Management: Proactive or Reactive?

"Sit quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself."

Zen

I can be as pastoral as the next guy and my years of yoga have helped me see the value of quiet, passive reflection. I also admire those who remain calm during turbulent times, particularly business managers who do so.

But being calm is not the same as sitting quietly and under certain circumstances, if we want the "grass to grow" we'd better do something to see that it does.

What about you?

Sitting quietly, doing nothing waiting for the "grass" to grow this "spring" or . . . ?

Management: Put It In Writing?

"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on."

Samuel Goldwyn

What else do we need in writing besides critical elements of a contract?

Arguably a manager's instructions to a subordinate could (or should) easily include as much detail as would be found in any buy/sell agreement, but no one I know puts as much detail into their management directives as they would in a contract.

Is the fact that they don't the reason things often don't get done as the manager expects?

At what point should a manager's instructions be documented in writing? How much detail is needed?

Or is verbal direction between a manager and their subordinates always enough?

Communication: More Than Just Talk

"No mistake is so commonly made by clever people as that of assuming a cause to be bad because the arguments of its supporters are, to a great extent, nonsensical."

Thomas Henry Huxley
19th Century English Biologist

This is particularly important if you manage workers who are inarticulate and/or those for who English is a second language. Just because they can't put their thoughts into clear, concise terms does not mean their opinions are not valid.

The question is, how can you make sure you will hear what the person who cannot clearly express them self has to say?

Rumors: "Did you hear . . ."

"In the business world an executive knows something about everything, a technician knows everything about something and the switchboard operator knows it all."

Harold Coffin
Former Associate Press Columnist

Working virtually I am no longer plugged into any office grapevine other than my own (and I've not said anything recently I was at all interested in hearing.)

When I did work with others in a large office, I didn't appreciate the value of the informal communication network that flowed in all directions from all levels. But I do now.

Employees may not know what's really going on but they know what they think they know and that is often more important than reality.

Are you listening?

Multi-Tasking: Efficient Foolishness?

"To do two things at once is to do neither."

Publilius Syrus
1st Century BC Assyrian Writer

I think it's safe to assume that Mr. Syrus did not believe in multi-tasking; nonetheless I understand his point. Try to do too much at once and you will either get nothing done or much that is not done right.

This really becomes important during times like now where fewer workers are forced to do more. That works, to a point, but there are limits.

How do you determine when you've got too many balls in the air at once, or worse if you manage others, have unknowingly forced them to?