The big stones

I learned it while reading Stephen Covey – the 7 habits of highly effective people – the huge meaning of IMPORTANT, NOT URGENT.

He classified our tasks (and thoughts) into four quarters, according to importance and urgency.

The world makes us do what is urgent. Only discipline and a clear vision of priorities can make us productive in those things that are not urgent – even while they are very important.

To stop smoking, losing weight, scheduling check-ups - are examples of very important things which can always be left to be done later. And then we don't do them at all.

The concept is made very clear through a story told by Covey.

A speaker talking about TIME USE puts a bucket on the table, with big stones next to it, and asks the audience how many stones fit inside the bucket.

After hearing some guesses, he puts the stones inside the bucket and everybody sees that 22 stones fit in the bucket.

He asks if it is possible to put one more and the audience answers that it's not. He picks up a box of gravel, that was under the table, hidden from the audience, and fills the bucket with gravel up to the top. 

And then asks the audience: Can I put something else inside? Now, everybody says yes;

The speaker fills the bucket with sand and asks again, and then fills the bucket with water, asks again if it is possible to put something else inside it. Everybody agrees that it is not possible.

And then comes the main question: which lesson do you take from this experience, considering that we're talking about TIME USE?

Many participants say things like “you can always add something”.

The correct, impactful answer is... if we hadn't put the big stones first, they would not fit inside the bucket.

In conclusion, if we really want to fill part of our time with what is important, not urgent, it's necessary to place it first in our planning.

Before we add the gravel and sand that fill up all our available moments... 

Written by: Claus Süffert
Action Plan, KPI Management, Strategy Execution

Using KPI’s to Coach for Performance Improvement

Several years ago, I led a culture change in a manufacturing organisation. We removed a top down, high dominance structure and replaced it with customer focussed cells. During the reorganisation, we moved relatively inexperienced people into new leadership roles. Why did we do this? Because the company had realised that a top down, “tell them what to do” culture wouldn’t provide the speed of change needed to complete successfully. They needed empowered, autonomous teams with the potential to deliver results. 

So how do you manage empowered, autonomous teams, given that they must be autonomous and not managed? 

 How do you ensure that they understand the company goals and all their actions are geared to achieving them? The answer is to use the overall company goals and objectives to define team goals and objectives. 

A system of performance measurement (KPI’s) and regular review meetings can then be used to deliver the goals, but allow the leaders autonomy with their teams. 

If managers hold regular KPI review meetings, they clearly define what they expect from their teams and action plans can be developed to meet the company goals. Thus, the company has systems to manage the delivery of company goals. 

The impact on individual employees is that their goals and objectives are very clearly defined. They and their peers can clearly see who is delivering against expectations and who is not. 

For managers, performance coaching then becomes more objective. High performers are easily distinguished and can be rewarded accordingly and poor performers can be identified and then managed objectively, with performance reviews focussing on results and how to achieve them. This avoids personal criticism, which makes the review easier for the employee. They become more receptive and less threatened by the discussion. Focussing on achieving objectives and the steps they must take enables the poorer performers to achieve more than they would without this focussed coaching. If the poor performer is repeatedly unable to meet goals, then the management of their exit from the organisation is easier for both the manager and the employee. 

Using KPI’s with regular, action based reviews, gives teams and their leaders a clear view of what is expected from them and gives the responsibility and autonomy for the delivery of results to the team. With clear direction, the teams are then empowered to deliver high performance against company goals.

Written by Jane Burns - Manufacturing Coach

Sugestion: a ballot box that will work!

Every company that claims to be innovative must surely have an excellent suggestion system to receive the dozens of ideas its employees come up with everyday when dealing with the company's real problems.

Is it worth having a formal system, or is it enough for those who rule to be with their ears open to the suggestions by those who obey?

The almost-impossible-perfection would be to set a system that would work without any type of control, only based on people's interests/motivation.

I can't imagine how to keep such a think functional and operational, especially in companies with many employees. It would be a lot easier to organize a practical system with non-sophisticated controls, which motivates employees, not too toilsome to employers, and which delivers results!

The natural tendency of every person who enters an organization is to call the attention of colleagues and bosses to something the person considers to be wrong or could be improved. However, the tendency is that their idea is unfortunately almost never considered, it simply dies in one of the steps it goes through from the moment it comes to be to when it is implemented. And its creator, after some time, realizes it's not worth bothering others with suggestions - and stops.

At this moment the innovative company takes a step backwards...

The first and vital attribute of a suggestion system is to keep people motivated to contribute and challenge things as they are, considering alternatives; a company shouldn't waste this vast source of creativity.

Before thinking of shows, colorful pin boards, ballot boxes scattered all over the company and prizes in cash for the best suggestions... try to make one ballot box available and spread the news that the ideas put there are all considered with seriousness and quickly dealt with.

Suggestions will appear consistent, over time, and you'll say the ballot box works!

It is a small miracle, which appears naturally via the use of a precious control item, connected to the intended result - and effective for its management.

Don't worry about measuring the number of suggestions per month.

Measure only those many suggestions which are:

- either with a longer than 15 days response delay from the moment it was created; (responses in this situations are: approved and scheduled to be carried out; still under assessment, but with a scheduled date for an answer; not approved and justified as such;)

- or with a longer than 15 days response delay after one of the promised dates.

Keeping this indicator under control will make the number of suggestions per month be a mere natural and stable consequence of this measure.

Action Plan, KPI Management, Strategy Execution