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Universities Press
Management
NOTES!!
EFFECTIVE
USE OF
TIME
EFFECTIVE USE
OF TIME
Titles in the series:
Appraisal and Appraisal Interviewing
Decision Taking
Delegation
Effective Management in the Public Service
Effective Supervision in the Factory
Effective Supervision in the Office
Effective Use of Time
Induction
Involvement of You ng People at Work
Job Descriptions
The Manager as a Leader
The Manager's Responsibility for Communication
Managing Change
Managing for Total Quality
Motivation
Target Setting
Training your Staff
EFFECTIVE USE
OF TIME
by Roy Pemet
with an additional chapter by David Wright
Universities Press
Registered Office
3-5-820 Hyderguda. Hyderabad 500 029 (A.P.). India
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© The Industrial Society 1989
First published in the U.K. by
The Industrial Society
London W1H7LN
First published in India by
Universities Press (India) Limited 1997
Reprinted 1997
ISBN 81 7371 063 5
This edition has been authorised by The Industrial Society
for sale in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
and the Maldives only and not for export therefrom.
Printed in India at
Isvarya Graphics,
Hyderabad 500 004
Published by
Universities Press (India) Limited
3-5-820 Hyderguda, Hyderabad 500 029
P ’ ' I C
CONTENTS
Introduction
vii
Effective Use of Time
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Thinking
Time utilisation (by David Wright)
Decisions
Reading and writing
Telecommunications
Paperwork
Meetings
Delegation
Other people's time
Secretaries
Roots and branches
Finding more time
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Time savers' checklist
Chairing and leading meetings
Working with your secretary—checklist
References and futher reading
3
7
11
12
13
16
18
20
26
30
33
36
41
42
45
47
INTRODUCTION
These notes have been put together to help the busy
manager get on top of some ever-present problems, such as:
•
•
•
•
•
backlog of paperwork
continual interruptions
domination by the telephone
instant reactions to urgent problems (regardless of their
relative importance)
falling asleep (on the train or at home) trying to catch up
on some reading.
Lack of time is often used as a cover for inefficiency, lack
of forethought, delays, or failures. It is no use muttering
about 'theory' or 'an ideal world'. In reality we have to get
things done in a far from perfect setting. Proper management
of time is crucial to the success of organisations. Yet so
much is left to chance.
•
•
•
•
Where do the best ideas come from?
How are decisions made?
Do we use basic, taken for granted skills (like reading
and writing) properly?
Are our meetings short and productive, and do things get
done on schedule?
EFFECTIVE USE
OF TIME
1
THINKING
There is a strong belief that we have to look busy all the
time—or at least when the boss can see us. The idea of
taking time off to stop and think produces uneasy feelings.
Yet thinking must be a central part of productive work. To
do it properly calls for concentration, self-discipline and
proper allocation of time for the purpose.
Example 1
A senior official in a professional institute advises members
to spend a period of every day in thought. He tries between
3 p.m. and 5 p.m. What about? About what exactly he is
paid to achieve, and how his group can make a better
contribution.
Example 2
The London manager of an international concern periodic
ally climbs into a 'mental helicopter' and views the topic
under discussion from a vantage point up in the ceiling. Her
colleagues have grown used to her occasional trances.
Not all thinking is directed at solving work problems. The
brain needs frequent short concentration breaks, and we can
use some of the day's interruptions in this way. Neither does
the mind switch off when we have found a solution. We can
get much pleasure from spontaneous mental freewheeling
and unwinding.
Example 3
A construction engineer asserts that, when he breaks away
from 'banging my head against a brick wall', he experiences
two remarkable effects: 'The pain goes, and my vision
clears.'
3
So, not only should we set aside some time for serious
work-thinking, but we should also tolerate, even welcome,
plav-thinking. The value of timely thinking cannot be
overstressed.
The human brain
Our brains are much more efficient than we give ourselves
credit. We now know that the brain has a much greater
ability than was previously believed. Tiny babies have an
enormous capacity to learn and develop; far from being
'helpless little things' they grow intellectually at a pace far
outstripping current advances in computer technology.
The athlete knows the value of regular training for the next
race. The executive with middle-age spread will admit the
possibility of getting back into trim with appropriate visits to
the local sports centre (not forgetting changes in diet). The
brain, too, needs regular exercise to attain a high level of
efficiency.
We can think a lost faster than we can talk. The average
person can speak at about 200 words per minute. Tests
show we can habitually think at over 600 wpm. Perhaps this
suggests we can gain an advantage by more listening and
less interrupting. We could use the extra seconds gained,
deciding from a range of possible replies, instead of relying
on instinct.
It pays to listen properly. School leavers at work, who
found it hard to respect their supervisors, levelled one
criticism most often: 'They don't listen.'
Creative thinking
We habitually tend to think 'analytically', where logical
deduction from known facts leads to a more or less
indisputable answer. Most of us are good at this; it is the
way we were taught. There are times, however, when we
need 'creative' thinking, where imagination is brought into
4
play because the facts do not permit logical deduction.
Creative thinking needs adjusting to. We hit barriers when
we first try it. Self-imposed limits to new ideas get in the
way: a belief that there is always one right answer;
conformity, lack of effort in challenging the obvious; fear of
looking foolish. 'That won't work,' we say, and another
excellent idea has got away. Creative thinking relates things
or ideas not previously related. It can be fun, too. Thoughts
proceed in one plane then suddenly veer off in a new
direction. The resulting release of tension often leads to
laughter, joke writers know something about this pheno
menon.
A successful business thrives on creative thinking. It can
stay ahead of the competition with better marketing,
improved products and services, and higher motivation. A
well-known pen manufacturer improved their performance
once someone realised they were in the gift business: the
market place took on a new size and shape.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming employs creative thinking to produce lots of
ideas quickly. To get the best results, call together a small
group of amenable people for about half an hour. Someone
has to be able to write the ideas down very quickly—and
legibly. Pose the question and encourage a flood of ideas.
