IMPROVE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS
INTRODUCTION
You either run your own business, or are a senior manager in
a larger organisation. You have two over-riding tasks: you
are responsible for translating thoughts into deeds, and raw
materials into finished product. You also have to balance
the short- and long-term needs of the enterprise: to keep
one eye on the next step and the other on the horizon. Not
easy.
The everyday jobs are well known and include planning,
organising, co-ordinating and controlling. As well, you
have responsibilities to motivate, communicate etc. These
tasks and responsibilities can be well carried out - or not.
The organisation or business - and especially you - depends
for its survival on them being done effectively. With the
trend away from mass unskilled labour, to smaller, highly
trained teams, the lack of brawn has to be outweighed by
extra brains somewhere. That somewhere is you.
There are libraries full of textbooks which will explain
these tasks and responsibilities to you far better than I
can. So rather than repeat these, this book plans to take
an attitude approach. That is, rather than list all the
essential actions you need to take - an impossible task
since each organisation is so different, I would not be able
to cover everything anyway - I will concentrate on your
attitude or frame of mind. And it will highlight key areas
where positive thinking will pay dividends:
- managing time
- assessing your contribution
- building on your strengths
- developing your concentration
- making effective decisions
MANAGING time
The elusive Resource
time can't be stored or recalled; it is finite and always in
short supply. There is never enough time to tackle even the
important jobs, so it makes no sense to waste this precious
commodity on non-essential activities. Most people,
however, have a very poor idea of where their time goes.
Memory is notoriously unreliable where time is concerned and
attempts to recall from memory how you spent your day will
always lead to misleading results.
This need not be the case. Some people regularly conduct an
audit of their time to make sure they are not wasting any.
The process can be made mechanical to ease the pain, and if
it is done regularly - and the results acted upon - it will
lead to a remarkable improvement in performance. Because
you will be spending more of your precious time on the tasks
that matter.
Recording
Rather than sitting in your favorite armchair trying to
recall the events of the day, you should record the day as
it happens. An example of a Daily Log Form is shown below
(and a full page example has been included for you to
photocopy). To get a comprehensive picture, the logging
needs to be done over a long period - to smooth out any
cyclic patterns. In reality, of course, this would be
impossible. Nevertheless, you should aim to record each day
of the week. This can be spread out over several weeks to
ease the burden. For example:
week 1 - Monday & Friday
week 2 - Tuesday & Thursday
week 3 - Wednesday
It is important to record the events as they occur, and in
enough detail that the day can be analysed later. Again
from a practical point of view, you will probably agree that
trying to record at less than 5 minute intervals is
unworkable. If possible, try and get someone to help you.
Once you have completed the recording, the results need to
be analysed.
Analysis
There are two ways of analysing your data:
- Function
- Questions
Function
Firstly, you could review the day and put the events into
various categories: selling, telephone, report writing,
meetings, etc. You will be surprised at how much of your
time is NOT devoted to your main job.
Questions
It is important to pose three questions about each event:
"What would happen if this was not done?"
If the answer is "Nothing", then the remedy is clear. If
not doing the particular event would have no effect on your
business, then don't bother to do it. However, most of the
events will have some value, so you next need to ask: "Could
someone else do this better?"
Delegation is not the lazy man's way out. It is important
to have tasks done by the most appropriate person. Perhaps
the guy in the next desk has better information; or the new
graduate may be able to use more efficient techniques. If
the answer is "Yes", then you are freed to concentrate on
the tasks for which you are best qualified - and this again
leads to an improvement in effectiveness. But if the job is
important, and cannot be done by anyone else, then ask
yourself: "Does it waste anyone else's time?"
This is the most difficult question to answer, since most
people over-rate their own importance. The prime example
is, of course, the meeting. Most of these are badly run,
last for hours because everyone feels they have to
contribute, and rarely accomplishes anything which could not
have been settled by a simple phone call. Prune your
meetings to a minimum; hold them infrequently and restrict
the numbers present to a handful. Otherwise you will be
wasting everyone's time.
