A great deal of people think that managers are busy professionals who live from meeting to meeting, with large amounts of activities to do, a long list of earrings and a tight schedule.
Somehow it's true, but it's not all that happens in the day-to-day manager, and certainly not the most important thing should happen. Unfortunately many forget that the manager who sets the pace for a company, an area or a team of collaborators, as well as "do" have to "think". And rarely is it in your "to do list".
There was a stage in my career as a manager, about two or three months, which have to have a meeting with me was synonymous with take a number at the door of my office. Finished a meeting and encouraged to come next with a little song of "next".
It was funny and looked like a game. Until it ceased. The impacts were not only harmful to my health and my career (what is the true performance of a person working 12 hours per day, sometimes without even stopping for lunch?) But it was for my staff looking for answers that do not found and saw their daily meetings and also disappear into dos. Which was what we needed? What was it that was not working?
The key is to stop thinking and react according to today, and start thinking and acting in terms of "tomorrow." Having a strategic vision means that what you want to think about tomorrow (medium and long term, 2-5 years) and see what you have to mobilize today for that future happen. This is achieved leaving only "doing" and starting to "think".
These are the 5 errors of productivity more important than commit managers (and many other professionals too!) to forget that in addition to "do", must have time and space to "think":
Error n ° 1 - No organizing tasks or know how to optimize your time
The most basic mistake is to live in the middle of meetings, paperwork, phone calls. Not knowing exactly what is done every day or what. Be reactive, be an archer who saves criminal, being a firefighter extinguishes fire. Many of these tasks. The key is what you do when you beat the fire atajas criminal and ends the game. If you go back to square one and the next day you behave in the same way, you will live your life with this reality. If instead you stop to think about what you'll do differently now so that the next time something happens like this to you off guard, or you stop to think about what has happened in the past so now you're working out in this way and how modified for the next time, you are exerting a more strategic and proactive thinking.
How do I solve it?
The key is to "stop" and "think". Put together a strategic planning does not take 2 hours. But neither ever you do if you do not start to spend those 2 hours. Start organizing your tasks so that you can improve from day to day, but even if we do not have great results, however do yourself a time to stop and think.It may be an extended lunch, you can lock yourself in your office and ask you not to interrupt or if you can get away from the office. At least drink two hours a week to stop and think.
Make a list of things that are happening and that could have been prevented. Make a list of what people could help with either situation. starts making lists. The following week trying to form conclusions, make a brief analysis of root cause. Then you can move on further actions in every situation. But for anything you relegues this time to think. You can make an exception and pass this "moment of reflection" for the next day because something terrible came. But if you do it consistently, you will return to the starting point and never find the time to do strategic planning and change the current situation.
Error n ° 2 - Centralize all decisions, even simple and operational
For some managers or leaders is very common at the beginning of his term, or in certain critical circumstances where they feel that if they do not this way, bad results or conflicting situations are going to happen. You can not ensure that your choices have better results, do you? But if something can ensure is that you are making your employees are highly dependent and are not encouraging them autonomy.
Perhaps you think that this will avoid the drop. Perhaps this feeling that you help them avoid mistakes.What you must do is teach learn from their mistakes, to measure the impact of their decisions. You can share your techniques or your analysis process and then make the decision. But it is not healthy for any organization decision making is highly centralized.
How do I solve it?
Start slowly. Make a list of the decisions you have to make. Prioritize them. Take 10% of the lowest priority and delégalas decisions: descentralízalas. No excuses. No wonder they are the least priority.Start trusting and then see what you need adjusting. Train and empower your employees. Give time to your week. Have a busy schedule? One at a time. Choose who invest in your time , but I assure you it is not an expense but an investment because tomorrow they will be better able to make decisions and do the same with their own equipment and you will have more time to devote thinking and less need to "do" and constantly solve.
Error n ° 3 - Resolve all conflicts and not lead others learn to cope with the problems
As the error No. 2, solve all or make all the decisions does not give anyone more space to grow and learn. People sometimes need to reach a level of conflict or problem finding creative solutions that would not look if we were in situations of habitual calm.
How do I solve it?
Give them space. Share your experiences, your way of solving problems, but your partners let them make decisions, deal with problems, deal with them, learn from the everyday pressure and learn from the interaction with other actors who may be feeling different things, and may pursue different objectives. Let them make mistakes. The best learning arising from the realization that a decision was not correct itself.
Error n ° 4 - No delegamiento build a structure according to job responsibilities
Have a very important position with many responsibilities and you have to whom you can delegate some tasks? This is something that you must solve as soon as possible if you do not want your own position and your past achievements fade for a current mismanagement. Do not you have to trust? You do not have to do things alone. In the era of organizations, work teams outperform exceptional individuals. This is called synergy. The result of the parties (which provides each individual) is multiplied by the interaction between them and are able to get much more amazing results. So the theory that you have to be an exceptional leader, only applies to you if you have an outstanding team.
How do I solve it?
Do not have a team? I fórmalo. Choose each individual for their individual contribution and what you can do in addition to the team. Do not choose exceptional partners who have no good features for end group isolated by themselves or by others. Or if you think are fundamental parts, help them to fit into the group. You need a structure, a team to delegate tasks, initiatives and make your area or organization grow. Practice delegating both individuals and teams. This also will detect new and future potential leaders.
Error n ° 5 - Leave the continuous improvement to "a better scenario," not implemented immediately.
Well, this is natural and to be expected with the four points above taladrándote brain every day. You can hardly get to think about the future, about how to improve the quality of equipment, the area or how to innovate, if the basics are not resolved. But the problem is that in today's world, if we are not constantly thinking about how to improve, how to do things faster, more efficiently, at lower cost or higher value, you are slowly destroying your business, your area or your team. People we live constantly bombarded with new technology, new advertising, new ways of doing things. It is our global environment today, and that makes us feel that we live in the dizzying world of innovations and constantly moving. If we do not feel the same as customers, partners as a team or as members of an organization, how do we feel?Usually: stagnant. The search for innovation and quality improvement is one of the pillars that keep "moving" the personal feeling of each "I belong" to a great team that is at the forefront at all times.
How do I solve it?
The tool to be applied is the same "take time" and "delegate". You can separate the tasks you have to meet regularly between "operational" and "strategic". It balances both groups of tasks in your weekly schedule. Post a leader at the head of certain quality initiatives and give autonomy to research, innovate and carry out these initiatives. Make it a person with leadership skills but also someone who cares about the continuous improvement of processes.
That depends on you for political support only certain complex and to open doors in the organization, but give space to create and implement. Rapidly deploy innovations or improvements and show it to the team and the organization. Others see and want to be infected and also collaborate on these ventures.
Author: * Gabriela Turiano, originally published in co achingparatucarrera.com
* Certified by the International Coaching Community (ICC), Bachelor in Business Administration and expert in Leadership Coach
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