Once the stream dries up, stop and gaze silently at the
chart(s). Allow the ideas to 'incubate' until someone begins
to see the 'last piece of the jigsaw'. This is known as the
'AHA!' moment. Sometimes you can look at the silliest idea,
pull it apart, and discover yet another usable idea.
The keys to successful brainstorming are:
•
•
•
getting the problem right; the statement of the question
consciously and deliberately separating the production of
ideas from their evaluation
letting people whose temperament or mood do not fit the
occasion slip away without loss of face.
5
For private thinking, there is no need for a separate office
or a stonewalling secretary for protection. Many people
simply avert their gaze from approaching visitors, put up a
hand, or turn away for a moment. A good train of thought is
hard to get back once interrupted. People respect our need
for five seconds' grace.
Lastly, a word about trying too hard to remember little
things. The extra effort seems to lock just the word we want
on to the tip of our tongue. It can be very embarrassing to
forget the boss's name just at the moment of introducing an
important visitor. The infuriating fact that the answer pops
up — unannounced and unwanted — at a future moment,
gives us a clue to how to cope. Don't strain the brain.
6
2
TIME UTILISATION
If we fail to plan, we plan to fail. Lack of time can become a
very emotive issue to many people. Do we really know how
we spend it?
In preparing to use our time more effectively, the first
things we really need to know are the facts, not the feelings.
A record of where our time is really spent is an important
first step. There are a number of ways to investigate time
utilisation: pre-prepared forms are useful as only 'ticks' or
brief notes are necessary. Obviously, this takes a little time,
but you can't save time by not spending it. The simplest and
most commonly used method is a daily time log (see
Table 1). Keeping this for a week is probably the best idea.
Other methods for investigating time utilisation are the
content of work analysis (see Table 2), contacts analysis (see
Table 3), work priorities diary (see Table 4) or the analysis of
fleeting contacts (see Table 5). In all cases, the headings and
layout may be changed to suit individual circumstances.
After analysing the facts that emerge from the investiga
tion, one can then start identifying the real priorities for
personal action. One action may be to discuss your time
problems and solutions with your boss. Most bosses are
much more likely to listen if you have done your homework
and come up with suggestions.
7
Table 1. Daily time log showing major areas of time used
’age
.......... Day .
... Date...............
Day total............. hrs............... mins
Summarise weekly for overall picture
Start
time
Finish
time
Activity
Hrs
Mins
8
Category of Activity
Table 2. Content of work analysis, indicating what you are
involved in and who involved you
Brief
description
of subject
How was 1 involved?
By whom?
Did 1 need to be
concerned?
At what
stage?
In so
much
detail?
Others
Customers
Colleagues
Boss
Subordinate/s
At all?
Table 3. Contacts analysis
Length of time
Persons contacted
9
Brief description
of topic
Table 4. Work priorities diary
Should 1
have been
doing it
then?
No
c
Unnecessary
D
self
Yes
B
Caused by
A
others
B
Caused by
A
necessary
Reason for stopping
Unfinished but
Brief
description
of activity
Finished
Time
N.B. A tick in columns 3B and/or 4D indicates lack of self-planning
Table 5. Analysis of fleeting contacts
Type of contact
Who was
it with?
Who initiated
it?
A
B
A
B
Personal
Phone
Self
Others
10
Was it an
interruption?
3
DECISIONS
Life is full of decisions. Some are momentous; some are very
minor; most are important.
Example 4
One despairing warehouse superintendent complained that
most of his decisions flowed down from an insensitive
manager, or 'made themselves' by the pressure of events as
the lorries came and went and the forklift trucks went up,
down and along. Customers were infuriated with discrepan
cies. On investigation, it was difficult to find anyone doing
anything really wrong. The men were taking short cuts, and
some had got into bad habits, learned from their mates.
It is helpful to go to the trouble of writing down what it is
we are trying to achieve: a statement of the problem. We
rarely do this because we assume we know what is wanted.
But once we get into the habit of isolating these things on
paper, we stand to benefit from the powerful effect it has in
sharpening our awareness and clarifying our thoughts.
Often, what looks like the central problem turns out to be
merely a symptom of something else. Once we are satisfied
we have got the problem right, and when we have defined
our objective, we are ready for some concentrated thinking.
At this stage we generate several possible solutions and try
to predict the probable outcome of each.
Now comes the time to decide and act. Choose and
implement the most appropriate plan. Communicate it
(share, rather than merely transmit). Check at regular
intervals to see that the plan is working in practice, or
whether it is necessary to re-plan or reorganise. Answer the
question: 'Did the action achieve the objective?'
Consider, consult, commit, communicate, check.
11
4
READING AND WRITING
Time can be irretrievably lost by inefficient use of the skills
we were taught when we were very young.
We can measure and perhaps improve on our reading
speed (and retention) by working actively through Rapid
reading.' A first step might be simply to read less. Do we
have to read every page of every document that comes our
way?
We can do a lot about report writing and letter writing.
Before diving into the body of the text, think (about the
purpose, the readers, the action you want to result). As you
write, remember the old 'ABC rule' (accuracy, brevity,
clarity). When it's first typed, remember read, check, edit,
polish. Good advice is to be found in Report writing.2
12
5
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
The telephone
It rings.
'Mr Jones's office.'
'Can I speak to him please?'
'I'm afraid he's not in.'
'Do you know when he'll be back?'
'No, I'm awfully sorry, I don't Can I take a message?'
'Ah—no, it's all right. I'll ring again later on.'
What has been achieved? Nothing. A recent survey
produced the depressing result that 60 per cent of telephone
calls failed to produce the information required on the first
attempt. Also, less than one person in 10 actually rang back
after promising to do so.
With proper training and good leadership, a secretary can
choose to handle such a call quite differently.
'Production: Lyn Taylor.' (The voice ends on an upward
note.)
'Ah, Ferris here. Bradley and Stokes. Is Frank Jones in?'
'I am expecting him back between 3 and 3.30 this
afternoon. Is it something I can help with, Mr Ferris?'
'Well yes, I'm sure you could . . .'
By using our own name in this way, we encourage callers
to give’ their names, too. This saves the awkward 'who's
calling?' especially if the party on the other end thinks we
ought to recognise the voice. Now that we know who's on
the other end, we can decide how much to divulge. We can
give the 'bad news' in a positive way. We have organised a
13
time band during which Mr Jones will be available to take
and make phone calls. And, as 'god' is away, the caller
might just as well parley with one of the angels.
Giving people every chance to work independently (rather
than in someone else's shadow) is good: it saves time, and
people like to be autonomous.
Example 5
One national public utility is giving its staff special training in
answering customers' telephone calls. This idea is to deal
completely with the enquiry even when it's not 'our
department'. Staff listen carefully, write down the question,
read it back and promise action within a specified deadline.
Once the call is completed they can discover who the 'right
department' is and pass it on with due urgency. No more
transferring from one to another—less annoyance, better
service, time saved.
Telephone operators have an unusual job which ought to
be sympathetically understood by all extension users. The
pressures vary between doing nothing and being rushed off
one's feet. Everyone can help by spending a moment
thinking about what life is like at the console.
Telephone call checklist
1
2
3
4
5
6
Decide who to contact, and think of an alternative if
they are out.
Have a number, dialling code, extension/department
written out in front of you.
Make brief notes of what is to be told or asked for.
Get together any papers you may need to refer to.
Make the call. Never let the ringing tone sound more
than five times.
On reaching the person you want:
• state who is calling
• clarify the general purpose of the call
14
give the message or ask the question, and check
understanding.
If you cannot get an answer at once, do not hold on.
Offer to ring back after an agreed interval.
Ring back when you said you would.
•
7
8
Such a drill has helped to halve the cost of long distance
calls, not least by cutting out long and expensive silences.
When tariffs are lower in the afternoons, steer clear of the
telephone during the mornings.
Computers
Computers will continue to play an increasing role in
passing messages of all sorts. Do keep abreast of develop
ments: encourage replacement of old with new devices. Try
to introduce systems and procedures which fit national and
international agreements—to save time (and money) later.
15
6
PAPERWORK
The best advice is to get rid of the stuff as soon as you can.
Example 6
The legal adviser in a transport company claims, with a
straight face, that she had a drawer in her desk labelled
TDTDWT ('too difficult to deal with today').
A busy department head in a registered charity has a tray
called GROAN meaning, 'get rid of, anywhere, now!'.
Another manager keeps a big 'OBE' file where he collects
things he knows will be overtaken by events.
We may come to resent the onslaught of paper, but to the
sender, each bit is an effort to communicate with us. Fewer
people than we regularly curse actually set out to annoy.
And those who are generating excessive paperwork to justify
their existence are only crying out to be loved a little. One
good question is, why do / have to deal with it all? (see
Chapter 8).
One way of tackling the job is to put each bit into one of
three categories.
1
Immediate action can be taken. Do what is called for,
make a note in the margin. Into the 'out tray' with it.
2
Action can be started but not completed. Do what you
can, make a note in the margin. Place in the 'broughtforward' file.3
3
Items for information, reading, circulation. If it is shod
you can read it quickly. The more heavy items can be
16
gathered together and gone through at a planned
'reading time' each day. Do not sit on a circulation item:
if you cannot finish it and pass it on within 24 hours
make a note for it to be sent back to you when the others
on the list have seen it. If you don't need to keep the
item, throw it away.
Many replies to internal staff can be handwritten on the
incoming memo. Get a photocopy made if you need to keep
a record (compare this cost, in time as well as money, with
dictation, typing, checking, signing and sending back a
formal reply). Have a supply of little memos run off on the
duplicator. You can clip these (have you got a stapler
handy?) to incoming mail, or simply send them instead of
typewritten internal memoranda.
17
7
MEETINGS
Meetings and committees have a bad reputation as a prime
source of annoyance on account of the time wasted. But if
they are well planned and run they can be the best (even the
only) way to: brief staff on policy, progress, points for
action; uncover facts; produce new ideas; get people
involved.
The basic skill of the chairperson is in the deft use of
questions to stimulate discussion, keeping to the point,
summarising, tactfully rejecting irrelevancies, and bringing
quiet people in (see Appendix 2).
Participants
To make the best use of the meeting,, participants will be:
•
•
•
•
•
knowledgeable of the subject matter; aware of the
purpose of the meeting; interested; conscientious (espe
cially about preparing in advance)
seated in place on time; equipped with the necessary
papers and materials
prepared to air their views strongly, making out a good
case; able to keep to the point; ready to listen to other
opinions; capable of being reasonably influenced
disciplined and patient; prepared to contribute their best
thinking and experience concisely and at the appropriate
times
reliable in accepting the decision reached and deferring
to the control of the chairman, and in carrying out, on
schedule, action assigned to them.
18
They will show skill in:
•
•
«
o
o
producing new ideas
helping to clarify and develop other people's ideas
listening
helping to keep the discussion to the point
asking for clarification and summaries.
They will not allow emotions, inter-departmental battles or
office politics to inject unwanted 'hidden agendas' into the
meeting.
19
8
DELEGATION
Delegation is not 'allocating duties' or 'work scheduling'. It
is about letting somebody else do something we would
normally do. It demands giving away some of our authority
to enforce action. It gives others freedom of action while we
continue to carry the can. It is risky and painful. It can seem
unnatural to people who have succeeded so far by doing
things well themselves.
Example 7
The operations director in an international company was
against letting people use their initiative. 'Only after all else
has failed.' She had suffered from the results of people
dashing about in all directions and going off at half-cock.
Example 8
A city firm reorganised itself into executive and administra
tive 'committees' after the office manager had overworked
himself into an early grave.
There is a clue to the information gap which often occurs
somewhere halfway down the organisational pyramid.
People get information they are entitled to and proceed to
hang on to it, while failing to let their subordinates in on it.
