What To Do When There's Too Much To Do (12 page)

Similarly, request acknowledgment and an estimated time of completion from anyone with whom you correspond; if they don't respond, ping them again in a few days. No need for rudeness, just assertiveness and persistence. Send them an e-mail nudge or pick up the phone and say, “Hey, I sent you a message about such-and-such. Did you get it?” It's possible they didn't. Maybe it passed under their radar due to disorganization, or the technology you sent it by simply failed you in this instance. That happens occasionally, as all of us can attest.

You can't let anyone use the claim they didn't get a message as an excuse for not getting something done. Get an acknowledgment—not so you can cover yourself later, but so you can make sure they understand what you need and require, and so you know they comprehend the urgency of your request.

In a related vein, make it clear that people can ask questions if they don't understand what you're trying to say. Encourage
them to request clarification, and be patient when they do; if you don't, their lack of understanding will result in unproductive errors and rework. The same goes for you: If you don't understand exactly what your requester wants, keep asking questions until you do—even in the face of their irritation. It's more productive to go back and forth a few times than to find out later you did something incorrectly due to a miscommunication.

While the potential for confusion always exists in human interaction, solid, clear communication at all levels will make sure such confusion is minimized. If you follow these simple rules, not only will people not have to waste time (and therefore productivity) trying to figure out what you're trying to say, but also they are less likely to mistake what you're trying to say. Mistakes waste time, and time really is money—so it's crucial to avoid as many miscommunications as possible.

If someone doesn't acknowledge a communication, repeat it. If they still don't respond, contact them through another medium. If they keep ignoring you, go over their head or around them.

In the modern workplace, perhaps the worst people-related plague—and certainly one of the most common hindrances to closing a workflow loop and simply getting anything done—is micromanaging. According to recent statistics, a whopping 75–80 percent of American workers have suffered under micromanagers at some point. One-third of us have changed jobs because of them.
²²

Micromanagers, for those of you fortunate enough to have never encountered one, are bosses who don't trust you to get your job done. They keep a constant eye on you, interfering
with how you work, sending incessant instructions on how to do every little thing, and hovering at your elbow all day long. They're obsessed with detail and refuse to let you take the initiative in anything, forcing you to check in with them before making any decision or beginning any new task. Ultimately, their distrust in your ability to do your job becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, because they don't
let
you do your job.

So how do you deal with them? How do you handle them on a daily basis, and keep them from absolutely destroying your productivity?

This is one of those situations where you have to tread carefully, tailoring any advice to your individual personality and situation. Various experts have taken differing approaches to the subject, suggesting numerous (and often contradictory) ways of dealing with micromanagers. The only thing they agree on is you're unlikely to change a micromanager's ways, because as a category, they derive pleasure from trying to control your every move.

Personally, I'm not sure this is
always
the case. If you feel your boss is micromanaging you, take a hard look at yourself first. Are you new to the job? How does your performance compare to others in your group? Do your coworkers feel the same way about the boss? As hard as it is to admit, perhaps you're giving your manager legitimate reasons to micromanage you. Buckle down, focus on your productivity, and see if things improve.

On the other hand, I agree there's a certain level of petty tyranny involved in most micromanaging. When this is the case, you basically have three choices: You can adapt, find another job, or confront them directly.

Adapting may involve anything from appeasement to manipulating your micromanager to your satisfaction. Admittedly, appeasement isn't ideal; I wouldn't consider it unless your situation is desperate and you need to “play the game.” You also have the option of micromanaging the micromanager. In other words, try to overwhelm them with the minutiae
they typically require until they're sick of it. Find out precisely what they want, and get it to them ahead of time. Be relentless. Keep in constant contact. Follow the rules precisely and preempt deadlines.

Some authorities recommend trying to prove to the micromanager that you're capable of doing your job. The idea is to take on a new role or project and roll it out perfectly, so they'll see the error of their ways and back off. This rarely works. Micromanagers are all about control and have an ingrained lack of trust. Even a minor mistake can be fatal: They'll focus on it as proof they were right to micromanage you in the first place, no matter how well you've done otherwise.

Whatever you do, document your interactions with micromanagers. Have them write down their requirements for you. Record orders in a journal (written or electronic), and be very specific as to dates and times. Carefully track everything you do to fulfill orders. When something goes wrong, you can pull out your notes and say, “Well, here's what you told me to do on such-and-such a date.” While having to track everything this way may seem abysmally unproductive, in the end it may help you protect yourself—especially if they try to pin the blame for something on you.

If you can't live with being micromanaged, and you can't find a way to successfully manage your manager, you always have the option of leaving that environment. Either transfer elsewhere in the organization or find a new opportunity. Some experts recommend against this, claiming it's self-defeating. They argue that since micromanagers are everywhere, you might end up working for another one even after you change jobs. Not to mention that it can be difficult to find another job in times of high unemployment and economic uncertainty.

This is a bit like saying that even if your chickenpox is cured, you might just catch measles. True … but conversely, you might end up healthier and more productive than ever before. If you must leave to maintain your sanity, then leave. If you just can't seem to escape the micromanagement trap even
after changing jobs, look within. Perhaps consider starting your own business, so you never have to worry about others managing you again.

