your mission is to get the client off the phone as quickly as possible, telling them the software can’t do what they’re trying to do is a valid response. However, it doesn’t solve the client’s problem and therefore won’t support your mission. So, instead you ask your support person what the tellers are trying to do in the first place. You want to know why they are using a function for something it was never intended to do. You learn your clients occasionally have to process an exception to the rule. Your new response, one more in keeping with your mission, is to show them how to process that exception.
Connecting the Dots. Okay, so now you have a clear result and a way to accomplish it. You’ve actually done more than you know because now your employee can and will connect the dots between their actions (i.e. the company’s response) and the company’s mission. There will be more energy and enthusiasm in her voice and actions because now she’s solving the client’s problem.
But it gets better. Your support employee starts walking clients through the exception processing. Based on the reactions she gets, she learns what isn’t clear and why. She also realizes the clients have to process these exceptions only occasionally and are not writing anything down. They’ll probably call the next time they encounter the same problem. So your support employee hits upon the idea of writing it down. When a client calls, she emails or faxes the document to them and remains on the phone while they follow the written instructions. Yes, it takes longer, but she’ll only have to do it once, versus over and over and over again. Life is better for all now. Your employee has just made a “micro” decision with a large positive customer service impact. Micro decisions are small decisions within the employee’s control.
Yet life can still be better. Perhaps the instructions become part of the help and user guide documentation. Maybe you do a little math and determine that ten hours of your company’s resources time to create a little code is a cheap price to get you closer to accomplishing your mission. These “macro” decisions typically involve more people and groups within your company, and as we’ve seen here, are typically more proactive and preventative in nature.
Residual Benefits. Your clients now see you as a company which solves their problems, which is the secret to success for any business. They see that you listen and take action and as a client they can make a difference. Your employees have a similar reaction. They now see how seriously you take your mission and how simple everyday actions on their part can make a difference. You clients and employees are more positively connected to your company which translates to more sales, follow-on business, testimonials, and loyalty. All because someone asked, “Why?”
copyright Annie Bartlett
If you know me, you know I’m big on quality and process improvement. Many years ago, when I was just starting down this path, quality consultant Steve Bender told me, “Catch somebody doing something right.” I realized the wisdom of those words. We are quick to complain when the smallest thing doesn’t go our way. But do we praise or say “Thank You” when someone does something right? Or do we just think they’re doing their job so there’s no need to say thanks?
In the past couple of weeks, I’ve encountered numerous people doing things right. And I’d like to tell you about them and what they did. (But first, a disclosure. None of these people or businesses are my clients. I do believe I have the greatest clients who are the best at what they do however!)
Mark, a waiter at the Marriott in Quincy, MA made five trips between the breakfast chef and my table. For whatever reason, it took that many tries to get my hard-fried eggs hard. Mark was a trooper, never altering his even demeanor. I actually felt bad for him, but I can’t eat runny eggs. Mark bought me breakfast, but he got a huge tip.
Joe, the store manager at Bostonian shoes in South Shore Plaza in Braintree, MA listened to what my husband said he wanted for shoes and listened to me saying, “Can you get him to try something new?” Bless his heart he did both. My husband has new shoes that are both comfortable and stylish.
Lisa, a waitress at Joe’s American Bar and Grill, also in South Shore Plaza in Braintree, MA, thought I was kidding when I asked if I could buy a tie like the one the waitresses were wearing. When I said, “Seriously, how much?” she said she would see what she could do. A few minutes later, the hostess brought me a tie. Now, mind you, this restaurant was both large and busy, but they took the time to add one more fan for life.
The front desk staff and a certain bellman at the Boston Harbor Hotel greeted me as Mrs. Howe. In all our travels together, NO ONE has done that. My husband makes the reservations and when he goes up to the front desk to check in, he’s greeted as Mr. Howe. I’m standing right next to him, but I’m ignored and left to feel like ‘the other woman’ simply because I’m not recognized. I thanked the people at the hotel for calling me Mrs. Howe. It’s a simple thing, but it gave me a connection to them which I don’t have for any other hotel. I’m a fan now.
OpenCube, based in Bangor ME, makes software which allows me to create website menus using a simple visual interface. OpenCube is a hit with the Fortune 500 as well as freelance website designers. So when I downloaded the latest version and had a problem, I contacted Technical Support via their online forum. They thought I might be outside the free update window and referred me to Customer Support. Customer Support said I was technically outside the window but they received permission to ignore this technicality and granted me a free upgrade license. Now, how hard was that? Again, a fan for life. As it turns out the original problem I had was more than a licensing issue; it was also an operator error. They told me exactly what I needed to do and it worked. I usually squirm when I have a support issue and the contact method of choice is an online technical forum or email, because a lot of communication is lost when you can’t hear or see someone. But these guys have it down pat.
In each case, you could say everyone I dealt with was just doing their job. And I guess they were. Yet they managed to distinguish themselves in the way they did their job. Mark could have made faces at me and copped body language that suggested that I shut up and eat the eggs. Joe could have ignored me and sold my husband the shoes he came in to get. Lisa could have told me the restaurant’s ties weren’t for sale. The Boston Harbor Hotel staff could have ignored me as the staff of other fine hotels have done. And OpenCube could have asked me for my credit card number. But they didn’t.
Over the next week, try to catch three to ten people doing something right, and tell them.
Annie Bartlett, author of The Indispensable Manager and owner of The Company Doctor, is a marketing and management consultant with over 25 years of management experience. She can be reached at annieb@co-dr.com
Ever make a joke at work and halfway through your belly laugh someone said, “That’s not funny”? You skulked away thinking that the guy can’t take a joke, that he has no sense of humor.
Humor in the workplace has become a touchy subject. In some cases it’s even been called bullying, which is a hot topic for companies these days.