The Industrial Society advocates regular briefing by team
leaders. Once we find a way to share our knowledge of the
common purpose behind all our actions, people can fit their
work into the overall picture. This allows them to use their
initiative to positive effect. The cycle is illustrated in
Fig. 1.
20
Fig. 1. The team briefing cycle
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE
The way we did
it last time
The way we are
doing it now
What it is all
in aid of
Routine
Most people are working in the 'past', while managers are
privileged to be working in the 'future'. Management is
involved in defining objectives, conceiving strategy, formu
lating policy, making plans, setting targets. For the rest, the
day is full of routine operations.
This word 'routine' has a mythology of its own. Ask any
group of workpeople for their feelings, and they will come
up with something like this off-the-cuff answer from a group
of computer professionals during an in-house training
course:
Work — ugh! — boring (8 people had this) — schedule —
task — dull — documentation — terminals.
After five minutes' illustrated talk on how to manage routine,
the value of 'drills', they were asked again:
Automated - reducible - useful guidelines - vital - pay
somebody else to do it — methods — efficient - necessity —
error-reducing — essential — organisation - useful - time
saving — necessary evil — aid — repetitive — with minimum
thought.
Why?
There are many good reasons why we must delegate:
•
•
•
•
to free us to concentrate on more important issues
to give practical training in the real situation to our staff
to help people gain self-confidence
because decisions made closer to the point of action can
be taken sooner.
However, we-ought to remind ourselves of the snags.
Poorer quality of decisions because subordinates lack
judgement or expertise. Still, this can be overcome by
good selection, training and communication.
• Loss of consistency as more people are involved with
decisions. Effective leadership needed.
• Decisions taken by a subordinate lack impact because of
absence of authority. So, give them freedom of action,
tell others who are involved, and back the person.
• Control is loosened. This is a case for an effective
monitoring system.
• It takes longer—in the short term. But the improvement
in relationships, coupled with increasing abilities, far
outweighs initial disadvantages.
• Danger of confusion between 'responsibility' and
'authority' between the boss and the subordinate. Both
need to talk this through. Responsibility is about doing
things we have agreed to do; authority is about the right
to expect that one's decisions will be carried through.
•
When?
Next we need to consider when to delegate. We can all do
it when it is safe and easy, when:
•
•
•
•
a decision can be reversed quickly and easily
the task is repetitive
the impact on others is slight
there is low risk of commitment of money and physical
resources
• it can be done within existing policies and procedures.
22
Safe and easy delegation does not encourage involvement
or satisfaction. A deliberate effort must be made to unload
interesting and challenging tasks (the parts of our job we
like, or are good at) and in selecting people with the latent
ability. We can build up the necessary evidence for the
latter with a properly run performance appraisal system.4
How?
As this is a complex process, we must go about it
systematically.
1
Assessment. Determine (this means 'write down'!) what
the task is, what is involved. Decide who is best able to
carry it out, or who is most likely to benefit from the
opportunity.
2
Agreement. You must enter into an arrangement and
agree with the person involved exactly:
o
®
®
o
3
what is expected of them
the time limits
how the monitoring system is going to operate
the limits of authority: do they do as they think fit, act
and tell you afterwards, or ask before they implement
a proposal?
Sustaining. You must not simply leave them to get on
with it, totally unaided. This is known as 'abdication
Sustain them by:
•
•
•
•
•
giving them the information they need and the tools
for the job
giving them any necessary training
not breaking the agreement unless absolutely neces
sary
providing moral support
supplying them with immediate knowledge of results
as they produce them
23
•
4
operating the monitoring system on schedule and
without oppression.
Accountability. We know we carry the can. A good way
to organise this is to guide the subordinate into 'reporting
up' in a form we can use, without editing or em
bellishing, to keep 'grandfather' informed.
A reminder to avoid:
• over-delegating leading to taking back authority
because of excessive delays
• failing to release authority and freedom of action
• giving away the responsibility but taking all the
decisions in advance
• giving more freedom of action than subordinates can
handle
• breathing down their necks
• direct criticism, putting them on the defensive and
demoralising them
• not telling them enough so they have to keep coming
back
• failing to be around when they need guidance
• appearing to delegate but in reality only ridding
ourselves of things we dislike or expect to be done
'our way'.
Delegation to the worker
Most managers find it easy to give examples of decisions
made by their superiors which they feel they should have
been allowed to take. Yet the same managers often
experience difficulty in drawing up a list of decisions they
themselves could have passed down the line. Delegation
can only work properly when there is a deliberate and
conscious effort to force decisions down to the appropriate
level, ideally to the individual who actually does the work.
This last idea comes as a bit of a surprise to managers
brought up in the 'old school'. But there is no loss of
management control in the factory where steel is bought,
24
not by a highpowered purchasing manager, but by the press
operator. The superintendents still 'superintend' in the local
authority where the road sweepers get their own brooms
instead of arguing with a storekeeper.
25
9
OTHER PEOPLE’S TIME
Recent studies among middle managers have revealed that
they spend about half their time on quite brief contacts,
queries, confirmations, and progress chasing. These are
unplanned and last from ¥» to 5 minutes. Formal interviews,
meetings, correspondence, visits, and telephoning had to be
fitted into what remained of the working day. Such
impromptu encounters were neither unnecessary, nor use
less interruptions, noi trivia. They were essential contacts
without which the people on the shop floor would not have
been able to get on with their jobs.
Example 9
One personnel manager was avoided as much as possible by
her staff because she could not give a quick answer to a
quick question. She always wanted to start a conversation.
Example 10
A night shift supervisor in a bakery had a way of taking
himself off somewhere out of the way at the first sign of any
trouble.
Example 11
A leading group of builders' merchants wanted to install a
staff development programme along with an appraisal
scheme. At the stage of analysing what the jobs were, some
of the managers were astounded at the lack of common
perception of what people were actually doing. The overlap
between the job description drafted by the architectural
ironmongery estimator, and what his manager wrote,
amounted to less than 33 per cent (see Fig. 2).
