2011 March » Nonsense At Work

#478: When efficient isn’t fast enough

Effectiveness, Efficiency No Responses »

Mar 302011

Spring is here and soon we will have that lazy, hazy craving for hot days on the beach. That craving once earned me a hot glare from a business school professor.

The professor was explaining why efficiency is business magic. Why efficiency mattered, why it was better for all, why we, as future superstar managers, had always to aim for efficiency, and so on.

This was a Friday evening class, believe it or not, and so his enthusiasm was met with tired stares. So he asked us to imagine planning a drive to a fancy holiday resort. What car would we choose based on fuel consumption and miles to be traveled?

That’s where he lost me completely and I finally spoke up. Sir, if that’s the destination, then I’m taking the fastest car.

To this day I still think that effectiveness trumps efficiency, even if it costs a glare or two.

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#477: Trying to be glum is too much fun

Customers/Service, Nonsense No Responses »

Mar 282011

Sometimes, I admit, happy chappies with their fake smiley faces and their ‘have a nice day’ choruses annoy me into grumpy retorts. But there’s good news. I think I’ve found away to snap out of it. My grumpiness, that is.

Happiness gurus tell you to choose your attitude, to be happy, don’t worry. Well, I think you should do the opposite. For one day put on your grumpy face, look unhappy and glare at anyone who dares to smile at you.

For one whole day wipe the smile from your dial and put a frown on your face. Yes, even when someone is genuinely nice or a joke really funny.

There is one rule, though. Don’t be rude. That is a frown too far.

Why is this good news? Because there is no way you can make it through the day without cracking a smile. Trying to be glum is just too much fun.

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Listen to the radio version of Trying to be glum is too much fun (10 most recent radio files)

#476: Wake up to your rules

Trust, Workers/Employees No Responses »

Mar 232011

Why do you have rules at work? According to Dr Laurence Peter of the Peter Principle fame: “Capable individuals need only general guidelines and clearly stated objectives in order to function competently. Inept employees require rules limiting their actions. Rules will not produce competence, but will protect the hierarchy.”

And why are there so many inept employees in so many organizations? Well, because many organizations operate according to the notion that some people are paid to think and others are paid to do as they are told. This approach empowers managers to demand that workers shut up and listen. And it empowers workers to stop thinking on the job and to do nothing unless instructed.

Doing the opposite can lead to greater success. As Ricardo Semler describes in his book “Maverick”, “One day I woke up and I saw the people working for me were adults.”

No doubt, it’s time to wake up.

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Listen to the radio version of Wake up to your rules (10 most recent radio files)

#475: At the level of the meanest muttering

Communication, Nonsense No Responses »

Mar 212011

Societies tend to aspire to become better over time. Blame it on evolution. Yet, all societies run the risk of going in the other direction. Blame this on us.

I once worked for a CEO whose executives criticized him because his language, they feared, was too fancy for all employees to understand. He explained that leadership is about setting standards that inspire others, even in language. This is one direction.

Now consider the First Amendment which laudably protects free speech. Sadly, it also protects hurtful and hateful speech, as Chief Justice Roberts recently pointed out.

Surely, it is an abuse of the intention of freedom of speech to protect every insane uttering. If this continues unchecked, then there is a risk that we all will ultimately communicate at the level of the meanest muttering.

When a civilized society fails to frown on even simple rudeness, well, that is evolution in the wrong direction.

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Listen to the radio version of At the level of the meanest muttering (10 most recent radio files)

#474: Confused about wasted customers

Customers/Service No Responses »

Mar 162011

There is something about the 80/20 rule that doesn’t quite make sense to me. I suppose it makes sense 20 percent of the time, but it’s the other 80 percent that confuses me.

Many experts tell us to apply the 80/20 rule when dealing with customers. If 20 percent of our customers bring in 80 percent of the revenue, then we should not waste time on the cheap 80 percent.

Here’s the bit that confuses me. If you then again apply the 80/20 rule to this top 20 percent, then you will have to ignore 80 percent of these once-valued customers. Do this again and again according to the rule and you have a shrinking customer base.

Furthermore, how much more can you really squeeze out of your top 20 percent?

