busyness is not good business: how to accomplish more by doing less

Busyness is Not Good Business

How to Accomplish More by Doing Less

Frank Margulis, Presidentwww.MarginConsultants.comKMESA Fall Conference 2010

What If …• You could get more done

in less time?

• Have less stress?

• Potentially make more money?

2www.MarginConsultants.com

Stress in the Workplace

• 80% of workers report feeling stress on the job

• Nearly half report needing help to manage stress

• 42% say their co-workers need such help

www.MarginConsultants.com

Source: Attitudes in the American workplace VI, Gallup Poll sponsored by the Marlin Company, 2000 annual report.

Stress in the Workplace

14% of respondents had felt like striking a coworker in the past year, but didn't

Source: Attitudes in the American workplace VI, Gallup Poll sponsored by the Marlin Company,

2000 annual report.

25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress

10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent

Source: Attitudes in the American workplace VI, Gallup Pollsponsored by the Marlin Company, 2000 annual report.

Stress in the Workplace

9% are aware of an assault or violent act in their workplace

18% had experienced some sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year.

Source: Attitudes in the American workplace VI, Gallup Pollsponsored by the Marlin Company, 2000 annual report.

Stress in the Workplace

Percentage of workers who report their job is “very or extremely stressful”: 40%

Source: Northwestern National LifeNorthwestern National Life Insurance Company [1991].

Employee burnout: America’s newest epidemic.Minneapolis, MN: Northwestern National Life

Insurance Company.

Stress in the Workplace

Percentage of workers who report they are “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work”: 26%

Source: Families and Work InstituteBond JT, Galinsky E, Swanberg JE [1998]. The 1997 national study of the

changing workforce. New York, NY: Families and Work Institute.

Stress in the Workplace

Source: Yale University, Barsade S, Wiesenfeld B, The Marlin Company [1997]. Attitudes in the American workplace III. New Haven, CT

Yale University School of Management.

Percentage of workers who report they feel “quite a bit or extremely stressed at work”: 29%

Stress in the Workplace

The American Dream

“The opportunity to have a nice home, financial security for you and your family, and

hope for the future.”

As defined by a poll conducted in May 2008 by Zogby International for

The Marlin Company

Is the dream alive?

• 74.7% say the American dream is not as attainable today as it was eight years ago

• 52.4% say it is simply unattainable for the average American

Source: Poll conducted in May 2008 by Zogby International for The Marlin Company

If you think this is a good idea …

… you’re too busy.

ObjectivesAt the end of this session, you will be able to• Define “busyness” conceptually and personally

• Understand the concept of “margin”• Conceive and implement specific strategies to

combat busyness and improve personal productivity

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Busyness Defined• Constant motion, limited production

• The “I’ll get to it later” stack of stuff

Busyness Defined

• The work that lands on your desk but has very little to do with real productivity

• Being pressed to the limit as defined by:

• Culture–Business»Others

How much of the work on your desk …

… adds to the company’s bottom line?

Busyness: How Did This Happen?• When you began your job …– “I will do what it takes to get the job done.”

• Natural and necessary in the beginning to demonstrate competency, but …

• As the company grows, if you continue in this mode you will diminish your own productivity

• Over time, your competency will suffer and be apparent to others

Busyness: How Did This Happen?

• FACT: no one can do everything excellently

• REALITY: you are very good at a few things

• CONSIDER: of all the things you are asked to do, how many of them really make a difference to the company’s bottom line?

Busyness: How Did This Happen?• TREND: as the company grows, the tendency is

to add more things to your “to do” list

• PROBLEM: the additional weight impairs performance

The Remedy• FOCUS: play to your strengths, delegate your weaknesses

• GOAL: marry your skill set (the one or two things you do very well) with the one or two things in your job description that will make a difference in the company

• REALITY CHECK: this is a goal, a target to shoot for over time and with help

Limits

We all have limits. Do you know yours?Cultivate productivity by establishing “margin”.

MarginThe difference between your load and your limits

Margin

Ample space

among the

vehicles on the road

MarginThe roominess of first class compared to coach

MarginMoney left over at the end of the

month

Margin“Space” enjoyed by a nice vacation from

the press of the crowd

Start Mining• What defines success for the person in my

position at work?

–Write it down–Ask your supervisor to write it down (Ask,

“If I don’t get anything else done, what 1 or 2 things add value to the company from my position?”)

Start Sculpting

• Write your ideal job description– Success for the person in your position– The mission of the organization– Your individual skill set (what you were

designed to do)

The Plan• Make an appointment with your immediate

supervisor“I want to see this company succeed. I think I have

figured out a way to make us succeed better. Here is what you said ‘success’ is, here is the mission of the

company, and here is what I am good at. Would you be willing to work me into this job description because I

think I can add more value to the company?”

The Million Dollar Question*• Ask your boss, “What would you like me to stop doing? We both know these 4 things are what move the company forward, these 8 things don’t. I would like more time to focus on what makes a difference.”

*Easier to broach if you have a good relationship with your boss

Employees• Do– Seek the counsel of appropriate others– Make an appeal, not a demand– Be patient, take the long view

• Do not– Circumvent the authority of your immediate

supervisor

View From the Top• A reasonable employer will think …

– “You have been trying to figure out how to make both of us more successful.”

– “I can see, you have a dozen things to do but you’re really not good at 8 of them, they just land on your desk.”

View From the Top– “We all have limits and this suggestion will make him

focused and therefore truly productive.”

– “If we can work toward this, everyone wins.”

– “I didn’t realize the attractive secretary convinced my top sales rep to take phone messages 2 hours a day.”

Management• Be proactive

–If you notice employees who have ‘dropped the ball’

•Take time to evaluate

–Overload?

If You Are An Employer• It is not enough simply to have the right people. You must have

the right people doing the right things

• As you help your staff discover how to marry their skill sets with what really needs to be done, the company will benefit

• If you will help your staff work towards this, everyone wins

Illustration• 2002, Tom Glavine, batting average .103

• Why no complaints?

• Same year, ERA 2.96– Phenomenal pitcher, others can hit, focus on pitching

Summary• Employers and Supervisors– Review employee’s job description and consider

their strengths and weaknesses

• Trim their workload to play to their strengths: the 1, 2, or possibly 3 things they do very well

• Delegate their weaknesses

Benefits of Delegating• One employee’s weakness is another’s strength

– Advantages

• Gives another employee the chance to step up to the plate

• Reduces risk of production being affected by weaknesses

• Produces “margin” and happier, more

productive employees

Summary• Employees– Evaluate your job description, company mission,

and skill set

• Honestly evaluate your limitations – we all have them

– Work respectfully with your immediate supervisor

Summary– Check your motivation (a ploy to redefine your

workload because of laziness will be detected)

– Goal: to make your immediate supervisor successful

Conclusion• Remember, establishing professional margin

will not happen today. It is a target to shoot for, a goal to be attained over time with help from others.

• For today: make the commitment to begin.

By The Way …• First written account of professional “margin”

applied?

– 3400 years ago

• Exodus 18 – Moses (you’re in good company)

Please complete your evaluation form. It has been a pleasure being with you.

I wish you all the best.

If you have any questions, please contact me via my website