Managing people doesn’t have to be that difficult. I’ve found that a lot of managers make it more difficult for their staff to get things done by giving them confusing, contradictory instructions.
Here’s what works for me: I draw a simple chart with the person I’m assigning a task to that gives a clear goal, presents a picture of the current state of things (reality), and lists the steps required to achieve the goal. Draw the chart and list the steps together.
You should be able to detail a plan for most goals, even long, complex ones, on a single sheet of paper (napkins make messy strategic planning tools).
Let’s try a simple one. I’m going to give you the following assignment: Write me a 1,000 word article on the current market for antique straight razors.
The assigned person’s chart could look like this:
Goal: 1,000 word article on the current market for antique straight razors.
Reality: I know nothing about straight razors.
Steps:
- Discover online groups dedicated to straight razors and shaving.
- Identify “experts” willing to be interviewed.
- Follow their sources to determine market interest.
- Survey eBay and other sales sites for pricing and availability.
- Visit local shops who carry/sell straight razors.
- Draft article.
- Have article reviewed by identified experts.
- Rewrite and send to final edit.
Each step might require sub-steps to accomplish. But for planning purposes, this may be enough. This is a simplified form of the management process called Structural Tension.
This approach gives both the manager and the person given the task a way of understanding what needs to be done, what’s required to get the job done, and at where process the employee is at from moment to moment.
A complex, long term plan should be updated frequently. Why? Because as each step is completed, reality needs to be updated as well. With the above sample plan, the person performing the tasks will slowly move from “knowing nothing,” to “knowing a little,” and then, perhaps, knowing enough to go ahead and write the article. And the manager will be better informed about what is really required to perform each separate task and when the project is likely to be complete.
Give it a try on a simple project. It can be a very effective approach.
The Productivity For Managers: Clear Goals With Clear Understanding Of Reality by Randy Murray, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.