where youâre treated as though youâre untrustworthy. Emphasize your desire for a more empowered and professional work environment. Outline the checkpoints and how youâd like to be evaluated. You may find a positive response to your request. But if instead your manager starts citing personal strict standards, and how no one can be allowed the slightest bit of slack, youâre unlikely to ever get through.
REDUCING INEFFICIENCIES AND
BREAKING BOTTLENECKS
The Productivity Workflow Formula allows for constant reevaluation and change, so you can reduce all inefficiencies inherent to your job. As time passes, the circle will become smaller as you tighten your methods.
Never assume the way you do things is the best possible way to do them; in fact, it probably isnât. Thereâs almost always a better way. So take the new information youâve acquired, use it to create more efficient processes, and put those processes to work. Even as you implement the new processes, youâll find some are more effective than others. So actively evaluate what works and what doesnât, and weed out the poor producers.
In many cases, a broken process isnât flawed. A few tweaks may transform it into something useful and productive. So when something fails you, start by asking questions to figure out why.
⢠What changes can you make to improve the methods and procedures youâre using?
⢠What can you do to work more effectively?
⢠Whatâs holding you back?
⢠What new systems are benefiting your life?
⢠Whatâs frustrating you?
⢠Whatâs keeping you from doing what you know you should be doing?
⢠What obstacles do you perceive?
Constant analysis will help you to find inefficiencies in your schedule so you can reduce them and thereby increase productivity.
In addition to finding and clearing internal inefficiencies, youâll also want to look for bottlenecksâexternal factors slowing your workflow. If you regularly commute or drive busy freeways, you know how much a bottleneck can slow progress. When four lanes of traffic suddenly funnel into one, slowing is inevitable, even if everyone is driving effectively and efficiently. Your workflow may have similar bottlenecks, so identify them and make plans to break them.
Real-World Examples
If somethingâs cutting into your productivity, you must work to change itâno two ways about it.
Often the required change is relatively small and simple to implement. For example, I once bought a handheld, which worked fine for a while. Over time, I discovered it would connect to my e-mail server only if it had a really full battery charge. This wasnât a problem if I remembered to plug it in every night; but one night I didnât, and the next day I was out on appointments and couldnât get my messages. The battery was internal and couldnât be replaced easily. My one-year warranty was over, but I wasnât yet in the two-year window required for an upgrade. In frustration, I bought the newer model at full price, and the difference was amazing. I asked myself, âWhy didnât I do this sooner?â I couldnât believe I put up with this situation for so long for a few measly extra bucks.
I wondered what other irritations I was tolerating andfound several things I could easily change: a slow printer; an uncomfortable chair; a keyboard with a stuck âlâ key I had to hit hard several times, and so on. Itâs amazing how many personal inefficiencies we tolerate on a daily basis!
Sometimes workflow inefficiencies can have organization-wide repercussions as well. In the 1970s, for example, IBM was having a huge problem selling computer mainframes. Everyone wanted to buy one, so desire wasnât a problem. They could manufacture them fast enough, so speed to delivery wasnât the issue either. Of all things, the processing of credit approvals was taking an average of six
REDUCING INEFFICIENCIES AND
BREAKING BOTTLENECKS
The Productivity Workflow Formula allows for constant reevaluation and change, so you can reduce all inefficiencies inherent to your job. As time passes, the circle will become smaller as you tighten your methods.
Never assume the way you do things is the best possible way to do them; in fact, it probably isnât. Thereâs almost always a better way. So take the new information youâve acquired, use it to create more efficient processes, and put those processes to work. Even as you implement the new processes, youâll find some are more effective than others. So actively evaluate what works and what doesnât, and weed out the poor producers.
In many cases, a broken process isnât flawed. A few tweaks may transform it into something useful and productive. So when something fails you, start by asking questions to figure out why.
⢠What changes can you make to improve the methods and procedures youâre using?
⢠What can you do to work more effectively?
⢠Whatâs holding you back?
⢠What new systems are benefiting your life?
⢠Whatâs frustrating you?
⢠Whatâs keeping you from doing what you know you should be doing?
⢠What obstacles do you perceive?
Constant analysis will help you to find inefficiencies in your schedule so you can reduce them and thereby increase productivity.
In addition to finding and clearing internal inefficiencies, youâll also want to look for bottlenecksâexternal factors slowing your workflow. If you regularly commute or drive busy freeways, you know how much a bottleneck can slow progress. When four lanes of traffic suddenly funnel into one, slowing is inevitable, even if everyone is driving effectively and efficiently. Your workflow may have similar bottlenecks, so identify them and make plans to break them.
Real-World Examples
If somethingâs cutting into your productivity, you must work to change itâno two ways about it.
Often the required change is relatively small and simple to implement. For example, I once bought a handheld, which worked fine for a while. Over time, I discovered it would connect to my e-mail server only if it had a really full battery charge. This wasnât a problem if I remembered to plug it in every night; but one night I didnât, and the next day I was out on appointments and couldnât get my messages. The battery was internal and couldnât be replaced easily. My one-year warranty was over, but I wasnât yet in the two-year window required for an upgrade. In frustration, I bought the newer model at full price, and the difference was amazing. I asked myself, âWhy didnât I do this sooner?â I couldnât believe I put up with this situation for so long for a few measly extra bucks.
I wondered what other irritations I was tolerating andfound several things I could easily change: a slow printer; an uncomfortable chair; a keyboard with a stuck âlâ key I had to hit hard several times, and so on. Itâs amazing how many personal inefficiencies we tolerate on a daily basis!
Sometimes workflow inefficiencies can have organization-wide repercussions as well. In the 1970s, for example, IBM was having a huge problem selling computer mainframes. Everyone wanted to buy one, so desire wasnât a problem. They could manufacture them fast enough, so speed to delivery wasnât the issue either. Of all things, the processing of credit approvals was taking an average of six
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