Are We Someone Else’s Problem?
I work with a variety
of clients in different industries and at different levels. Some come across as either more or less
“organised”. What all have in common,
however, is their sense of priorities.
Everyone has different priorities based on their job,
seniority, experience, personality, education and any number of other factors
which vary from person to person. What I’ve
seen over many years’ experience is that we need to work out what:
- Our priorities are;
- Our colleagues’ priorities are;
- Our boss’ priorities are;
- Our customers’ priorities are.
From here, we then need to work out where (if anywhere) they
overlap or coincide. These are the areas
in which we know we’re pulling in the same direction.
At times, we seem to have diametrically opposed priorities
(although often they’re the same, just stated differently).
At others, it may be the case that our priorities are getting
in the way of others’. I’ve encountered cases
where a disorganised (for whatever reason) team member is the main cause of
their team’s low performance and the key is how to “fix” this whilst preserving
that team member’s self-respect. This is
all the more important if they are, after all, good at what they do.
I’ve found that the way forward in such circumstances is to:
- Appreciate (our differences): they’re good at what they do, but may not appreciate that others find their way of doing things difficult.
- Anticipate (where problems may arise): if we know that person’s always forgetting meeting dates and times, remind them in advance (several times if necessary). If they tend to arrive late, pick them up from their desk well before the meeting (to give them time to gather their stuff, finish the phone call. They may gradually come to “anticipate” us doing this!
- Engage them: at the right time; find out what drives them and whether they’re aware that they may be preventing others from functioning efficiently.
- Examine ourselves (the most difficult): could your way of doing things be the problem in that environment?
In the end, more than one person may need to adjust the way
they do things.
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Career, Leadership, Productivity, Social, Teamwork
posted by William Martin @ 10:39
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