On the other hand, laughter is not only good for the soul, it’s good for productivity as well. Laughter both relaxes and energizes you at the same time. It’s a great stress reliever. So laughter has a place in the workplace.
But how do you know in advance if what you say is going to offend a co-worker?
Here’s an easy rule-of-thumb: if the object of your “funny” is someone other than you, keep your mouth shut. Look, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 20 years, you know that slurs against groups are a no-no. Some groups are even protected by national law. But making fun of the guy with the lisp or the woman who wears too much mascara for your taste is similarly taboo. Even if you’re just repeating a comment someone else made, you perpetuating the problem and equally to blame.
In short, if you want to make fun of someone, make fun of yourself. And do without offensive language and gestures.
By the way, there are plenty of things about life that are funny. You’ll have no shortage of material!
AnnieB
Some thoughts are fatal not only to your management career but to the health and well-being of your company. If you think them and believe them, they’ll show up in your words and actions and have most undesirable effects. Here are two I see the most of – oversimplification and “the answer.”
Oversimplification. Alfred North Whitehead is credited with saying, “Seek simplicity and distrust it.”
Simplifying is a technique we use to help us put a situation in perspective. Oversimplifying on the other hand can cause some nasty surprises. To oversimplify is to forget those “details” that we can’t make sense of and hope everything turns out okay. Within our own areas of expertise we know sometimes things aren’t as simple as they appear. We have great knowledge and understand the subtleties and complexities. Nothing else is as difficult as what we do (or so we think). Outside our areas of expertise, everything is simple and straightforward.
How many times has someone outside your field responded with “It’s simple, just…” to a problem in your field? Did you roll your eyes and groan? Did you bite your tongue like your mother taught you, rather than say something completely inappropriate?
When did you last do this to someone else?
To oversimplify outside your area of expertise is to truly insult those in that area. Perhaps there’s room for improvement but before you start barking out new orders, take the time to find out why they do what they do. There are reasons. This is a simple way to demonstrate your respect for the people doing the job. It will also give you credibility and it will be easier for the others to accept any changes.
The other extreme, “analysis paralysis,” is also a problem. You can over-analyze and never get anything done. At some point, you have to determine that you have enough information to act, and then act.
Great, you say. Don’t oversimplify. Don’t over analyze. Let me just point out there’s a vast area in between. There is always a level of detail at which you can start making and testing your decisions.
“The” Answer. A close cousin to oversimplification is believing there is a single answer for your company’s ills. Despite the variety of management and leadership books on the market touting “the” saving methodologies for corporate America, there is no one answer for everyone. “The Answer” doesn’t exist. It’s a myth borne out of a strong desire to reduce everything to simple, manageable terms, resulting in oversimplification which does more harm than good to companies.
Even those methodologies which don’t specifically tout an oversimplification become one. When you read a management book, glean an idea from it, take it out of context and try to apply it to your situation, you won’t have the same results as you read about in the book. First of all, it is one idea you’ve taken, not the whole concept. Second, the particulars of each company, the abilities of management and employees and resources available are different, resulting in different types of successes and experiences with ideas and concepts.
Breaking Your Habit. Both of these fatal thoughts are habitual. The key to breaking any habit is to interrupt your normal response. So, instead of saying, “It’s simple, just…” ask what solutions have already been tried and why they didn’t work. Follow up with your “simple” thought by asking questions instead of making a statement. For example, “It’s simple, just…” becomes “Have you thought about…?”
Similarly, instead of treating an idea you read in a book or on a blog as “The Answer,” use it as a basis for discussion and ask how you might apply it to your organization. Highlight the similarities of environment, such as people, processes and tools, as well as the differences.
Your company’s solution is the one which works best for you, taking into account your resources, your people and their abilities, your tools and equipment, and your processes. Your success depends upon your fine-tuning these elements to work together efficiently and effectively. And that takes time, work, and thought.
Copyright Annie Bartlett, all rights reserved. International copyright laws apply.
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Last night I listened to the President Obama talk again about certain corporate executive’s sense of entitlement, specifically how they felt entitled to huge bonuses while running their company into the ground and needing taxpapyer dollars to get well.
But big corporate CEOs aren’t the only ones with a sense of entitlement. I see it at every level in companies large and small. Whether you realize it or not, you may harbor similar thoughts of entitlement, although you probably call them assumptions and beliefs. You may have formed these beliefs as early as childhood, before your first job, depending upon how your parents and other adults talked about work.
For example, you may believe if you work hard you’re entitled to a raise and maybe even a bonus every year. But if your company isn’t doing well, can you really expect that? You may think, “Hey it’s not fault management is screwing things up. I did my part, now pay me more!”
And that’s the problem with entitlement thinking. It says somebody else is always the responsible one – not you. In fact, entitlement thinking focuses on rights while ignoring it’s twin partner, responsibilities.
The simple fact of life is: you can’t have rights without responsibilites.
So instead of thinking the world owes you a living, start thinking in terms of responsibilities.
Instead of doing what you’ve always done, ask how you can do it better. It’s your job – you owe it to yourself, your group, your company, and your customers to do it better and better every year.
Instead of thinking you know everything, learn something new. Learn something about the other departments you work with and suddenly you’ll be able to do what you do in a way that makes their lives better. Similarly, if you’re struggling trying to learn a new tool and doing things the hard way, instead of complaining make a point to ask someone who is proficient in the tool how to do it better and quicker. The time and frustration you save will benefit everyone.
Instead of trading labor for money (i.e. I did these tasks so pay me x dollars), ask how you can help your company and its customers get what they want. Focus on helping your company meets its goals and the paychecks and bonuses will take care of themselves.
Then, teach your children well.
Copyright Annie Bartlett, all rights reserved. International copyright laws apply.
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