The best option is to schedule a meeting with your manager, and politely but firmly point out that you can't work productively in an environment where you're treated as though you're untrustworthy. Emphasize your desire for a more empowered and professional work environment. Outline the checkpoints and how you'd like to be evaluated. You may find a positive response to your request. But if instead your manager starts citing personal strict standards, and how no one can be allowed the slightest bit of slack, you're unlikely to ever get through.

The Productivity Workflow Formula allows for constant reevaluation and change, so you can reduce all inefficiencies inherent to your job. As time passes, the circle will become smaller as you tighten your methods.

Never assume the way you do things is the best possible way to do them; in fact, it probably isn't. There's almost always a better way. So take the new information you've acquired, use it to create more efficient processes, and put those processes to work. Even as you implement the new processes, you'll find some are more effective than others. So actively evaluate what works and what doesn't, and weed out the poor producers.

In many cases, a broken process isn't flawed. A few tweaks may transform it into something useful and productive. So when something fails you, start by asking questions to figure out why.

• What changes can you make to improve the methods and procedures you're using?

• What can you do to work more effectively?

• What's holding you back?

• What new systems are benefiting your life?

• What's frustrating you?

• What's keeping you from doing what you know you should be doing?

• What obstacles do you perceive?

Constant analysis will help you to find inefficiencies in your schedule so you can reduce them and thereby increase productivity.

In addition to finding and clearing internal inefficiencies, you'll also want to look for bottlenecks—external factors slowing your workflow. If you regularly commute or drive busy freeways, you know how much a bottleneck can slow progress. When four lanes of traffic suddenly funnel into one, slowing is inevitable, even if everyone is driving effectively and efficiently. Your workflow may have similar bottlenecks, so identify them and make plans to break them.

If something's cutting into your productivity, you must work to change it—no two ways about it.

Often the required change is relatively small and simple to implement. For example, I once bought a handheld, which worked fine for a while. Over time, I discovered it would connect to my e-mail server only if it had a really full battery charge. This wasn't a problem if I remembered to plug it in every night; but one night I didn't, and the next day I was out on appointments and couldn't get my messages. The battery was internal and couldn't be replaced easily. My one-year warranty was over, but I wasn't yet in the two-year window required for an upgrade. In frustration, I bought the newer model at full price, and the difference was amazing. I asked myself, “Why didn't I do this sooner?” I couldn't believe I put up with this situation for so long for a few measly extra bucks.

I wondered what other irritations I was tolerating and
found several things I could easily change: a slow printer; an uncomfortable chair; a keyboard with a stuck “l” key I had to hit hard several times, and so on. It's amazing how many personal inefficiencies we tolerate on a daily basis!

Sometimes workflow inefficiencies can have organization-wide repercussions as well. In the 1970s, for example, IBM was having a huge problem selling computer mainframes. Everyone wanted to buy one, so desire wasn't a problem. They could manufacture them fast enough, so speed to delivery wasn't the issue either. Of all things, the processing of credit approvals was taking an average of six weeks!

Therefore, a bright sales engineer decided to run a test: He hand-carried a credit application through the entire approval process. He made people stop what they were doing and deal with the application immediately. As a result, he pushed the application through in forty-five minutes, instead of the normal six weeks. All he did was eliminate the bottlenecks in the system.

Many, if not most, systems have inherent bottlenecks. Unfortunately, we usually can't see them without taking the time to step back and look at the bigger picture. It's one of those “can't see the forest for the trees” situations.

So how do you identify the inefficient processes in your workplace? It's actually rather simple. Think about this question: What do you dread because of the length of time it takes? If it's annoying you, there's a good chance that there's something inefficient in the process. Take a good look at it, with the idea of finding where valuable time is being wasted by you or others.

Remember, no matter how you're doing it, there's always a better way. As long as you keep that attitude in mind, you'll keep analyzing, seeking to come up with that better way. Instead of looking at new technology and new methodologies and saying “That's nice,” look at them and ask yourself, “How can this help me be more productive?”

When you find better ways to do things, try them out. Experiment
with your new processes and systems to see if they really work. Sometimes the most ridiculous-sounding things work wonderfully well, and the most logical ones are failures. So don't let your mind throw something away just because it doesn't sound as though it will work—test it first. Likewise, don't become wedded to any particular idea. Just because it sounds good doesn't mean it's workable. It may be a lemon.

The good ideas are the ones that work; ultimately, that's the only criterion that matters. Even then, don't assume you can't improve a good idea. The time to start improving any process is as soon as you have it in place and working.

Many workflow bottlenecks are human rather than procedural; all too often, the actions of our coworkers (or lack thereof) cause the process to spring a leak. We frequently need data, additional materials, or approval from another person before we can proceed with our piece of a project. Maybe you can't begin your task until someone else hands something off to you; however, that person isn't as worried about meeting the deadline as you are, so yours gets pushed back even further. Or maybe you encounter constant discrepancies in someone's work that require rework or clarification. In either case, your ability to move forward is dependent upon the other's person's performance.