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The Risks of Perfection

23/03/2022 /

Are we ready to accept that perfection should not necessarily be our ultimate objective? And why should we consider to focus on the process, not on the final product?

In his article “Why Perfection Is The Enemy Of Done”  published on Forbes, Deep Patel provides some interesting advice on how to manage expectations on final result.

Ideas like:

  • Set deadlines and stick to them
  • Get a working version out the door and then refine it over time
  • Reset your expectations
  • Be patient with the learning process
  • Get a team that’s willing to move, and move fast

Image source: Pixabay (CC0)

Tips for effective scheduling

15/03/2022 /

In our daily routine we are unceasingly exposed to facts and events that can easily draw our attention away from tasks which are essential for being efficient and fully productive at work.

Effective scheduling can help us prioritizing and preventing unfruitful struggles to cope with the demands placed upon us.

Geoffrey Whiteway on Coaching Positive Performance lists eight tips that – if daily implemented – can help us scheduling:

  1. Plan the night before: making plan the night before, will ensure you less anxiety and better night sleep.
  2. Select 1 key task: identify the most important task for each day and get that task completed.
  3. Key task first: Life is unpredictable and if somethings happens that plays havoc with your plans, getting the most important task done first will increase the probability for your day to still be effective.
  4. Context based lists: If you have more than 20 tasks to be completed, make a list and put specific tasks under headings based on the situation you find yourself in, or the resources available to you at the time.
  5. No agenda, no meeting. Avoid meetings which do not have a clear agenda, as they tend to be just “talking shops”.
  6. Establish rituals. Routines allow you to get important, repeated tasks completed with maximum efficiency and minimum thought.
  7. Only time specific tasks go in your calendar. Tasks without a deadline risk being continuously put off.
  8. Projects vs. tasks A task is something which needs to get done but has not been done yet. A project is something which needs to be done, but has not been done yet and will take more one task to get done. There is real benefit in thinking this way and breaking each project down into tasks.

Image source: Pixabay (CC0)

5 TIPS TO CONFRONT YOUR BOSS

23/02/2022 /

Telling your boss that they are wrong is never easy. Most employees will not consider it, fearing professional suicide. However, not being able to face issues, speak truth, and learn has dire consequences. Wrong is a part of life and business, and (most importantly) the key to improvement.

The most successful CEO’s actively seek out staff who will stick their necks out and have hard conversations. Delivering the message is always tricky. It is important to deliver criticism in a way that will be heard, understood, and appreciated.

This article provides five tips in order to better confront your boss:

  1. Accentuate the positive: When delivering bad news, try always to finish with a positive spin. The positives, as well as the negatives, provide the complete picture. A balanced, constructive view does not focus on “what’s right and what’s wrong,” but instead tells us “what to do more of, what to stop doing, and what to do differently.”
  2. Use “I” statements: The “I” statements offer your perspective. There are different versions of the truth, and “I” statements leave room for discussion, interpretation, and alignment.
  3. Focus on common ground: When addressing a problem, remind your boss of the goals with a particular action or decision. Ground your discussion in shared objectives, and always make your case with good data.
  4. Ask questions: Before you point out problems, make sure you are likely right. Seek to understand the total situation. Opening a dialogue and asking useful questions may help bosses see that they are wrong before you even need to say it. If and when you do decide to deliver bad news, leave room for discussion; “Am I wrong on this?”
  5. Offer solutions: If you have an opinion, you have a responsibility. Even if the boss was solely responsible for a bad decision, everyone must help the company address the issue and move forward.

 

Image Source: Pixabay – Geralt

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIVE TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE PLANNING

16/02/2022 /

“How can I get a little more time every day so that I can get things done on a daily basis?” This is not only the case for our private lives but also in terms of the strategic goals defined at work. Most organizations make an effort of increasing productivity through effective planning. However, effective planning is a concept known for being hard to grasp, and it can be a challenge to figure out where to start.

This Article provides five useful tips for a more effective planning:

  1. Plan Far into the Future: By creating a plan for many months into the future, you avoid the daily hurdles of finding out what is the most appropriate project to engage in. By doing this, it is easier to see the bigger picture and which small projects will get you closer to the general goals.
  2. Involve Everyone in the Planning: The planning processes are comprehensive and involve scheduling activities, delegating responsibilities and continuous coordination. Are these carried out by a few people in the organization, and much is spend unnecessarily.
  3. Use An Intuitive Tool for Effective Planning: To ensure that employees are motivated to use a digital tool, the solution should be intuitive. Keep in mind that everyone should be able to use it, and therefore, it is important that you have access to tutorials and descriptions about the features.
  4. All Activities in One Structure: This tip is related to the previous one and involves an important feature of the just mentioned digital solution. At a glance, the tool should be able to give you a comprehensible view of the plans for the year, and this is a precondition for the planning to be truly effective. When it isn’t possible instantly to get a full view, it can be challenging to get the bigger picture.
  5. Automation: The last tip has to do with the time being saved by automating processes. This could, for instance, happen by arranging emails for customers or marketing campaigns to be sent out automatically. Another example is to use a tool that allows you to set up notifications to be sent out to colleagues prior to events.

Image source: Pixabay – borevina

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