Time Wasters
Further study of your Time Log will reveal those recurrent
problems, which waste so much time. Wouldn't it be better
to take a day to really study the problem at its cause, and
solve it - rather than waste hours each week or month
mopping up the problem's effects.
Finally, if you are in a larger organisation, you may find
that some activities are duplicated by someone else, or are
carried out because the information you need is not
available in the appropriate format.
Consolidation
After pruning those jobs which don't need doing at all,
re-allocating other, you should have 'created' some time for
real work. You would be far better to organise this time
into larger bites - rather than nibbles. Spending 15
minutes a day for two weeks on the marketing campaign will
produce nothing more than a few doodles; the same overall
amount of time in an uninterrupted sketch may well produce
the first draft. Or at least a 'draft' draft.
Case Study 1
Company X was in electronics, supplying equipment to
customers on order. Prior to the contract a systems
engineer would study the customer's specification and would
compile a list of all the equipment needed to satisfy the
proposal. This list included identities, quantities, etc,
and they were written by hand on a form called a Price Build
Up Sheet (PBUS). The form was then processed by the
Commercial Department. Parts of it (dealing with items
bought from other suppliers) went to the Purchasing
Department, whilst details of home-manufactured equipment
went to the Works Estimators. In both cases, the Commercial
Department re-writes the information on to new forms. When
the cost figures have been agreed and returned to the
Commercial Department, the prices have to be transcribed
back onto the PBUS. Once the contract has been awarded, the
same systems engineer has to produce the definitive article
- the Procurement Schedule - and this again is compiled by
hand from the ground up. When this is received by the
contract office, they have to transcribe the Information
again onto two new forms: one for Purchasing, and one for
The Works.
In this painful process, the information has had to be
produced on numerous occasions with an enormous labour bill
which could have been saved. Moreover, think of all the
opportunities for simple transcribing or typing errors.
Two simple devices seem to present a solution: the use of a
database of the information, which could be sifted and
sorted for specific contracts. Secondly, a short time spent
on form design may lead to a single format which could
satisfy all the participants.
ASSESSING YOUR CONTRIBUTION
You
This may be a change of attitude, but I am suggesting you do
not worry about how busy you are, or how much work you have,
what techniques to use or how many people work for you.
Concentrate on results, and ask yourself: "What can I
contribute?"
If the question is followed through, the answers will
identify present shortcomings and suggest ways of tackling
the essential progress you need to make. The process will
set new standards of excellence. A useful sub-question is:
"What can I do - that no-one else can?" Knowing your
strengths is as important as knowing your weaknesses (as we
shall see later) and if you have specialised knowledge or
skills which are under-used then blow that horn!
The team
Team-work is vital in any enterprise, and in this group we
are offering a new slant on the boss/work situation. Any
group of individuals will be more effective if they work
together; but the extra performance only comes from
commitment. All of us have been in the situation where the
boss hands out tasks and techniques in 'tablets of stone';
it is not pleasant, we get bitter and our performance is
nowhere near maximum potential. Far better to say to your
colleagues: "This is what the Company has to do this year.
What can you contribute?"
We are talking participation and commitment - not mere
involvement. The distinction is important. For example, if
you were having pork for dinner, all the family could
participate in the meal. The pig, however, is involved!
The answer you get is not as important as the fact that you
get an answer: communications links have been opened. You
cannot impose communication from the top, true teamwork can
only come if those who work with you really feel committed
to the same end result. The man or woman who gives you the
answer has indicated that they are prepared to contribute to
the team, and they then become an important resource - and
not a drain on funds.
Setting objectives
Having assessed your team and the contribution it can make
at present, the setting of realistic objectives becomes much
easier. You no longer have to impose these, since you have
opened up a dialogue. You can discuss team and individual
objectives and agree on them. Some people think that this
is fudging the issue, that your subordinates will take
advantage of this and set deliberately low, easily
obtainable objectives. This is a pretty poor view of human
nature, and has also been proved to be false. If they are
encouraged to participate and contribute, the vast majority
Of people will set high, realistic goals for themselves -
and their team.
