 |
Time-Wasting Problems - One Question to Move You Forward
In any organisation, progress is frequently impaired by the time taken up to
resolve problems that occur again and again - usually with people's performance
(or not!). At a macro level, there could just seem to be 'lots of problems',
which is a symptom in itself. On a micro level, managers are often frustrated
by the amount of time they spend fire-fighting, whilst the more creative work of
planning, developing people, marketing and more are left way behind.
There just
isn't time.
Build onto that the lack of fairness, that having to regularly
resolve problems posed by just a few demanding people in the team, can leave
many others, including the manager himself, very de-motivated. Then your best
people start to leave...
People issues can easily be resolved, with focus and tenacity. A recent client
of mine found, when asked, 'Which 20 issues in your business, take up most of
your time?', that 6 of the 20 were just one person. This is hugely demanding,
both mentally as well as emotionally. And no wonder he was under pressure and
feeling stressed. Actually, on calculation, just over 15% of his work time was
being spent with shoring up the performance of just one person. So asking yourself:-
'What wastes my time?'
...can be a very revealing exercise - if
you are prepared to dig deep and be very honest, or work with a coach. Then,
focusing on the action that must be taken, or you will personally suffer more
and longer yourself, sharply brings the challenge into perspective. Tackling
the issue in a progressive and controlled way, but with a relatively short
time-frame, will free up your time for the real work to be done. And that will
be much more satisfying - and a lot less stressful. And then there will be the reward of utilising the freed up time towards really
accelerating your businesses' performance.
Have fun with this - is is most illuminating, once you get real with yourself... Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide,
mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He
has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com
(Note to editors. This article may be edited for use in your publication or
newsletter as long as a live link to the website is included)
...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...
|
More resources:
|
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Your Organization Is Only as Good as Your People
Let's begin by singing the jingle from an old US Army commercial. Ready? Sing! "Be all that you can be, in the Aaaaarmy.
Survival of the Fittest: The Road to Human Extinction
I was watching a TV program some months ago about a biologist working in Central America who was dedicated to protecting the panther species from extinction. During the program I heard him make a comment that upon reflection I found had embedded in it seeds of wisdom that not even he was aware of.
The Role of the Machine Metaphor in Mixed-initiative Organizational Leadership
"Can This Marriage be Saved?" So reads the title of the cover story in the August 15, 2005 issue of BusinessWeek (www.businessweek.
Climb out of the Box - How to Hold Effective Meetings
Out of the box thinking is a popular fad today. And yet, in order to leave a box, you
have to realize that you are in one.
Burger on a Bun Decision Making
When approaching any decision, it's important for individuals to maintain the healthy state of openness called for by WYSINWYG (what you see is never what you get). Remember that there is always more going on than simply meets the eye.
Loyalty, Motivation And Work-Life Balance
Managers who aren't loyal to their people can't expect loyalty in return. Companies that complain about employee loyalty have usually done nothing to earn loyalty, often routinely lying to employees, demanding sacrifices that are never rewarded, shunting them aside and casting them off in the name of good business.
A Renewed View of the Modern Business Culture
Life can sometimes be unexciting if not refreshed by the will to create according to one's own conscience and freedom. Often, the power of passion fuses into unexciting or appealing activities.
Outsourcing Problem Analysis
As an HR professional, you have responsibilities in several broad areas that have a significant impact on your company's bottom line, directly contributing to the corporate return on investment. The outsourcing choices you make are critical decision points that affect both your employer and the HR community at large.
3 Simple Things the Best Managers Do - And You Can Too!
If it's so simple, why don't managers all over the globe get this right, every
time? Well, because it's so simple, it seems too easy, so busy managers squeeze
a lot more in, time after time. And that makes things much more complex - just
the way a manager should be.
Behavioral Extensions and Its Implications at Workplaces
The study of Behavioral extension involves investigating the source of an actual demonstrated behavioral action. According to Behavioral Extension belief, no action can be seen as a disconnected expression.
Importance of Just-In-Time Inventory System
In today's competitive world shorter product life cycles, customers rapid demands and quickly changing business environment is putting lot of pressures on manufacturers for quicker response and shorter cycle times. Now the manufacturers put pressures on their suppliers.
Are You in Control of Your Practice or Does it Control You?
One of the most common complaints that business owners have today is that they feel their practice is running them and that they're being pulled in every direction instead of really running the business themselves.Well, I'd like to tell you, when I was in practice I experienced the same thing.
Are You Managing to Lead?
For many people, the terms "manager" and "leader" are synonymous. In the business world, they are often used interchangeably, i.
Effective Meetings - Quick Survey
Here's an easy quiz to check the health of your meetings.1) Who leads your meetings? a) No one, b) Everyone, c) A facilitator2) What happens to the ideas in your meetings? a) If we had to think of ideas, it
would be work, b) We make fun of them, c) A scribe writes them on a chart pad3) Are results obtained in your meetings? a) We eat all the donuts, b) And we drink
all of the coffee, c) Yes!4) Do your meetings have an agenda? a) Is that some kind of cabinet?, b) I saw one
once in an article, c) Yes!5) Who attends your meetings? a) We have bleachers to hold the spectators, b) The
entire staff plus any homeless people in the neighborhood, c) Only those who can
contribute6) How long are your meetings? a) I'll let you know when this one ends, b) All day,
c) An hour or less7) During a meeting do you: a) Break a foam cup into bits, b) Prepare for the next
meeting, c) Focus on the topic8) How soon after the meeting do you issue minutes? a) If you think I want to
publicize how much time we wasted, you're nuts, b) Within a few months or so, c)
As soon as possible, if not faster9) While someone is speaking, do you: a) Wonder about the strength of plastic
foams, b) Plan a way to change the subject, c) Listen empathetically10) What structured activities do you use in your meetings? a) We sit on chairs, b)
Everyone leaves at the same time, c) Process tools designed to gather information,
make decisions, and manage participation.
Managing Workplace Conflicts
Kinds of Workplace ConflictsLet's start by identifying where conflicts happen. Think about the kinds of conflicts that happen around your workplace.
Interviewing Candidates: 3 Ways to Avoid Snap Judgments
Have you ever hired the wrong person? If so, perhaps you are an emotional interviewer?An emotional interviewer tends to make judgments on first impressions. In a matter of minutes, an emotional interviewer may decide if someone is competent or not.
Give Yourself a Boss' Day Gift
Become a better boss and reap the benefitsAnother interesting study was done. One that should really catch our attention.
The Leaders Fallacy May Be Howard Deans Undoing
Howard Dean's tenure as chairman of the Democratic National Committee will be fleeting unless he avoids a common leadership trap I call it, the "Leader's Fallacy".Leaders adhere to the Leader's Fallacy when they believe their enthusiasm for a particular leadership challenge is automatically reciprocated by the people they lead.
ISO 9001 Registration - 8 Steps for Success
You've made the plans, built the quality system and conducted the audit. So how do you register your company as ISO 9001 conformant? And how can you be sure you're getting the most value for your investment? Here's how the process works.
Running Successful Meetings - The Key Steps To Getting It Right
We all complain about meetings which are a waste of our time and the truth of the matter is that so many are exactly that. We've also seen the "corridor" meeting that takes place afterwards where it seems the real decisions are taken, or the agreed decisions are overturned.
|
Info-Zone.eu » Management