26
Management sins
Our actions are capable of having a more far reaching effect
on those around us than we sometimes admit. Inept
delegation can be self-defeating if all we are trying to do is
solve our own problems at others' expense.
Are we their biggest problem?
In the case of Example 11, the ensuing discussion brought
new insight. The office was altered around. A direct line
telephone was put on his desk. Much time was saved in
staying in touch with manufacturers, architects, site foremen
and retail branch managers. He got his own copies of
professional journals instead of being 'permitted' to keep
those that survived a long circulation list.
Fig. 2. An effect of lack of communication
Most of us have been guilty at one time or another of
getting in other people's way. As you glance down the
following list of 'sins', remember, however, that we have to
do some of these things sometimes.
•
•
•
•
•
transmitting information instead of sharing it
keeping people waiting unnecessarily
interrupting
unaccounted-for absence
destroying people's priorities with continued requests for
work
27
•
•
•
insensitivity to other people's unspoken feelings and
ideas
dropping in for a couple of minutes and wasting the
whole afternoon
forgetting important things, especially passing on
informal decisions made over lunch or in the corridor.
Looking and listening
People may not like us cropping up unexpectedly, but they
moan if they never see us. The rule when going on our
rounds is: have a reason for being there. It is awkward to be
cast in the role of visiting VIP, and humiliating to be
mistaken for the electrician. Equally, a 'detective' approach
will merely generate 'alibis'. Show genuine interest, listen,
take notes (put down what they want you to remember—you
can always make your own notes afterwards). Let them have
your reactions, or answers, within 48 hours—even (or
perhaps especially) when the answer is 'no'.
Listening has been called the 'lost art of our age'. We
have already seen how must faster we can think than the
other person can talk. Use the precious seconds. Submerge
your own thoughts. Concentrate on what is being said.
Show how you are willing to accept their viewpoint, and
make an effort to understand. Hold back, wait; open eyes
and ears and search for what they mean within what they
actually say.
Consideration
When we are trying to uncover facts—at selection,
appraisal, grievance or disciplinary interviews—it pays to
remember that we can fail by:
•
•
•
forgetting to remain neutral
misunderstanding
jumping to conclusions
28
•
o
dealing prematurely with situations ('Yes but', 'If I were
you', 'I know how you feel', 'What we must do is this')
rejecting the other person's explanation.
By indulging ourselves in this way we risk evoking fear,
hostility, suspicious withdrawal or passive acceptance,
which in turn can lead to sullen slavery.
Teamwork
We can waste a lot of time disapproving of other people's
attitudes. It is not too helpful to berate young Alec about
'Your attitude, son'. Yet the lad is very willing to adapt what
he actually does, minute-by-minute, to co-operate with his
supervisor. And it is this the older person should be trying to
influence.
A harassed 'team leader' in one of the practical exercises
on an Action-Centred Leadership course was listening to the
comments of other course members who had been observ
ing her trying to lead four people to complete a task. 'We
were only given twenty minutes!' True—if you only count
'elapsed' time. In fact, she had a total of 5 x 20 = 100
people/minutes. When this was pointed out, her exaspera
tion disappeared.
People need managers who are expert and friendly:
managers who respect their time and aspirations; leaders
who can get the best out of all the people/minutes.
29
10
SECRETARIES
There she sits, mute and resentful. On her last task (over and
above typing and filing) she made a mess through being too
nervous. No wonder her boss took it over and finished it
himself. He still does all his correspondence in longhand
and opens all his own mail. Not long to go before five thirty.
The eleventh floor: Henrietta is talking to her visitor about
her secretary, 'ideal—does everything tor me. Hundred per
cent. Finds things I used to lose. Wasn't she tactful about
your turning up like this? Better make it brisk, she'll be in in
a minute to grab me for that meeting.'
Not two different secretaries: the same one six months
later!
Delegation and partnership
Secretaries can tackle many of their boss's tasks on their
own. This saves time by freeing the boss for other things,
and money, because their salaries are different. This level of
efficiency is not achieved by magic, though some say
chemistry comes into it.
Henrietta holds fortnightly 'business meetings' with her
secretary. They discuss their work as partners in a joint
business. Henrietta realises that there are, in reality, not two
jobs but one. The secretary would not be there but for the
boss, and the boss could not do her work properly without
the secretary's help.
Many managers still expect a brand-new secretary, fresh
from the outside world via the personnel department, to
plunge straight in. Type all right can you?' Time spent at the
30
start of the partnership can save costly mistakes later.
Remember the 'past-present-future' model in Chapter 8.
Communication
Many secretaries complain of the silent, disappearing boss
who hardly ever speaks except to deliver dictation, and who
vanishes without saying where to. Conflict can arise from
the differing expectations of boss and secretary. This can be
overcome by business meetings coupled with joint target
setting5 along the lines of:
•
»
®
®
producing a hand-over list for holiday stand-ins
listing effect on boss of current legislation
finding out the sources of power in the firm (other than in
the organisation charts)
compiling a dossier on what the competitors produce.
Working through the following checklist, does your
secretary:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
operate her own wall chart showing action planned?
plan in advance what happens when she is on holiday?
have a job description, with performance standards,
linked to your own?
say 'we' when referring to you or your work?
attend meetings with you (and not just to take notes)?
know wha
*
decisions to take, and their implications?
know how you are getting on?
know how she is getting on?
occasionally represent you or the organisation in her
own right?
give her own name when answering the telephone?
sign her own name (over her own typed name) on
routine letters she has written?
have at least one project, not necessarily secretarial, with
full responsibility?
know the budget, income and expenditure?
Checklist—business meeting agenda
1
2
3
4
5
6
Results of any meetings the boss has attended.
Future plans affecting the department's work load.
Reallocation of priorities so secretary's time can be
organised.
Checking diaries to see that the same appointments
appear in both.
Review of telephone calls, action taken and advice for
action needed.
Potential office problems the boss might not hear about.
The last item ought to help develop trust and confidential
ity, and may well help other people to be circumspect in all
their dealings with both of you.