I suggest that you spend 80 percent of your time converting the ‘bad’ 80 percent customers into spending more with you. That’s still one of the best ways to grow your lucrative 20 percent.

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Listen to the public radio version of Confused about wasted customers (10 most recent radio files)

#473: Learning to destroy the future

Nonsense No Responses »

Mar 142011

It seems to me that many politicians pontificating and many voters marching have stopped thinking. Actually, many people who should know better don’t.

A long, long time ago, in the era known as 500BC, a Chinese poet had this to say: If you are thinking a year ahead, sow a seed. If you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking one hundred years ahead, educate the people.

Today, in the year twenty eleven, our esteemed political leaders have wise words for us: To balance the books, don’t raise taxes. Spend less on education.

What message are we sending to our children? That we adults no longer value your education enough to care about your future, which is why we destroy learning today.

But then, maybe Einstein was wrong when he explained: “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”

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Listen to the radio version of Learning to destroy the future (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#472: Hindsight is never 20/20

Nonsense, Perception/Reality No Responses »

Mar 092011

Not so long ago I complained about ‘seagull commentators’, to miss quote Ken Blanchard. They swoop in on a bit of left-over trouble, make much noise dumping their hindsighted opinions and fly out again.

A listener asked, “Do you mean that hindsight is actually not 20/20?” Exactly!

Hindsight is simply reverse prediction. Because an event has already occurred, we have a tendency to see this event as being more predictable than it was before it happened. And 20/20 vision is nothing more than normal sharp-sightedness.

So, when is hindsight not 20/20? When you cloud your hindsight with opinions, perceptions, interpretations, and so on, to fit your idea of 20/20 accuracy. And when you ignore the fact that hindsight is just as subjective as future-sight.

Above all, hindsight is not 20/20 when you forget that the past is more predictable than the future.

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Listen to the radio version of Hindsight is never 20/20 (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#471: Dissonance pays the best taxes

Nonsense, Perception/Reality No Responses »

Mar 072011

Tax season is upon us, so let’s talk about cognitive dissonance. “Cognitive what?”, you may well ask.

Cognitive dissonance happens when you hold two contradictory ideas and when you notice an inconsistency between your attitude and your behavior.

What has this to do with taxes? Well, many of us believe ourselves to be inherently honest and yet we feel justified to cheat on taxes. We are like fraudsters in jail who correctly complete the sentence ‘something is the best policy’.

Daniel Defoe was first to declare death and taxes to be the only certainties. Yet, the way we live is filled with dissonance – we live as if we can always delay until tomorrow what we know should best be done today.

So get rid of cognitive dissonance by doing your taxes as if there is no tomorrow. Wait! I sense some dissonance here.

If you believe that there’s no tomorrow, will you bother with taxes?

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Listen to the radio version of Dissonance pays the best taxes (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#470: A likeable recommendation

Trust No Responses »

Mar 022011

I like you. But I’m not sure that I can recommend you. This, to me, is the key issue that people so enamored with networking events either ignore or don’t understand.

Don’t get me wrong. I have met many people that I like at networking events. That is not the issue.

However, few of these likeable people have graduated in my understanding of them and of what they do to a level where I feel confident in recommending them and their service or product. That is the issue.

Liking you depends on personality; yours and mine. Many organizations take personality into account when they recruit. Some even run personality tests. Personality does matter.

On the other hand, recommending you depends on my understanding of your level of competence and ability to make a meaningful contribution. No sane hiring manager will ignore meaningful competence in favor of simple liking. So why should I?

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Listen to the radio version of A likable recommendation (10 most recent radio files)

James can be heard on Public Radio: Monday – 7:19am and Saturday – 8:19am
88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA | 89.1 FM WCNV, Heathsville VA | 90.1 FM WMVE, Chase City VA

#478: When efficient isn’t fast enough

#477: Trying to be glum is too much fun

#476: Wake up to your rules

#475: At the level of the meanest muttering

#474: Confused about wasted customers

#473: Learning to destroy the future

#472: Hindsight is never 20/20

#471: Dissonance pays the best taxes

#470: A likeable recommendation

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