Productivity Management 555 for Today
Productivity Management 555 for Today
A. Flow chart for a process, or system, or project
Visually sketch out the system components; on large pads (better because you can keep them) or whiteboard draw what happens and when, sequence of events, prerequisites before a task. Initially use charts to analyze the overall scheme of things, then to consider if each action is necessary in the first place. Then list the components of each action, set the correct sequence, and set a completion date, perhaps with intermediate milestones.
B. Linear responsibility
Prevent things from falling through the crack with no one responsible, or two people each thinking they have a responsibility. For major functions and tasks, make clear who is to: do the job; approve in progress and completed work; be consulted beforehand always; be consulted for special purposes; be advised of in progress and completed work; receive the completed task for the next step.
C. Project management
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A written plan, well communicated, will assure that all concerned have the same expectations for content, responsibility, and timing.
Use the earlier information in A and B to create a comprehensive project plan, action, responsibility, timing. Build in a projection of the costs, on your books and outsourced work. At this point you can stop at a summary level, but you should see that the people who work for you complete a more detailed plan for their tasks. That way you are not micromanaging but you are monitoring the big picture.
A plan is step one. Follow up the plan by asking for regular reports of activity, cost and timing; in other words performance compared to the plan. Follow up with participants individually and occasionally as a group, sometimes with the boss.
D. Critical Path Method, CPM
CPM is a subset of project planning. When you have a comprehensive plan, eyeball it for potentially troublesome steps that will affect or control the timing. They may be any of several categories; long in calendar or labor days, technology intensive in your or someone else’s shop; dependent on a boss’s travel schedule; a sequence of events that must be consecutively and closely scheduled.
After you have the overall plan, highlight the critical path within the framework starting at today and monitor it especially.
Conversely, many tasks can be done in parallel; they still take the same workdays but may not affect the calendar. Avoid putting these off until they become the critical path.
E. ABC, Pareto, 80 / 20.
Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian nobleman a century ago who first quantified that in Italy a few people had most of the money. Everybody knows that, he quantified it. 15 to 20% have 80% of the money. It turns out that the ratio is more or less universal, not only with cash but also inventory, or which 20 % of the items have 80% of the value; of work elements in which 20% take up 80% of the time.
If you don’t watch out, you will spend your time on the very large number of items, which don’t contribute much value. Go out of your way to label the important things as A items, and spend most of your and your people’s time on them. You have already thought of “For want of a nail a … kingdom was lost” although the writer was not in your century. A nail is a C item and a kingdom is an A item. Nevertheless.
Now, since even the smallest article may keep you from going to press, you have to identify the A items by value rather than cost alone. Value may include cost, or position on the critical path, or client relationships, or satisfying management.
F. Constraints management
Constantly be on the lookout for constraints, which will if not managed retard output or schedule attainment. Very often the constraint is on the critical path. Typically a constraint will occur where all work has to funnel through one point; a person, or machine, or function. Solve it by buying / hiring / adding another one, or by keeping the constraint loaded 24 / 7, or by doing the job another way. The constraint may not be under your control, e. g. in Australia. Try to manage the constraint from afar, or accept it as a given.
G. Short interval scheduling is self-explanatory. Give out one job, agree with the person when it will be done (usually a few hours), have the person give it back to you on time, when you assign the next job. This level of control may look like micromanagement, but it will improve productivity and throughput. Both boss and worker get positive reinforcement from each task completed, and both will be sure that each task is correctly done as a solid base for the next step.
H. Visual controls and communication
I encourage visual communication, especially on subjects such as Flow Chart and Project Management. Visuals really support a common understanding.
I. Motivation and leadership
Maslow and Hertzberg, in my opinion the industrial psychologists who got it right. See
“Hierarchy of needs” and “One More Time, How do you Motivate Employees” respectively. Their ideas are not mutually exclusive.
J. Words of wisdom
1. “Unacceptable”. Learn this word and think of Dick Love who taught it to me. Use it wisely and sparingly but let people know you will use it. It is most often applicable to concepts, dates and commitments people may offer.
2. Don’t surprise the boss in public with problems. You will be surprised yourself sometimes, and you have to pass the information on to him; do so quickly. The key question is how much time you personally get to fix the problem before you tell him. That depends on him, and you, and the enormity of the problem.
Be sure to understand the problem and its cost and schedule ramifications; when you learn this the solution may be obvious. Fix it or tell the boss that the problem exists and this is how you will repair the damage, and when. If there is a factor that only he can provide, be sure to ask him at the time.
3. Monkeys and backs. When another person walks in they often have a monkey on their back and are trying to place it on your back. Recognize the situation; you may want to accept the transfer of responsibility or not. Either way make sure you both understand who has the monkey at the end of the conversation.
Jack Greene, Jackson Productivity Research Inc.
Productivity Management 555 for Today - To learn more about this author, visit Jack Greene's Website.
