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Write You - Technology Is Not a Substitute for Organization
The job of managers and executives is to get things done through the efforts of others. To do this successfully, effective leaders must be able to motivate their employees. Although this may seem obvious, it is often easier said than done.The theory and practice of improving productivity through employee motivation is a challenging subject, touching on several disciplines ranging from human psychology to the organizational environment and structure. This subject is usually not clearly understood and is very often poorly practiced in the workplace, but the fact remains that job performance is clearly a function of ability and motivation.An employee’s ability is dependent on a mix of education, experience, training and intelligence (or “street smarts”). Improving ability is typically a long and slow process, requiring significant investments of time and capital. Motivation, however, can be i
Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys once said, “My job is to make the guys do what they don’t want to do, so they can be who they’ve always wanted to be.” Often that’s my job as an organizing consultant! Successful people make a habit of doing what failures don’t like to do -- and that frequently in
An area that causes some cleaning contractors to scratch their heads, is the best way to clean marble floors. Asking janitorial supply houses or stores that sell marble flooring will almost always lead to different answers on the best way to clean and take care of marble floors. Suggestions on cleaning vary from using an all-purpose cleaner to plain water to vinegar. But these are not the ingredients that you need to care for the marble floors in your buildings.Begin with by realizing that marble is a natural stone so you need to treat it differently than other types of flooring. Stone floors are sensitive and you can ruin the surface if you use the wrong chemical to clean it. An acid based product may scratch and etch polished stone. The surface can actually be eaten away by an acid based cleaner with the result being a floor looking dull or pitted.Using plain city water can cause a diff
Not many years ago, getting organized was an option. Today technology has made it a necessity for three reasons: Today we have more to organize than ever before. Not only did the computer not give us the paperless age, it created more. In addition, we now have to organize the technology itself. Computers, fax machines, cellular phones, and on-line services enable us to do more -- and require us to do more. The speed of the microchip doubles every 18 months -- with no end in sight.
Secondly, as a result of the economy, and fueled by the capabilities of technology, companies are downsizing. All managers used to have an assistant, and it was the job of that assistant to keep them organized. We fired the assistants, and are now faced with organizing ourselves.
And finally, there is a greater sense of urgency than ever before. If I can fax you a question in 20 seconds, why can’t you fax me the answer? There is a constant demand for decreasing costs while continuing to improve quality of products and services with fewer people. The price of failure is staggering.
You may be reluctant to get organized, as many people are. But often it is because they have been misled about what it means to be organized. My definition of organization is very simple: Does it work? and Do you like it?” And if what you are organizing -- or not organizing! -- affects others, there is a third question: “Does it work for others?”
Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys once said, “My job is to make the guys do what they don’t want to do, so they can be who they’ve always wanted to be.” Often that’s my job as an organizing consultant! Successful people make a habit of doing what failures don’t like to do -- and that frequently in
Having worked for several prominent retail organizations I have seen the impact of both positive and negative cultures on the workforce, the customers and, of course, the success of the business. Have no doubt whatsoever, the head of the organization dictates, through words and actions, what the culture will be. I want to tell you about the incredible culture created by a CEO, and a gentleman, I’ll call Sam.For three years, I had the opportunity to work for the company that this man headed up before he decided to sell his successful enterprise to a large, old school retailer. We were all very happy for him. This sale was going to mean a lot more time for he and his wife to travel and generally enjoy life after a lot of years of hard work and dedication to their business. We were saddened to be losing such a great leader but we knew he deserved the rest and we wished him well.Those three years
Secondly, as a result of the economy, and fueled by the capabilities of technology, companies are downsizing. All managers used to have an assistant, and it was the job of that assistant to keep them organized. We fired the assistants, and are now faced with organizing ourselves.
And finally, there is a greater sense of urgency than ever before. If I can fax you a question in 20 seconds, why can’t you fax me the answer? There is a constant demand for decreasing costs while continuing to improve quality of products and services with fewer people. The price of failure is staggering.
You may be reluctant to get organized, as many people are. But often it is because they have been misled about what it means to be organized. My definition of organization is very simple: Does it work? and Do you like it?” And if what you are organizing -- or not organizing! -- affects others, there is a third question: “Does it work for others?”
Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys once said, “My job is to make the guys do what they don’t want to do, so they can be who they’ve always wanted to be.” Often that’s my job as an organizing consultant! Successful people make a habit of doing what failures don’t like to do -- and that frequently in
If you are considering freelance work, there is one mistake you should avoid as you go freelance. Don’t undercharge for your services.Many new freelance professionals fall into this trap. They are so anxious to start working as a freelance professional that they charge too little for what they do. Here is why that is a big mistake.First, you only have so many hours in a day, so if you don’t charge enough, then you simply won’t make the kind of money that you are hoping for. You have to realize that it will take you time to produce quality work and you should be paid for that time. Don't sell yourself short. If your client could do the work, they would do it themselves.You also make yourself look to potential clients as less valuable than your competition. When comparing freelancers, I would never hire the cheapest one. Why? Because I think that their work must be inferior as wel
Secondly, as a result of the economy, and fueled by the capabilities of technology, companies are downsizing. All managers used to have an assistant, and it was the job of that assistant to keep them organized. We fired the assistants, and are now faced with organizing ourselves.
And finally, there is a greater sense of urgency than ever before. If I can fax you a question in 20 seconds, why can’t you fax me the answer? There is a constant demand for decreasing costs while continuing to improve quality of products and services with fewer people. The price of failure is staggering.
You may be reluctant to get organized, as many people are. But often it is because they have been misled about what it means to be organized. My definition of organization is very simple: Does it work? and Do you like it?” And if what you are organizing -- or not organizing! -- affects others, there is a third question: “Does it work for others?”
Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys once said, “My job is to make the guys do what they don’t want to do, so they can be who they’ve always wanted to be.” Often that’s my job as an organizing consultant! Successful people make a habit of doing what failures don’t like to do -- and that frequently in
Electronic data interchange, also known as electronic data processing, is based upon electronic exchange of data between a number of mini and microcomputers in a regular planned system. Electronic funds transfer refers to fund transfers between financial institutions. This allows a large number of businesses to carry out prompt business transactions, orders and invoices. EFT is a precise and efficient system that is considered favorable as compared to traditional money transfer methods.The larger concept of electronic data interchange has been in use since the 1960?s, but gained popularity in the late twentieth century. This paved the way for commencement of electronic commerce, business extranets that linked customers and suppliers, and prompted the growth of numerous network-based technologies. It eliminated the need for paper-based authentication for financial transactions. With continuous developm
You may be reluctant to get organized, as many people are. But often it is because they have been misled about what it means to be organized. My definition of organization is very simple: Does it work? and Do you like it?” And if what you are organizing -- or not organizing! -- affects others, there is a third question: “Does it work for others?”
Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys once said, “My job is to make the guys do what they don’t want to do, so they can be who they’ve always wanted to be.” Often that’s my job as an organizing consultant! Successful people make a habit of doing what failures don’t like to do -- and that frequently in
When talking to professional builders and renovators I often ask what are the main advantages that separates them from their competition. I'll often hear the same answers: "personal service", "keeping in touch with clients" and "quality work", to list a few.This, however, is one of the biggest reasons builders and renovators "can't find good quality leads" or have to compete on price with lower-quality competition. These phrases actually don't differentiate you from your competition (professionally or otherwise) but, rather, merely state what anyone would expect of you (or your competition). In fact, you're simply saying what you competition would also say -- not much of a 'competitive advantage', these phrases, are they?In fact, how many times have you found yourself 'advertising' yourself (either in person, or via pamphlets, flyers and the like) and not taking the opportunity
Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys once said, “My job is to make the guys do what they don’t want to do, so they can be who they’ve always wanted to be.” Often that’s my job as an organizing consultant! Successful people make a habit of doing what failures don’t like to do -- and that frequently includes getting organized!
If your answer to any of the questions above is “No,” try these suggestions to help you get started on the road to organization and make the most of your technology:
1. Continually practice the Art of Wastebasketry?. Research shows we use only 20% of what we keep. For each piece of information you receive, whether in hard copy or on the computer screen, ask these questions: Does this require action? Can I identify a specific use? Would it be difficult to get again? Is it recent enough to be useful? If the answer to all those questions is “No,” ask one final question: "What's the worst thing that could happen if I don't have this piece of paper?" If you can live with your answer -- toss or recycle it! Take a look around your office. Do you see unused equipment, books you’ll never use again, drawers full of unidentified paper, or outdated inventory? If so, you’ll experience a new sense of energy if you get rid of it.
2. Learn to choose technology effectively. Most of us are trying to do more with less, and working harder is not always the answer. The real question is "Does anyone really need to do this?" Just because technology allows you to accomplish a specific task doesn’t mean it’s the best way for you to use your resources. Just because an upgrade is available doesn’t mean you need to use it. Make sure that the results will be worth your investment of financial and human resources.
3. Implement a system for keeping track of names and telephone numbers. Most of my clients agree that their best source of business is networking, but piles of unidentified business cards will not do the trick. Deciding which system to u
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