32
11
ROOTS AND BRANCHES
Not many organisations operate entirely under one roof; we
are members of teams dispersed throughout the land, and
often the world. Some people get lonely, others relish the
freedom. The opportunities for wasting time are legion.
Just because an organisation does operate within the one
site, do not forget that the person two doors along the
corridor can feel just as 'left out' as the wandering salesman.
There are messages for us all in the experiences recorded in
this section.
Example 12
A fast-growing building society recently introduced a policy
of centralising systems (their new computer can show every
investor's and borrower's account at a touch of the 'send'
button) and decentralising decisions—each branch manager
has the power to grant mortgages.
Example 13
Three-person teams plan deliveries to new customers from a
northern brewery. A salesman and two draymen walk the
route, from the proposed parking position right through to
the siting of the barrels, and discuss how to do it. It is not
often that a delivery to an outlying club or a city-centre steak
house is held up because of a last-minute snag.
Example 14
After the monthly briefing meetings of the senior managers in
a shipping and forwarding business, each 'top person' climbs
into a car and goes out to one of the regions, where the
branch managers gather for their briefing. Then the branch
managers return to do their meetings locally. The visiting
senior manager goes out with a different branch manager in
turn.
33
The multiple retailer stands or falls by the performance of
the branch manager.
Example 15
One national chain reports immediately from head office on:
the selling price account; the ratio of wages/sales; the
branch's league-table position. They leave the local person
to handle relations with customers, development, morale of
the team, and the expansion of sales. Central specialists give
support with buying, processing, book keeping, settlement of
prices, point-of-sale display material, and administrative
burdens.
Example 16
A leading ethical pharmaceuticals manufacturer sends repre
sentatives out to hospitals and general practitioners. Their
jovial sales director says he never loses sight of one statistic:
Young Appleby may only be 1 per cent of our sales force
but, to the doctor he sees, he is lOOper cent of our
company'.
Much time can be saved in planning journeys. Petrol and
shoe leather can be saved if a visitor to an unfamiliar area
reads the map intelligently and sequences calls to avoid
covering the same ground over and again.
Example 17
A retail regional manager held a meeting with her district
managers to discuss journey planning. She put up several
maps and charted where several of the district managers had
been the previous week. They were all amazed at the level
of overlapping and extra miles driven.
Example 18
An area manager got an urgent message while at one branch
to visit a branch 20 miles away, immediately. He jumped
into his car and drove the 20 miles to find the problem was
that one of the strip fluorescent lights-had gone and needed
to be replaced. The branch didn't have a spare. He sent
someone out to buy one and waited until the boy returned so
he could put it in!
34
Checklist
To be covered in discussions with regional/area managers.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Compiling visit checklists.
Setting a specific visit objective.
Having a branch file.
Organisation of car and briefcase.
Planning, preparation, priorities.
Studying the communication at meetings.
Telling people where you are and can be got hold of.
Having a base or 'anchor' branch—where all queries and
problems are passed to. Some can be answered by the
manager of the unit, with proper delegation and training.
At least you just have one telephone call to make to find
out problems and priorities.
Spending longer in one location so you can really
achieve something, not the twenty-minute 'hello—how
are you—goodbye' visit! Spend one, or even two full
days.
Telling managers you're coming, and what you want to
talk about, so that they are prepared.
Analysing the trading pattern and staff coverage.
Analysing branch layout and equipment; using string
diagrams.
Doing time-task analyses to find out how long things
take.
Managing your own boss!
Having a written record to ensure follow-up on delegated
tasks and points for action.
35
12
FINDING MORE TIME
Most of us, given the.time, would do more of what we are
paid to do. We have seen what takes up so much time,
seducing us away from what we should be doing. High on
the list are the brief contacts, queries and the mundane dayto-day tasks. We get trapped into attempting to control
failures when we should be monitoring progress. Too often
we are no more than 'visiting firemen'. It would be nice to
do the 'coping' at the start instead of trying to cobble it all
together at the last moment (see Fig. 3).
Fig. 3. Comparison of unplanned and planned use of time
PUT THE NEXT FIRE OUT
PUT THE LAST FIRE OUT
PLAN
ORGANISE
MONITOR PROGRESS
ACHIEVE
Elapsed time
Textbook stuff? Not possible in the real world? Return to
page 1 and start again. And do it in the firm's time, too.
Seriously though, instant solutions are not available; offers
of a panacea for saving time are mere quackery. But we
have to start somewhere, on the little things.
Planning checklist
1
2
Set long-term objective.
Gather facts (opinions, feelings) relevant to the long
term.
36
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sort out the facts into various appropriate headings.
Figure out the relationships, and the priorities, between
the elements.
Draw up more than one long-term plan.
Try to forecast (this means 'guess'!) the probable
outcome of each plan.
Select the plan that most closely fits the long-term
objective.
Set each short-term objective in turn.
Gather facts (opinions, feelings) relevant to the short
term.
Long-term can be five years or one week; short-term can
be one year or one day.
What to plan for?
There are some things we can't: changes in legislation;
breakdowns;, delivery failures; industrial trouble in other
organisations. These have to be coped with. But we can
plan the mundane elements—the routine. We need to rid
ourselves of the notion that 'routine' is merely 'boring'. It
requires rational redefinition. The first key concept is its
repetitive nature. Redefine it as 'regular' or 'recurrent' to
take the nasty taste away.
The second key concept is that routine is 'necessary': the
trouble here is that the word often goes into the phrase
'necessary evil'.
Routines were invented in the first place to ensure success
of the total enterprise. For all the statements of objectives,
the job descriptions and the checklists, the rule books and
manuals of procedure, it is what we do that turns the dream
into reality. Routines help us, step-by-step, to reach our
goal. They are recurrent: they are therefore predictable. So
they can be planned.
37
The common purpose
When each team member is doing his or her bit, that effort
added to all the others, combines to take us on our way. It is
the common purpose we are all going after that lends dignity
to the process. We will know we're getting somewhere
when the manager is purely accountable, i.e. when all the
others in the team are responsible. It is then the manager's
privilege to generate the activities of the rest, and to support
them in what they are doing.
