Want It Done Right Journal 3Q 2009

Feature Article • Delegation Dr Daily Dose • Corner Crack-up • Want It Done Right Products & Services

Feature Article

Spring Clean Your Organization to a Spit Shine

For some of us spring cleaning our homes is an annual ritual. Cleaning out the cobwebs of winter can be a great way to rejuvenate the spirit. We clean areas that don’t get attention in regular cleanings throughout the year. We clear out collected clutter, perhaps anything unused in the past year or so. We organize areas to streamline our efforts so we have “a place for everything and everything in its place” – for awhile at least. And when we’re through cleaning, de-cluttering and organizing, we enjoy the sparkling freshness and ease of use our homes offer us for some time. It’s worth all the work. Some of us find that if we do the spring cleaning exercise every year it gets easier year to year because dirt and disorganized clutter get weeded out before they grow out of control.

What if we did the same kind of spring cleaning in our organizations? What benefits would we reap? Given the current economy, there may be no better time. Companies have reduced their labor force requiring more work with fewer people to do it. Clarifying the exact work to be done, who should do it and how it should be done has never been more important. The goal of these efforts is to do an organizational clean-up that leaves the place running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. If a company were to undertake a spring cleaning effort, what would it look like? Here are some thoughts:

Deep clean job descriptions. A good place to start with deep cleaning an organization is to focus on job descriptions. Just as each closet in a house has a purpose, so does each job. But just as “stuff” that doesn’t belong finds its way into our closets, so do positions accumulate tasks that don’t fit. Many employees don’t clearly understand the required outputs of their jobs. Many managers don’t understand these outputs either. But without this clarity, the purpose of a position can become muddy and unproductive. Annual re-evaluations of job descriptions can help employees and managers focus on the most critical outputs of each position. This clarity has an added benefit of improved performance appraisals: managers focus on the most critical elements of employee performance and employees focus on what delivers the most value to the organization. This is a win-win scenario for manager and employee.

Clean out clutter. Whether the clutter that collects in the workplace is literal (actual junk lying around) or figurative (“junk” in the form of extra steps in processes), it’s worth spending the time to clear it out. Just as we feel more rejuvenated and clear-headed at home when we clean out the excess clutter, the same feeling can be experienced in the workplace. Start by cleaning the literal junk from work areas: extra boxes, outmoded parts, unnecessary papers, etc. Each employee can be responsible for his or her own area and each department can be responsible for its own area. Once the literal junk is cleaned out, individuals and departments can look at their work processes to clear out the figurative junk: excess steps, repeated steps, “stalls” (wait time for someone or something), etc. Streamlining processes is a significant opportunity for organizations to clean up and clear out. The result is a smoother running organizational machine. An added benefit is ease of training new hires and easier oversight of work being done.

Organize work areas and flow. Once the junk is removed from areas and processes the final step in streamlining can occur – organization. The goal in organizing an area is to make work easier. Organization may be as simple as placing different colored pieces or parts into compartmentalized storage boxes or moving whole departments around so they can work together more effectively. Everything needed to do a job should be as easily accessible and readily distinguishable as possible to avoid frustration and confusion, whether the “thing” needed is a computer database, a part on the shop floor or a person. Once the parts and pieces (again literal or figurative) needed to do a job are organized, the flow of the work should be streamlined by eliminating obstacles, long routes, long wait times, excess steps, etc. A final few steps are recommended for the final “polish” on organizing: a) validate that the process is as efficient and effective as it can be by conducting test runs, b) educate everyone affected by the change, and c) hold everyone accountable to the new process. When people know what and where everything is and the flow is as fluid as possible, work is not only easier, it’s more fun.

While annual spring cleaning is often a dreaded event, most people feel better when it’s done. The freshness, clarity, and accomplishment experienced can be felt in homes and organizations alike. Clutter-headed non-performers can have a huge negative impact on productivity, morale and the bottom line. Could your organization use a healthy dose of spring cleaning?

Corner Crack-up

The CEO was scheduled to speak at an important convention, so he asked one of his employees to write him a punchy, 20-minute speech. When the CEO returned from the big event, he was furious.

