OK, so like the rest of us you have now lost headcount, lost other resources and have been told you have to do more with less. What do you do?
You could have a temper tantrum and shout “It’s not fair.” I know plenty of managers who are doing the grown-up equivalent of that.
You could quit. On the other hand, times are tough and you might be better off keeping the job you now have.
You could bring your team together and in the most positive manner possible, explain that they now need to do some process improvement and learn how to be more efficient and more effective in the work they do.
What an idea!
It is times like these that the opportunities for really taking a good hard – honest – and creative – luck at the manner in which you and your teams work. It is also the time to re-examine how you interact with both internal and external vendors and customers.
You can do more with less. You can because typically we do less and less in more and more time.
For example: If it once took one person to change the proverbial light bulb,due to managers getting raises and promotions based on head-count, it now takes at least ten of you. Figure out how to do it once again with only one or two people.
I’m really not kidding. As a consultant I am often amazed at how many hours people spend at work and how little they actually accomplish during those hours.
Tasks, as you know tend to fill the available time. Sometimes allocating less time produces a higher quality, more creative and more complete task (project, product, service, etc.)
So, figure out how to do more with less – or hire consultants like me to help you figure it out.
Blogging this week: ArLyne Diamond, Ph.D. Diamond Associates, Santa Clara, CA: www.DiamondAssociates.net.