Time wasters are universal. Devices for saving time tend
to be personal. Here are a few collected from life. Pick out
and use any that appeal to you.
Example 19
In deciding which receptionists to keep on beyond their
initial probationary period, supervisors in an international
airline graded individuals by, amongst other factors, what
the staff actually did on reporting for duty at the start of a
shift. The 'good' ones got in early, took up their positions at
the check-in desks, replenished the pigeon-holes with
destination labels, filled the stapler, read through the daily
list of flights, and the list of expected VIPs. The 'rejects'
habitually got in dead on time, were never really ready for
the customers and spent the whole Z'/j hours in a slate of
barely controlled fluster, making too many uncorrected
mistakes as they went along.
Example 20
An area superintendent for a retail chain was unimpressed to
see store managers' desks cluttered with piles of orders,
dockets, price lists, and tea-break schedules. Though 'they
might protest that they knew where everything was, he found
he could all too frequently catch them out with something
important.
Example 21
The optician's assistant who could 'never find anything' was
helped by one of the patients - a carpet layer by occupa
tion - who advised her to put things down where they can
be seen easily: light things on dark surfaces, dark on light. It
pays to notice colour contrasts in the tools of the trade.
38
Example 22
An office manager refers to the whole of the top surface of
her desk as her in-tray. If it is clear, she feels free to patrol
other offices, keeping in touch, helping individuals. Each of
the drawers, too, has a specific purpose. The top right-hand
one she uses as her out-tray. Her secretary, or any of her
staff, can—without interrupting her on the telephone, or in a
meeting with a visitor—empty this drawer. This is particu
larly useful when she has some unfinished task in there
which someone else can take over while she deals with
lengthy interruptions. Papers for the day's meetings,
extracted from a brought-forward system, are placed each
morning in another drawer reserved for the purpose. There is
a drawer to tidy away all the little things: pens and pencils;
paperclips; odd foreign stamps. The telephone, and the
boss's intercom, are on a side table which has a shelf
carrying a dialling code booklet and the manager's 'blue
book'. This is a loose-leaf binder with all kinds of items
connected with the job and the firm. Plans of how to get
there, internal extensions and names, accountability chart,
home telephone numbers of key personnel, fire instructions,
last year's report and accounts are some of these items.
Example 24
Using a similar concept, a personnel executive at a major
computer manufacturing company is able to appear to
accomplish many things at once. People peering around his
half-open office door can tell at a glance, by whether he
keeps his head down or looks up, if they can interrupt him at
that instant.
Example 25
An overseas director worked out with her secretary a flexible
weekly timetable which is outlined in Fig. 7. Tuesdays and
Thursdays were kept for booked appointments and meetings.
Monday afternoons, she tended to withdraw to think.
Wednesdays she tried to stay in the office doing tasks she
didn't mind being taken away from—she was amenable to
unplanned interruptions. Friday afternoon was the only time
she would sign expense claims. (She wouldn't be drawn
about Monday mornings, or Friday mornings for that matter!)
39
Example 23
An insurance executive imagines large projects as slices of
Gruyere cheese, into the 'holes' of which (short periods of
waiting time during which he would be held back from the
main job) he fits little bits of work.
Figure 4. Example of a weekly timetable
M
Thinking
T
Appointments and meetings
W
Open door
Th
Appointments and meetings
'Authority'
F
40
APPENDIX 1
TIME SAVERS' CHECKLIST
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Study recurrent crises and find out ways to plan ahead to avoid
them.
Spend more time in tuture on upward rather than downward
communication.
Think about the boss's problems.
Keep all your scribbled notes, telephone message slips, and
doodles for a period of a month; analyse them and you may
find clues to how to save time next month.
Draw up an occasional 'laundry list' of detailed activities for
periods of a half-hour at a time; analyse these and see where
the time went.
Note how long things take.
Develop a daily/weekly/monthly/annual 'timetable' and
encourage others to do the same.
Learn when to say 'no'.
Think periodically of what you will do when you retire.
Cel well acquainted with modern mathematical and statistical
methods.
Delegate.
Ask other people what devices they use to save time.
Schedule active/positive tasks first. Build-in interruption allow
ances and allow time for reactive tasks.
Avoid lots of short work periods; try to get a continuous
stretch.
Schedule the jobs requiring maximum 'brain capacity' to be
carried out when you are at your best.
Aim to achieve something every day.
Ask yourself regularly: 'What is the best use of my time right
now?'
41
APPENDIX 2
CHAIRING AND LEADING MEETINGS
Meetings are occasions when a group of people come together to
share ideas and experiences. They serve a variety of purposes, e.g.
information giving, information- gathering, ' persuading, problem
solving. The role of the chairman is influenced by that purpose.
Preparation and planning
Consider: purpose, membership, size and agenda.
Arrange: venue (quiet, comfortable, everyone able to see and
hear)
visual aids and recording of proceedings.
Plan:
procedure, including own introductoiy statement.
Conducting the meeting
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Create 'climate' by treating members with courtesy, respect
and impartiality
Open by explaining purpose and procedure.
Start discussion by an 'overhead' or 'direct' question.
Encourage full participation: remember that maximum partici
pation by the chairperson means minimum participation by the
members.
Assist communii alion by asking questions, listening to
members' contributions, clarifying misunderstandings, correct
ing errors, rejecting irrelevant ies, co-ordinating ideas, giving
information, and summarising.
Aim for systematic progress towards achieving the purpose of
the meeting.
End meeting by summing up and agreeing conclusions with the
group.
42
Controlling the discussion
Questions
• 'Overhead' question: addressed to group as a whole; engages
everyone's attention; avoids putting pressure on individuals
before they are ready to answer.
• Direct question: brings in individual with special knowledge,
or a reticent member; increases tempo.
• Redirected question: aids continuity; involves other indi
viduals.
