Efficiency Overload
February 21st, 2012Is there such a thing as too much efficiency? The short answer is “yes,” but let me explain.
The goal of efficiency is to cut out waste and try to do more with less; the end result being that the organization and the individuals in it are more effective (doing the right things – “quality”) by being more efficient (doing things right – “productivity”). In order to achieve this goal, balancing efficiency with available organizational resources is necessary to ensure that the correct amount of efficiency is implemented. It’s really about getting the right balance.
If an organization does not have the precise balance of efficiency in its administrative and operational systems and processes, the resulting ineffectiveness may be worse than if efficiency measures weren’t implemented in the first place. For instance, asking employees to be efficient by measuring everything they do can cause operational paralysis. Not everything can (or should) be reduced to numbers (e.g., how many emails did you answer today? is your inbox at zero by the end of each day?). Instead, quality needs to be built into each task so that efficiency is enabled through the resulting effectiveness. Instead of how many emails did you answer today, the question may be “How many emails did you answer today that needed to be answered today?”
Organizations and employees may disagree on whether there can ever be too much efficiency. The fact is that organizations need to continue to increase efficiencies in order to improve their competitiveness in the marketplace (or in the case of non-profit or government organizations, to improve their service levels). Sometimes this means layoffs and no raises – something that is not favourable to employees. Without competitive advantage, however, organizations disappear and in the process, all (not just some) of their employees lose their jobs. This is why it is important that the right balance of efficiency and effectiveness be implemented in all administrative and operational tasks.
While efficiency may be easy to implement in an industrial or mechanical operation, effectiveness is more important than efficiency for knowledge workers. Each individual needs to become as efficient as possible using good time and process management principles. Applying efficiency techniques to tasks such as managing one’s inbox, email, telephone calls, interruptions, etc., in a way that produces appropriate and quality results will enable knowledge workers to become more efficient and effective.
Implementing efficiency measures from the bottom up will ensure that each individual applies the appropriate balance for the type of work they are doing. This approach may help reduce the organization’s zeal to implement “mass” efficiency measures that may not be appropriate to every employee.
Putting People Back into the Quality Process
February 14th, 2012When we focus on business improvement, the easy part is fixing holes in systems and processes to gain quality and efficiency. But the key to making those fixes stick is the people. Enter: positive psychology.
Positive psychology is a psychological theory that looks at the positive side of human behaviour. Where psychopathology categorizes undesirable behaviour, positive psychology builds on character strengths to help optimize organizational productivity. Positive psychology is especially well suited for use within culturally diverse workforces. Here’s how it works in an organizational setting.
- Goals - when a problem is identified, instead of blaming workers for poor performance, invite the workers to embrace the opportunity to participate in creating a new set of objectives and goals to solve the problem. In doing so, the workers improve their skills. For example, instead of pointing out that the workers’ ”inefficiencies and lack of productivity are inhibiting workflow,” the leader says, “Let’s make records management a priority and skill for improvement.”
- Feedback – once the problem is identified and the worker is invited to participate in problem solving, the leader needs to provide specific and immediate feedback about the problem. Following from our example above, “inefficiencies in filing methodology are costing the organization $1 million in lost productivity annually” offers a measurable and definable goal for workers using positive psychology. Providing a measure in these terms ensures that workers really hear the message (criticism for poor work, on the other hand, may breed hostility and more inefficiencies).
- Challenge – now that the workers understand why it is important to fix the problem (e.g., loss of $1 million due to inefficiencies), challenge the workers to discover the root cause of the problem. For this step, leaders need to take care to ensure that the strengths and talents of the workers invited to identify the root cause be matched to the level of the challenge. If the challenge outmatches the workers’ skill, then a heightened level of anxiety can occur which is counterproductive to the task at hand.
- Coaching – when the root cause is identified, invite the workers to brainstorm and pilot a solution to the problem. The leader does this through coaching and mentoring the workers. Coaching and mentoring are goal-oriented and collaborative processes that encourage building on strengths to implement solutions. Building on strengths can help enhance performance. In our workflow inefficiencies example, the brainstorm solutions provided should focus on the workers’ primary character strengths to increase their self-esteem and participation in solution implementation.
- Rewards – in order to ensure that the solutions devised are consistently and reliably implemented, rewards are essential. Rewards should include rituals that the workers develop to help them reduce their anxiety over the new performance levels. For example, teaching the workers to use enthused and compelling self-statements ensures continuing good performance. So instead of negative thinking such as “I can’t do this,” the workers’ self-talk includes: “What a great opportunity for me … I can expand my new learning to other areas … there’s a promotion in my future.”
Using positive psychology to include workers in solving organizational problems can help leaders solve vital productivity issues, improve the organization’s existing skills, and ultimately improve the organization’s bottom line over time. In addition, leaders will realize a happier workforce as a result. And who doesn’t want a happy work environment?
Uber Organizing Using the 10-Minute Rule
February 8th, 2012Being organized and being efficient are inextricable. One feeds the other. If you’re not organized, then you’re not efficient. And if you think your disorganization is not a big deal, think again. Not only are you preventing yourself from being as efficient as possible, but you are also preventing your colleagues’ efficiency, since they have to wait on you to complete tasks where your input is important.
The truth is that there is no room for disorganization in any office. Being disorganized eats up time and this means money. On top of this, if your office is disorganized, it can cost your company its credibility. And if you’re a disorganized leader or CEO, then your company really has a problem. However, it’s never too late to develop good habits. Try the 10-Minute Rule to get uber organized. Here’s how it works.
At the end of each day, take 10 minutes to clear clutter from only 10 percent of your office. For simplicity sake, let’s say your office is about 100 square feet, then you tackle only 10 square feet at a time. In ten days, you’ve decluttered and made your work space efficient. To help you on your way, check out Getting Organized for more useful tips.
WII-FM
January 23rd, 2012Ever try to get someone to volunteer to help you out with a project? Or what about getting employees to work collaboratively on a new organization-wide project? Were you successful in recruiting your volunteers or employees? If you were, then you most likely tuned into their ”WII-FM” (“what’s in it for me”) station.
I find that people (and organizations) sometimes take for granted that others will simply jump onboard to assist with a cause or a project just because they are asked to do so. If this were the case, it would certainly make it easier for those of us who ask, but you probably know how difficult this can be. In order to recruit individuals (paid or unpaid) for anything, it is always easier if you know their WII-FM.
To give you an example, I recently worked on a project with a team of intelligent managers who were assigned to the project by their employer. Initially, the team was excited to be there, but trepidation soon set in. What they thought they were getting by participating in the project was not what they expected. For one, more work and responsibility was added to their already overburdened schedules and they were being told that they would be taking on a role after the project for which most of them felt unqualified and ultimately afraid of failure So as the project progressed, the team members turned over frequently. Why? Because the original team’s needs were not met – not by a long shot! Their bosses were out of touch with their WII-FM needs.
As a leader in your organization, you know that in order to recruit employees (and volunteers) for projects or events, you need to inspire them and build cohesion among them such that they will want to be on your team. You need to sell the experience, not the product (after all, how exciting is it to work on a records management program? really?). It’s the experience of working together with a dynamic group of individuals and being given the power to make decisions about the organization’s future that will inspire your employees. That’s what you need to sell! No one will jump at the chance to work on the “records management program,” but most will jump at an opportunity to be involved in decision-making.
One of the best ways that I know how to tune into employees’ WII-FM is for leaders to treat their employees as their peers. When you treat your employees as your peers, using empathy to recognize and understand their point of view, you will inspire your employees to produce great outcomes for your organization. It’s leaders and employees working shoulder-to-shoulder that make the organization efficient, productive and profitable. If you’re not shoulder-to-shoulder, it’s time to get up from behind the executive desk and walk the shop floor. That’s the best way to hear your employees’ WII-FM station.
Communicating for Results
January 14th, 2012Here’s a true story. It happened via e-mail (e-mail contents modified to protect the innocent).
Consultant: Hello, Simon, As you may be aware, I am the consultant working on developing your company’s Information Security Policy. I was given your name by John Smith who said that you would be able to answer my questions in relation to your company’s strategy as it pertains to information security. I am available almost anytime next week except not between 9 and noon on Monday and not on Wednesday. I need one hour of your time, please. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Client: Sure I can meet with you, but what is this about? I don’t know if I would be the best person to talk to about this. Would you be able to meet with someone else?
Consultant: If you feel that I should be speaking with someone else, then I can certainly do that. Who should I contact?
Client: It turns out that you do need to talk to me. I thought this was about some other topic.
Consultant: When would you be able to meet with me, please? As I mentioned, my schedule is fairly flexible for next week except I am not available between 9 and noon on Monday and not on Wednesday.
Client: How about at 10:00am on Monday?
Consultant: Unfortunately, as I indicated in my original email, I am not available on Monday at the time specified. Would the afternoon work for you? Say at 1:00pm?
Client: Oh, okay. I missed that. Sure Monday at 1:00pm works for me.
Consultant: Thank you. I’ll send a meeting invite, shortly, so that we’ve both got a placeholder in our calendars. See you on Monday.
Communication such as the above happens all too frequently. It causes not only delay in action, but frustration and even anger at the target. And in the above case, it took four e-mail transactions to have the original question answered and because the consultant and client have not yet met, when they finally do meet, the consultant may already have formed a preconceived image of a client who is very inefficient. This is not a good way to start a meeting.
So what do your communications say about you?
Here are nine ways to ensure you engage in effective communication and maintain a professional image at all times.
- Before responding to a message, first read or listen (as the case may be) to the full message. Don’t just skim over key words and assume you understand the full meaning of the message (see the above example for what happens when the full message is not read initially). You will save time and frustration not only for yourself, but also for the originator of the message.
- Communicate on time and within a reasonable time. Emails and voice messages must be answered within 24 hours (or less). No exceptions. Claims of being too busy just don’t cut it. If you’re too busy to respond to business messages within 24 hours, then you’re either in the wrong job or are performing your job very inefficiently. Or both.
- When texting, be sure to keep texts brief and to the point, but also be courteous and respond promptly. Text messages are meant for immediacy and expediency. They should be treated that way.
- When using blog posts or team wikis to communicate instead of other methods such as e-mail, in person meetings, or video conferencing, make sure that those with whom you are communicating are aware that you are using these modalities, so they don’t contact you via other methods and wait for a response.
- When leaving a message, whether it’s via e-mail, voice, text, etc., always leave your full contact information where the person can reach you. This means leaving your name and telephone number at a minimum. E-mail messages should contain a full signature block that includes your title, organization name, organization address and telephone number, and organization website.
- If you’re listening to someone in person, be an active listener. This means really listening to the speaker by minimizing internal and external distractions, facing the speaker, and asking questions to clarify for meaning (this is especially important if you are being asked to do something). Research shows that we can hear four times faster than we can talk, so we have an ability to sort ideas and understand for full meaning before responding.
- Pay attention to body language. Nonverbal cues can give you more information about the delivered message. And when you watch for nonverbal cues, remember that others are also watching you. What is your body language saying about you or your message?
- Practice emotional awareness while communicating. The ability to manage all of your feelings appropriately during communication is the basis for effective communication.
- Still using carrier pigeons to deliver your messages? It’s time to retire.