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This advice was written for my son as he entered his first management job, as a managing editor of an e-zine. Shortly it went under in the dot com bust, but the content still is sound.
A. Flow chart for a process, or system, or project
Visually sketch out the system components; on large pads (better because you can keep them) or whiteboard draw what happens and when, sequence of events, prerequisites before a task. Initially use charts to analyze the overall scheme of things, then to consider if each action is necessary in the first place. Then list the components of each action, set the correct sequence, and set a completion date, perhaps with intermediate milestones.
B. Linear responsibility
Prevent things from falling through the crack with no one responsible, or two people each thinking they have a responsibility. For major functions and tasks, make clear who is to: do the job; approve in progress and completed work; be consulted beforehand always; be consulted for special purposes; be advised of in progress and completed work; receive the completed task for the next step.
C. Project management
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A written plan, well communicated, will assure that all concerned have the same expectations for content, responsibility, and timing.
Use the earlier information in A and B to create a comprehensive project plan, action, responsibility, timing. Build in a projection of the costs, on your books and outsourced work. At this point you can stop at a summary level, but you should see that the people who work for you complete a more detailed plan for their tasks. That way you are not micromanaging but you are monitoring the big picture.
A plan is step one. Follow up the plan by asking for regular reports of activity, cost and timing; in other words performance compared to the plan. Follow up with participants individually and occasionally as a group, sometimes with the boss.
D. Critical Path Method, CPM
CPM is a subset of project planning. When you have a comprehensive plan, eyeball it for potentially troublesome steps that will affect or control the timing. They may be any of several categories; long in calendar or labor days, technology intensive in your or someone else’s shop; dependent on a boss’s travel schedule; a sequence of events that must be consecutively and closely scheduled.
After you have the overall plan, highlight the critical path within the framework starting at today and monitor it especially.
Conversely, many tasks can be done in parallel; they still take the same workdays but may not affect the calendar. Avoid putting these off until they become the critical path.
E. ABC, Pareto, 80 / 20.
Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian nobleman a century ago who first quantified that in Italy a few people had most of the money. Everybody knows that, he quantified it. 15 to 20% have 80% of the money. It turns out that the ratio is more or less universal, not only with cash but also inventory, or which 20 % of the items have 80% of the value; of work elements in which 20% take up 80% of the time.
If you don’t watch out, you will spend your time on the very large number of items, which don’t contribute much value. Go out of your way to label the important things as A items, and spend most of your and your people’s time on them. You have already thought of “For want of a nail a … kingdom was lost” although the writer was not in your century. A nail is a C item and a kingdom is an A item. Nevertheless.
Now, since even the smallest article may keep you from going to press, you have to identify the A items by value rather than cost alone. Value may include cost, or position on the critical path, or client relationships, or satisfying management.
F. Constraints management
Constantly be on the lookout for constraints, which will if not managed retard output or schedule attainment. Very often the constraint is on the critical path. Typically a constraint will occur where all work has to funnel through one point; a person, or machine, or function. Solve it by buying / hiring / adding another one, or by keeping the constraint loaded 24 / 7, or by doing the job another way. The constraint may not be under your control, e. g. in Australia. Try to manage the constraint from afar, or accept it as a given.
G. Short interval scheduling is self-explanatory. Give out one job, agree with the person when it will be done (usually a few hours), have the person give it back to you on time, when you assign the next job. This level of control may look like micromanagement, but it will improve productivity and throughput. Both boss and worker get positive reinforcement from each task completed, and both will be sure that each task is correctly done as a solid base for the next step.
H. Visual controls and communication
I encourage visual communication, especially on subjects such as Flow Chart and Project Management. Visuals really support a common understanding.
I. Motivation and leadership
Maslow and Hertzberg, in my opinion the industrial psychologists who got it right. See
“Hierarchy of needs” and “One More Time, How do you Motivate Employees” respectively. Their ideas are not mutually exclusive.
J. Words of wisdom
1. “Unacceptable”. Learn this word and think of Dick Love who taught it to me. Use it wisely and sparingly but let people know you will use it. It is most often applicable to concepts, dates and commitments people may offer.
2. Don’t surprise the boss in public with problems. You will be surprised yourself sometimes, and you have to pass the information on to him; do so quickly. The key question is how much time you personally get to fix the problem before you tell him. That depends on him, and you, and the enormity of the problem.
Be sure to understand the problem and its cost and schedule ramifications; when you learn this the solution may be obvious. Fix it or tell the boss that the problem exists and this is how you will repair the damage, and when. If there is a factor that only he can provide, be sure to ask him at the time.
3. Monkeys and backs. When another person walks in they often have a monkey on their back and are trying to place it on your back. Recognize the situation; you may want to accept the transfer of responsibility or not. Either way make sure you both understand who has the monkey at the end of the conversation.
Jack Greene, Jackson Productivity Research Inc.
Productivity Management 555 for Today - To learn more about this author, visit Jack Greene's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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