• Relay question: readdressing a question, directed at the
chairperson to the group for reply.
• Reverse question: get individuals to answer their own ques
tions—polite way of asking them to think again to bring out
views they are known to have. (N.B. when addressing a
question to individuals, say their name first to engage their full
attention.)
Statements
To supply information needed; to stimulate discussion; to clarify
or reflect the views of an individual or of the group.
Summaries: interim
Review progress; highlight important points, refocus 'off-track'
discussion; change direction; slow down pace of discussion.
Summaries: final
Confirm conclusions; give members a sense of achievement.
Problems
People
• Talkative types: use when relevant and not monopolising
conversation—otherwise interrupt, thank for contribution, and
redirect question to another member.
• Long-winded types: try and help them express their ideas
concisely; be tactful.
o Silent members: encourage and support them—draw them out
by asking questions you know they can answer; try to analyse
reason for silence.
• The quibblers: want to concentrate on minor points—ask rest
of group if they want to do so, or suggest it be deferred.
• Persistent questioners: return questions to them or group if they
43
•
•
are trying to trap chairman; if they genuinely do not
understand, try to help them.
The objectors: can be quarrelsome—ask for their reasons/
evidence.
Dominating types: try to hold back their contribution until
others have had their say. (N.B. to counter-balance the above
types, encourage the positive members, i.e. knowledgeable,
experienced people with a commonsense attitude.)
Situations
• Conflict: hold the ring; relieve tension by rephrasing in less
emotive terms, by humour, by change of subject; avoid getting
personally involved.
• Unpopular decisions: when under attack from group, continue
to argue your case and build on any support from individual
members.
• Lack of interest: try to illustrate to group how matter might
affect them personally; drop topic temporarily and come back
later; change approach.
• Off-the-track or irrelevant questions/discussion: may indicate
lack of interest; if genuine concern on a vaguely related issue,
try to deal with it quickly; ask relevant question; summarise
frequently.
• Confidential information: by accident or design chairperson
may be asked for this—state clearly that that information
cannot be given, and explain why.
44
APPENDIX 3
WORKING WITH YOUR SECRETARY
CHECKLIST
Involvement / Time planning
•
Ensure secretary understands the responsibilities laid down in
your job description.
•
Ensure secretary had adequate job description, i.e. activities/
duties relating directly to your key responsibilities (latter
indicated on secretary's job description). These first two points
will help the secretary recognise the importance of her
contribution in achieving results. The dignity of any task is
derived directly from the importance of the end result. Also,
once one is aware of an objective, freedom to use initiative is
given.
•
Have a formal, regular planning meeting with your secretary
—marked in your diary for the year. Use these meetings to
discuss plans, priorities, workloads, etc. If you both keep a
checklist of topics to raise at the meeting, these will form the
basis of an informal agenda. Avoid unnecessary interruptions
during the meetings.
•
Encourage secretary to open and read all in-coming post,
where possible adding relevant background papers and making
helpful notations, particularly pointing out action to be taken.
•
Allow your secretary to attend department/team meetings
where practical. This is an outward sign by you of your
confidence. In time, others will begin to use your secretary as
your support, e.g. requests for information, appointments, etc.,
thus releasing your time. The secretary will also be able to help
monitor any action arising from such meetings.
•
Allow/encourage secretaries to attend any promotion/
conference, etc., for which they have done a great deal of the
administration.
45
Allow your secretary to control your time—one master diary
kept by your secretary and a pocket diary for yourself. When
offering times/dates, always say your secretary will confirm.
This avoids duplication, allows realistic time-planning, and
encourages others to use your secretary.
Discuss with your secretary ways of time-planning.
1 Dictation—mark in diary regular, lengthy sessions, thus
avoiding time-wasting piecemeal dictation.
2 Reading—consider allocating in diary best time for reading,
e.g. last half-hour. Maybe preparatory time prior to
meetings.
3 Report-writing—can be done in advance for regular reports
such as progress, etc.
4 Systems—implementation/development of practical aids
and systems often involves a great deal of concentrated
secretarial time, e.g. a new filing system. If these are
needed, discuss where best they can be fitted into your
schedule and give support.
Encourage drafting of certain correspondence—dictate perhaps
only main points. Also allow the writing of routine letters, e.g.
confirmation of appointments, over your secretary's own name
and title (again, a projection of confidence/efficiency) which
reflects back on you and your section/department.
46
APPENDIX 4
REFERENCES
1
2
3
4
5
Crummitt, J. Rapid reading. Communication Skills Guide.
London: The Industrial Society, 1987.
Vidal-Hall, J. Report writing. Communication Skills Guide.
London: The Industrial Society, 1988.
Devery, C. Working with management: a secretary's guide.
London: The Industrial Society, 1987.
Lawson, I. Appraisal and appraisal interviewing. Notes for
Managers series. Hyderabad: Universities Press, 1997.
Lawson, I. Traget setting. Notes for Managers series. Hyderabad:
Universities Press, 1997.
FURTHER READING
Adair, J. How to manage your time. Guildford: The Talbot Adair
Press, 1987.
Adair, J. The effective communicator. London: The Industrial
Society/Kogan Page, 1988.
Devery/ C. Working with a secretary: a manager's guide. London:
The Industrial Society, 1986.
Forrest, A. Delegation. Notes for Managers series. Hyderabad:
Universities Press, 1997.
Garnett, J. The manager's responsibility for communication. Notes
for Managers series. Hyderabad: Universities Press, 1997.
Pemberton, M. Effective meetings. Communications Skills Guide.
London: The Industrial Society, 1988.
47
Effective Use of Time is a useful and practical
guide, and illustrates some of the best ways of
using time efficiently. The book includes sug
gestions on dealing with paperwork, delega
tion, running productive meetings and finding
time to plan more efficiently.
The Notes for Managers series provides succinct yet
comprehensive coverage of key management issues
and skills.
ISBN 81-7371-063-5
9
788173
710636
Universities Press
Roy Pernett: Effective Use of Time
90
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