Once these have been agreed, it becomes much easier to
recognise the important elements of work and to spot these
vital signals above the background noise of effort, hours,
tools and techniques. Meetings, reviews and reports can be
more easily directed leading again to more effective use of
your time.
BUILDING ON STRENGTHS
Picking the Team
At first glance "Building on Strengths" seems to be one of
those obvious statements you find in "recipes for success".
However, I am using it as a positive side of the deliberate
disregard of irrelevant weaknesses. In other words, choose
your people with the strengths you need and don't debar
someone because of a minor flaw. Choosing the 'well
rounded' individual may lead to a team of mediocrities.
Assessing the Job
The first step, of course, is to decide what jobs need to be
done. This should give a general picture - if you get too
specific at this stage, you may not be able to fill the
posts! As your business develops, the jobs within it should
change too, so it is good practice to review all the job
regularly and to check their objectives. This should lead
to the development of some jobs and possibly a shift in
emphasis in others. Don't let your people get into a rut.
Their jobs should be big and demanding, otherwise the people
will become stunted and frustrated.
Assessing the Person
Quite a few of the text-books referred to in this book have
sections on appraisal schemes. Speaking personally, I have
never found a scheme which actually works - outside the
armed forces. The problem is that appraisal schemes focus
on weaknesses and their eradication. Consequently, most
people duck the issue, because it is too painful. I think
it is impossible to conduct such a scheme and still retain a
viable working relationship after one of the parties has had
'his palms read'. In the armed forces, the problem is dealt
with by discipline, but most civilian enterprises need
something different.
So rather than pointing out weaknesses, you should
'accentuate the positive': "What has he/she done?"; "What
can he/she do?" and "What skills does he/she need to develop
to their full potential?" These questions can be asked in
the framework of the person's objectives which you have both
agreed upon: "How much of the task has been achieved?" and
"What can I do to help them complete it - or to develop
further?"
Suffer The Weaknesses
People do have weaknesses, but provided they are not
critical ones of character or integrity, they should be
suffered, in return for above average performance. We are
not condoning poor performance and indeed, you should not
tolerate someone who persistently fails to perform to
potential. It isn't fair to anyone: the individual, the
team or you. In this situation, ask yourself those
questions again. You may discover that the reason that Joe
cannot cope with this task is that you haven't given him
adequate training, or that he would be better suited doing
another - equally important - job.
The emphasis of all the foregoing has been on attitude. We
are not trotting out a bag of tricks for you to play with.
Don't play at it: believe sincerely in this participative
approach and you will be amazed at the improvement in your
overall effectiveness. People don't want a hum drum, boring
job: given the opportunity of a REAL job, they will jump at
it and improve their own performance out of all recognition.
DEVELOPING YOUR CONCENTRATION
One Thing at a Time
Not many people can complete several things at the same
time. You may have several tasks on your plate, but it is
foolish to try and deal with them all at once: first things
first, and one thing at a time. You now know all about time
analysis and this should have weeded out the non-essentials,
so all the remaining tasks will have some importance. The
trick now is to decide on their order of priority. You
cannot make hard and fast rules, because situations change
priorities, but each set of tasks should be 'ordered'. This
list will change as tasks are completed, and new ones
assumed. You may find that some tasks stay on your list for
a long time, never important enough to rise to the top. At
this stage you would be justified in dropping them since,
presumably, you have suffered no hardship by leaving them
incomplete: they were obviously not as important as you
thought.
Challenge the Past
We have all suffered from having the irritating task which
seems pointless; nobody knows when it started, nobody knows
what it is for. These failures are easy to deal with. But
you should also be aware that sometimes yesterday's
successes can turn into today's millstone. A particular
task may have been useful six months ago, but the business
situation has since changed and it is no longer valid:
discard it.
MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION
The Essential Task
Whether you are running your own show, or are a senior
manager in another company, making decisions is your
fundamental activity. Business survival depends on correct
decision-making; not the short term solving of problems, but
the ability to see the wood for the trees. These deep
decisions are not made very often, and it is best they are
not made in a hurry.
