The biggest problem with the way organizations think about strategy is they confuse strategy with plans. They aren’t the same thing. Strategic planning is an oxymoron. It is also the reason why strategic planning often misses the mark and why I always work extra closely with prospective clients to clarify expectations before I even agree to work with them. Let’s start with a definition
Are your employees spending the majority of their time re-making decisions, waiting for others, managing email, and sitting in meetings? If you don’t think so, think again. On average, employees spend 34% of their time in meetings. Some spend far more.
The assignment was to produce an agenda for a list of topics. I got a C. There were no discernible objectives and no way to mine for intentions. I broke all the traditional rules—format, timeslots, responsibility assignments—by responding only with questions. The instructor wanted me to recognize how generous she was to give me a C.
I am frequently asked about goal setting and how to know if expectations are reasonable. The norm these days is long To Do lists and insufficient time. Managers push their employees hard, but don’t know what constitutes pushing too hard. Employees are proud and eager to be valuable and appreciated, but they feel stressed, are running full tilt, and often work late and on weekends. So how can anyone know what is realistic? There is only one way to be sure expectations are reasonable and that way usually fails.
Work should be challenging and satisfying. It should fire you up to accomplish as much as you can and give you that great feeling of having made a difference. Unfortunately, those feelings are too rare. Too many people feel overwhelmed and overloaded. They leave work each day feeling they didn’t accomplish enough. They suffer feelings of inadequacy and frustration. They question whether their employers are reasonable and fair. Some slip into victimhood, blame their employers, and abdicate responsibility for their own success and happiness. Persistent feelings of inadequacy and unreasonable pressure are both destructive. They eat away at a person’s confidence and determination. The goal should be to leave work each day feeling good about what you have accomplished and ready to make more progress the next day. There is simply no value in feeling overwhelmed or unhappy with your day at work. One question I hear frequently is, “How do we know what constitutes reasonable goals?”
“Do you want to start or should I? This is the worst possible way to open a meeting. And, yet, it is also among the most common. Epidemic, actually. I think it must be contagious. Why is it bad?
Sensationalism and outrage hurt productivity and generate bad feelings. The provocation may be our unprecedented political situation or internal decisions that suddenly become unnecessarily difficult. Let me give you a simple, unemotional example.
I saw a new study by the University of Minnesota that encourages messy desks after concluding “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking with tradition, which can produce fresh insights.”
Success and profits come from devoting resources to activities that create value for which customers are willing to pay and minimizing resources devoted to everything else. If you are serious about improving results, you need to take a good hard look at the time you and your employees spend on the following activities: