From The EarthAsylum Leadership Circle Newsletter

It's all about productivity (and clarity)

According to Proudfoot Consulting's 2006 Productivity Report, the average worker is unproductive for 33.5 days a year. This isn't an accumulation of wasted time; it's an accumulation of "off" days or days where nothing seems to get done.

Imagine. If everyone were 100% productive every day that they are at work, we could all take an additional month off every year without effecting our current productivity rate.

Or, if we look at it another way, if everyone were 100% productive every day that they're at work, we could grow the American economy by $598 billion per year.

In a resent poll by the American Management Association, when asked, "What one thing do you think would most improve your productivity?" readers selected "more clearly defined responsibilities and priorities" as their top choice. Coming in as a close second was "a clearer next step in my career path with my company," which could also be seen as a consequence of poor or chaotic management. Taken together, these answers indicate that productivity suffers when workers are unsure of their day-to-day tasks and the long-term outlook of their roles.

Why? Why is it so difficult for employees to understand their day-to-day responsibilities and priorities?

From my experience, I would say one reason is our reactionary environments. It seems to be more common that we spend a great deal of our time "putting out fires" or reacting to the day's crisis rather than planning tomorrow's (or next year's) priorities.

When crisis management is the order of the day, employees are confused as to their priorities - especially when they change day-to-day or even hour-to-hour. In addition, when everyone is reactive, no one is proactive. Meaning that nobody is planning for tomorrow and when tomorrow comes, we have to react to the crisis.

Another cause of confusion among employees is a general disconnect between managers and today's knowledge workers. Management is still being practiced as if we were living in the industrial age. "Knowledge workers depend on collaboration and the constant swapping back and forth of information, analysis, and expertise," as Mark Vickers of the Human Resource Institute puts it in his article "The Organization's Fault." Many organizations, however, impede collaboration and communication, creating a frustrated work force that lacks the tools needed to get the job done.

The next three choices in the AMA poll on improving productivity were "receiving recognition", "being managed less", and "feeling respected".

So what does this say is the greatest barrier to high productivity?

Poor leadership and management.

According to Miklos Klempa, executive vice president of business development at Proudfoot. "Management always matters where people are concerned."

What is it that managers are doing wrong? Here's the top 5 reasons that managers don't take action - and they show that it's not all the manager's fault...

1. Managers don't know what to do or they know what to do but not how to do it.
2. Managers manage with a "one size fits all" mentality but their solutions don't meet the needs of the workgroup or individual employee.
3. Managers don't have the time to come up with unique ideas to improve results (they're too busy managing crises).
4. Managers are not expected to take action.
5. There is an emphasis on "planning to take action" versus "taking action".

And what is the solution? Accountability. Every person in the organization must have a sense of accountability. By this I mean that they must "feel" accountable, not "made" accountable.

There must be clear performance expectations:
"I am clear on what results I must achieve" and "I know what I must do to achieve those results".

And there must be real consequences:
"I understand what happens if I DO achieve these results" and "I know what happens if I DON'T achieve these results".

When people are accountable, and they know what their performance expectations and consequences are, they will take responsibility for meeting those expectations. If a manager doesn't know what to do or doesn't have time, she will find out what to do and make time - because it's her responsibility.

I'll end with three questions that leaders, managers, workgroups, and employees should ask...

1. What strategic initiatives or issues will impact the results which must be achieved by your organization (department, workgroup, self)?
2. What results must be achieved by your organization (department, workgroup, self)?
3. What do you and your peers have to DO to deliver the results?

Answer these questions and you're well on your way to improving productivity in your organization.

 

The Way You See Your Work, and Your Life

The story goes like this:

“What are you doing?” a Passerby  asked of three workers standing behind a building under construction.

The first worker. Looking tired and drained, replied, “I’m just cutting stone.”

The second worker answered, in a neutral, matter-of-fact voice, “I’m working to make a living.”

The third worker, who was singing, said, “I’m building a cathedral!!”

 

Red Alert: How to Avoid Success Derailment

What makes some people able to go from one success to another and continue to achieve higher levels of excellence, while others achieve some fast successes, then loose momentum, and fall off track?

In an attempt to answer this question, the American Management Association conducted in-depth interviews with 41 executives, and found the following traits responsible for most of the failures in what once was a  promising fast-track success journey.

• Insensitivity to other people and coworkers.
• Arrogance
• Misuse of confidential information
• Inability to control ambition
• Inability to delegate assignments or promote team work
• Inability to choose the right people for the right assignment and to staff effectively
• Being short-term or tactical, rather than strategically oriented.
• Over-dependence on mentors.

It’s interesting to note that all of these factors are not related to knowledge competency about the job or the technical skills required to execute it. They all relate to what can be described as the “Emotional Intelligence” of the leader. What is also interesting is that Emotional Intelligence is perhaps the one aspect that receives the least amount of attention in traditional supervisory skills training and management development workshops in organizations across America. Perhaps a new look at these programs to include more emphasis on emotional intelligence and its application at work is needed.

The Seven Sins of Interpersonal Communication

Communication is a complex process. Different perceptions may cause difficulties in the transmission of ideas and information. Here are the seven sins of interpersonal communication and ways to avoid them:

1. It's Greek To Me!: Your communication can be effective only when presented in a language the receivers can understand. You need to speak not in your own language or style of thinking but in the language and style of thinking of the receivers. Understand their educational level and their demographics and communicate to them accordingly.
2. Overload: Even when communicating in the language of the receivers, you can still lose them if you overload them with too much information or too complex ideas.
3. Biases and Assumptions: Examine your possible biases and personal assumptions about the issues you're communicating. Disclose your own interests and agendas. The receivers will quickly tune out if they suspect that you have a hidden agenda. By being authentic, you will gain credibility, which is essential for effective communication.
4. One-Way: Communication is not just speaking. It's both speaking and listening. One way communication is no communication at all. Make sure to listen and understand the others' needs and points of view.
5. Ambiguity: If your message is not clear, or if it can be interpreted in more than one way, it will leave the receivers wondering about what you mean. Make sure that your message delivers a clear, unambiguous meaning.
6. Wrong Timing: In certain communications, timing is everything. For example, a message of praise and recognition should not come too late after the fact, or it will lose its effectiveness. The "Better Late Than Never" advice may be true, but a timely message is the best.
7. Negative Attitude: Most people don't like negative communication and bad news. Passive, weak, or negative communication will turn people off. Even the most negative, critical, or difficult communication will be better received when presented in a positive, affirmative style. Instead of saying, "This is a terrible idea," why not say, "Tell me how you can make this idea work."

About The EarthAsylum Leadership Circle

The EarthAsylum Leadership Circle is a business networking, support, and educational association started in January 2006 by six friends and family members who wanted a way to develop their own and other's leadership abilities.

We strive to understand and develop leadership skills and talent in a way that transcends trends and looks beyond short-term goals. We see our mutual role as supporting individuals and organizations in achieving effective and transformational leadership through life affirming and supporting practices.

Find out more at www.EarthAsylum.org...

 

Also, discover the EarthAsylum Fusion network -- an on-line, interactive forum for news, articles and discussions.

Find out more at www.EarthAsylum.net...

 

The EarthAsylum Leadership Circle has a lot to offer to its members, and each new member adds to that offering. Please consider joining us. We value your knowledge, insight, and participation.

Download Our Flyer (4pg PDF)