"What's the idea of writing me an hour-long speech?" he demanded to know. "Half the audience walked out before I finished."

The employee was baffled. "I wrote you a 20-minute speech," he replied. "I also gave you the two extra copies you asked for."

Delegation Doctor’s Daily Dose

There’s no question that these are tough economic times. People are expressing more doubt and have less hope than they have in many years. The stress of the unknown and the turmoil of lost income, savings and security can take a serious toll. Stress, fatigue and worry seem to be the predominant feelings in this climate. In times like these little things we do or don’t do can make a significant difference not only in our days but in our lives. Most of us could use an energy boost! Here are some small investment ideas that can reap a big return of energy:

Step outside for fresh air and a fresh perspective. When we’re stressed we may work longer and push harder when that is the last thing that is helpful or productive. Sometimes less is truly more. We can be more productive when we take a break. Getting a breath of fresh air may be just the thing to gain a fresh perspective on what weighs on us. Because we tend to breathe more shallowly under stress, taking several deep breaths can give us an even bigger energy boost. The increased oxygen clears our minds and invigorates our bodies.

Take five minutes at the start of the day to get focused on priorities for the day and for life in general. Rather than just diving in to work or letting the work day take on a life of its own, building in a few minutes at the beginning of the day to focus on what we want our day to be like can make a huge impact. Thinking of the day in terms of the bigger picture of what we want our lives to be like can be even more powerful. Instead of a day with 25 to-do items, pare the list down to a maximum of three items. The more work these items involve, the fewer items should be on the list. Ask the question, “What do I need to accomplish today to feel good about the day?” This is a great way to take charge of the beginning of the day and end it on a high note of accomplishment. This gives us the energy to not only enjoy the evening but invigorate the start of the next day.

Stay in the moment – focus on now. When times are tough and we’re stressed it seems to be human nature to generalize our feelings unproductively. If a project didn’t go well, our thinking may go from, “What a bummer that this went so poorly”, to “Nothing ever goes right for me” (generalizing across events) or “Nothing will ever go right for me” (generalizing into the future). The initial thinking described above gives us energy to problem-solve what didn’t go well and what we can do to resolve it, mobilizing us to action. The latter thinking or generalizing is a dead end street that leaves us with nowhere to turn. Keeping our thoughts focused on the present moment and what we can do now – even the tiniest of steps – can give us a huge energy boost to kick start us out of a rut.

Eat smarter. Many of us turn to comfort food when stress levels rise. While these foods – typically sugar, fats and alcohol – give our body chemistry a quick jolt that makes us feel temporarily better, it’s not long before our chemistry drops even lower than before, leaving us feeling worse rather than better. Obviously few of us want to feel worse, yet we seem to hanker for the very things that will make us feel that way. Instead of grabbing these old comfort foods, if we could just pause and pick something wholesome instead, our bodies would be much happier. Having some fun, fresh, healthy snacks around is the perfect way to ensure we choose the right kinds of comfort foods. While a hunk of drippy, sloppy watermelon may not have the same initial impact as chocolate, it may be more fun and the longer term energy boost is worth it.

Get a few minutes of exercise each day. With more stress it seems time is in short supply. When time is tight, exercise is often the first item nixed from the daily to–do list. But we can get exercise even when time is tight. How much time does it take to go for a short, brisk walk? The good thing about exercise – any exercise – is the tremendous positive impact on our body chemistry. Exercise releases endorphins that make us feel better. The better we feel the more likely we are to exercise. This is a very positive cycle. If time is tight, just start out with a short, quick but brisk walk anytime during the day. The energy boost will surely bring us back for more of this good thing.

If the ideas outlined above don’t seem to be enough of an energy boost, think of some other ideas that would be. Everyone is different and each of us gains energy in different ways. What’s important is that we know ourselves well enough to know what gives us energy boosts and to do these things as often as we can, especially when times are as stressful as these are. We’re the only ones who can take care of ourselves. If we don’t, who will?

If you have read the book or attended a presentation or training and would like to comment,

please share your delegation story.