FOUR MORE HABITS FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGERS

HABIT 7: The 20/80 principle, 20% of our staff will produce 80% of our results... we should try to avoid the natural tendency to spend the bulk of our time ‘fixing’ our poor producers. Time is better spent supporting the top producers, who, because of their competence, are often left to their own devices (and can then feel unnoticed and unappreciated).

HABIT 8: View traditional company procedures as ‘a guide for the wise and as rules for fools’ In the current complex and fluid climate being flexible and adaptable, rather than rigidly following 'the system', means we may well benefit if we are prepared to modify ‘the rules’ and take a different course to the norm, (easily said but hard to do).

HABIT 9: When delegating agree (rather than set) deadlines… if we don’t agree a deadline we run the risk of getting a, ‘I haven’t had time yet’. By agreeing a deadline the other party has to be up front about their current workload and will have little or no excuse for not performing the task allotted.

HABIT 10: Check progress... confirm progress on tasks delegated to staff or assigned to colleagues. A good formula is to seek a report at ‘half time’ and in the ‘final quarter’.

HMMM… NOW WHERE DID I LEAVE THAT COMPANY PROCEDURES MANUAL…

Worth a thought, some practice and immediate adoption!

www.orglearn.org has a great interactive resume form

OH NO… NOT ANOTHER STUPID MEETING

Before we call a meeting we should ask the following questions…

Can we achieve the desired result with a ring around or with just two people face to face? Is this meeting really just ‘disguised working’ or a ‘social event’? How long has it been since anyone asked why we have this meeting, has it become a ritual? Are the decision makers attending or are substitutes sitting in? Do the loudest always win? Is that idiot with the mobile phone going to be there? Has this meeting become a forum for show offs and politicians? Is there an agenda and are minutes distributed? Do we make decisions and did anything happen as a result of the last meeting?

And remember…

If one person is late and keeps six other highly paid executives waiting ten minutes… one hour of productive (and expensive) time is lost.

And also remember…

Most managers think [if not say] that they spend too much time in unproductive time wasting… stupid bloody meetings… pardon my profanity.

ARE ALL THE MEETINGS IN YOUR DIARY… R-E-A-L-L-Y… NECESSARY…?

Worth a thought or a meeting perhaps!

www.orglearn.org has a major article on management