Monday, March 20, 2006

RULE 41 - Be proactive, not reactive

“The greatest advancement of this century, the light bulb, the airplane, and the computer, were created by innovators – people who imagined things that did not exist and asked why. Being an outstanding employee requires a touch of this inventor’s spirit, a determination to persistently strive to create value.”

Bernice Milano, ‘How to be Proactive, Not Reactive’

I know, I know, it takes you all your time just to get the job done, the paperwork tidied and the plants watered without having to think about the future or be a whiz innovator. But the smart manager – that’s you again – puts aside 30 minutes a week for forward planning. Try asking yourself simple questions: ‘How can I generate more sale?’ ‘What can I do more expediently?’ ‘How could I cut staff turnover?’ ‘How can I get convert more leads to sales?’ ‘How could I streamline the accounting procedure?’ ‘How could I move into another sector?’ ‘How could I get my team to work harder, faster, brighter?’ ‘How could I get them to brainstorm more freely?’ ‘How could I hold meetings that wouldn’t waste so much time?’

“Be a shark. Keep moving forwards.”

There is an old saying, ’If you always do what you’re always done, you’ll always get what you’re always got’. And by golly it’s true. If you aren’t proactive you’ll stagnate. And if you do that the crocodiles will bite your bum. You have to keep paddling, keep moving forward in the water. Sharks have to keep moving forwards all their life to keep water passing through or over their gills. They never stop. Be a shark. Keep moving forwards. Because if you don’t there will be plenty of others willing to do so.

And believe me I know what it’s like. You open your mail box and there are loads of e0mails to deal with. Then there’s the post. Then there’s the staff issues. Then there’s lunch. Then there’s the afternoon work to be done and then there’s a panic to get all the post ready to go out and then there’s a quick cup of tea and then it’s about time to pack it all and go home and there’s this idiot telling me I’ve got to take 30 minutes out of jam-packed day to think about the future. Yeah, in your dreams.

But the 30 minutes can be combined with another task. Once a week I have lunch on my own and spend the time being proactive, thinking about the future, thinking of ways to be one jump ahead of the competition. But I do have to go out alone for that lunch or people come and interrupt my mental planning session.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home