Month: December 2009

In any job,
there is unlimited work.
If you run out of work,
it is because
you aren’t improving processes
(and there is always room for process improvements).

If you have too many tasks,
not enough time,
have a sit down with your manager.
Part of a manager’s job
is to set priorities for their staff.
Use your manager for this.

Before you have that meeting,
list what you’re currently doing
and the time each task takes.
Make another list of what you or your manager
wants to add to your job.
Estimate the time required.

Have your manager rank
the tasks on your lists
and then draw a line under
a regular working day.
Anything under that line
doesn’t get done.
(Overtime is for emergencies
– it shouldn’t be part of your ‘regular’ day.)

This does a few things.
It shows your manager
how much you do every day
(she will probably take a copy
of that task list
and show other managers).
Your manager feels happy
because she’s ‘managing’.
Anything not getting done
is now not getting done
with her blessing.

Use your manager to help set priorities.

Currently I’m working a bridge position.
The last employee left.
The position was vacant for a month.
I was brought in for year end.
Eventually another employee will be hired.

There is always a temptation
to improve processes and procedures
while in a bridge position.

Resist that temptation.

There are usually other employees
who are familiar with
what the previous person did.
(My current contract is the exception)

If you change things,
no one except for yourself
can help the new person out
and
you’ll be gone.
If the new person doesn’t grasp everything
in that week (or day or hour or…)
of training,
she’ll be on her own.

Suggest improvements to the new hire.
Document current processes and procedures.
Put together a training manual.
Clean up old messes.
Those are some ways to add value.

I charge per hour
with my current business gig.
Last night,
around 9 pm,
I heard some managers discuss workload.
They decided to delegate something to me
because I get compensated
for every additional hour I work.
I should be ‘grateful.’

Ahhh…. NO.

Money is infinite.
Time is not.

My hourly rate is a number.
It doesn’t represent
the worth of that hour
because I can’t buy more time.

Please don’t waste other people’s time,
no matter how much they charge.

Last night, around 9pm,
after everyone on the team
had worked 12 hours plus
for the fifth day in a row,
the sh** started hitting the fan.

You see,
when you’re not well rested,
your brain usually shuts off
non-essential thinking.

One piece of thinking
is the ‘should I really say this?’ filter.
Exhausted co-workers are often
brutally honest co-workers.

Except that while this thinking
isn’t needed for physical survival,
it IS necessary for corporate survival.

Last night,
relationships were damaged.
These relationships may never be repaired.

If you’re tired,
it is best to
keep to yourself
and keep your mouth shut.

The manager I am currently reporting to
has 15 direct reports.

She can’t manage.

There is always a line up
outside her door
(wasting everyone’s time).
She spends her day firefighting
and has no time to plan or train.
Her department is treading water.

TimeBack blog states that traditionally
7 to 10 direct reports are optimal.

Flat organizations are a wonderful notion
but aren’t that practical.
Don’t overburden your managers.
If you manage too many employees currently,
consider building in a layer,
having your junior employees
be managed or mentored by more senior employees.