Tackle the Right Problem
The most difficult stage in decision making is NOT finding
the solution, but in correctly identifying the real problem.
If this is not done thoroughly, then you will end up
treating the symptoms rather than the disease. The whole
situation needs to be analysed, and each problem - major or
minor - identified. From this list, you should concentrate
on those which are causal problems: i.e. those which are at
the root of the trouble, because these are the ones you have
to tackle. If you solve these, then the other problems will
disappear.
Case Study 2
Sales of your Widgits have fallen off in the last month.
After investigation, you find that your Head Salesman, Fred,
has been turning up late. To stop this you fine him every
morning he is late: this will cut down on costs and offset
the loss in revenue. But has it solved the problem? Of
course not. Fred is hardly going to act as the super
salesman now is he? The trouble is, although you think you
have identified the reason for the fall in sales, you have
not found the causal problem: "Why has Fred suddenly started
being late for work?" This is the problem which needs to be
found and solved.
However, you have fallen into the trap of seizing the
obvious, easy problem. Because this little scenario seems
to tie into the drop in sales, you have not investigated any
further. By taking a wider view, you may discover that a
new competitor has entered the market, or that your
competitors are suffering too because there has been a
general drop in demand for the product. Keep your options
open until you have fully researched the situation.
In trying to find the real problems, take a very broad view;
try not to home in on specific facts, but look for patterns
- "Is this unique or is it a variant of the problem we had
last year?"
Setting the Limits
You must define the limits, or conditions of the solution.
They should reflect your overall objectives, and they will
also determine which 'solutions' are acceptable. Completing
this task may lead to finding the 'ideal' solution, which
will satisfy all the limits. Ignore the drawbacks for now -
compromise will come soon enough!
Developing the Alternatives
In these situations there are very few real facts available.
Those items which are produced as well will probably be
biased: in any case, facts are only valid for when they
happened; they are history, and probably applied only to a
different set of circumstances in another place and time.
Seek opinions, and then test these as hypotheses. Whatever
else, you must try and spark disagreement, because only then
will you generate the alternatives you need. No-one ever
made the right decision in a group where everyone agreed!
You need imagination, some really 'off the wall' ideas and
the ability - through other people - of seeing both sides of
all your possible solutions before making your call. Don't
forget that "Do Nothing" is a valid alternative in any
situation.
Effecting the Decision
Like good medicine, a good solution does not taste sweet.
Once you have decided, leave it alone for a few days. Then,
refreshed, review the background, analysis, causal problems,
alternatives and solution. If you are still happy with your
decision, then implement it straight away. We don't just
mean publish a new procedure. If the decision has to be put
into effect by others, you need to motivate them and get
them to adopt the solution too. Be honest, if they do not
wholeheartedly support the change, you may as well not
bother. Your task here is to make sure that all the
necessary skills and resources are made available to the
right people.
Validating the Decision
Even after following the guidelines so far, and by your open
attitude, having earned the support of your colleagues, you
need to check that the decision has been implemented
correctly. Set aside a period and review the situation.
The length of time will vary with the complexity of the
decision - and your operation. And after taking so much
time and trouble, your solution may not turn out to be
suitable. Other problems may have been created, new
information may render it invalid: for any number of
reasons, you may have to reconsider. Do not be afraid to
change your mind - it is not a sign of weakness, but of true
strength to recognise that events have proved you were
wrong.
SUMMARY
You are a vital element of your organisation - be it small
or large, and improving your effectiveness will bring large
rewards. The book has tried to concentrate on developing an
attitude, rather than setting you up with a new bag of
techniques.
Particularly if you work with other people, techniques only
go so far. They cannot help you to win others' support, or
to develop true team spirit. People can see through shallow
gestures and techniques and you will lose them - maybe
forever. Having the right attitude - and sincerely
believing in it - can go a long way to improving the
effectiveness of yourself, your team, and your organisation.
