Checks and Balances For Your Performers

Statistics aren't always easy to follow, but stay with me. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 86% of the people found to be perpetuating fraud in businesses (cooking the books, embezzling funds, etc) had never been charged with a prior offense. Based on their research, they concluded, conducting background checks have "limited value in screening out potential wrongdoers."

In other words, people don't have an internal desire to cheat a company and then go from organization to organization trying to take something that doesn't belong to them. What happens, in many cases, is that there were not the procedures in place to prevent or minimize attitudes or actions that could lead to such behaviors.

While the study focused on money, could we not draw similar conclusions about how people use their time at work? They are certainly having a negative impact on the company if they are not engaged on the right tasks-if they are engaged at all. If you manage others, what systems have you put in place to keep people focused and productive? Most people didn't intend to come to work and waste their time and energy, but if the work environment encourages such behavior because of poor focus or lack of clarity about priorities, well.... you might just have someone stealing from you. Some suggestions to start increasing engagement in your employees include:

• Don't be afraid to ask people what their top priorities are for the day or week. Be prepared to share yours as well.
• The old management principle of "MBWA" (management by walking around) still has value. As you move around, watch how people are working. Think about what obstacles you see or hear that could be removed or minimized to help improve their focus.
• As a department, consider having people keep a time log for a day or week. They don't have to give them to you, but simply ask them questions like, "What did you see that you spent your time on that was surprising?" "Are there items occupying more of your time than you think they should?" "How could I contribute to improving the situation?"

Keeping a Time Log

Do you ever wonder where the time goes? Are you a manager and wonder how your people are spending their time? A great way for self reflection or to spot check the focus of your team is to keep a time log for a week.

It is a simple project. Just take a spreadsheet and label the days of the week across the top and the time you want to track in 15 or 30 minute increments down the side (depending on how detailed you want to be). Set an alarm (cell phone alarm, egg timer, watch alarm) for the top of each hour. When the alarm goes off (We know that this is an interruption – it is just for a week), stop what you are doing and record a detail of what you have done over the last hour – an entry for each 15 or 30 minute segment. We realize that it is an annoyance and a hassle. But, the result and the information that you can gather is very telling.

At the end of the week, review the week's activities. For fun, total up the amount of time you are spending in similar activities/categories like: meetings, returning calls, email, working on the XYZ report, talking with customers, eating meals, taking breaks, etc. You may be surprised at the totals. You also might be surprised at the time that you have wasted. Be honest with yourself – look at the spreadsheet and total up the time that you feel like you have been less than productive. Have your team do the same.

Now what are you going to do about it? Ask yourself these questions:

• What activities are getting the bulk of my time? Are they the most important activities?


• How can I alter what I am doing to become more efficient as well as focused on the most important items?


• What activities can be eliminated? What activities need to be added or receive a bigger allotment of my time?


• How much time am I spending in my work ring, my self ring and my relationship ring?

If you like this activity, try it for a month. It will give you a good indicator on how effectively you are using your time. Remember the quote from Ben Franklin, "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."

Just 15 Minutes and the Right Stuff

When was the last time you sat down and formally planned your day? Hopefully it was today. Taking the time at the beginning or end of your day to formally write down a plan of what you are going to do and when you are going to do it, is a key element in accomplishing what is most important to you.

It is so easy to overlook planning and just jump into the day being reactive and putting out fires. When that occurs, at the end of the day, you might find that you have got a lot of "stuff" done but was it the "right stuff?"

A Picture to Improve Your Memory

Taking a picture is a great way to remind us of special moments in time and help create memories that we will hopefully never forget. We take pictures of important events like birthdays, graduations and anniversaries. We load up on photos of those we care about, vacations and places that we have visited. But what about those not so important items and events in your life that are worth remembering...even for a short while.

Consider using your digital camera (especially if your mobile phone has a camera) to help you remember the not so "important" events of your life:

• Take a picture of the row and space where you parked your car at the airport or large parking garage. It is more convenient than writing it down on a card or piece of paper that you have to keep track of. When you return from your trip or shopping, the information will be at your fingertips and then you can delete it.


• If you are in a traffic accident, take pictures of the scene, the cars involved, license plates, even the people. After an accident, your adrenalin is pumping and it is easy to forget details. "A picture is worth a thousand words!"


• If you rent a lot of cars for work or vacation, take a picture of the license plate so that you have the information available when you check into hotels (some hotels ask for car information for parking). It might also be helpful to take a picture of your hotel room number so you can remember which room is yours. If you travel a lot, you know how room numbers start to blur after awhile and it will save you a trip to the front desk.


• If you see a quote or thought on a sign, billboard or plaque that you would like to remember, rather than scrambling for paper and a pencil to write it down-take a picture!

Once you think of your digital camera as a resource, you will find many more uses to help you remember things. The value is that once you take a picture (record the information) you can forget about it and keep your mind clear for more important things. It's a snap!

Moving Forward Requires Falling

This weekend I was given an interesting quote by a very wise man. He said, Walking is a series of interrupted falls. While the words did not resonate with me at that moment, I have come to appreciate them as I deal with several people in my work and life right now.

To walk we must pick up our feet and shift our weight forward. Doing either one by itself could lead to falling, but the combination of the two actions (interrupting each other) makes it work.

We work with so many people who just won't "walk" toward improving their situation. They might have the vision (leaning forward) but not have the willingness to take the risk of action (lifting their foot). Others are taking lots of risks, but don't really have a clear vision of where they want to go-or too many directions in mind. Either scenario can lead to lots of falling-or failing.

Today, reflect on how well you put the two together. Are you looking ahead with purpose as your guide and then taking the appropriate actions, or are you at risk of "falling" because you are simply moving too quickly without really letting the weight of your purpose move you in the RIGHT direction.