Articles by CBAssociates

Published, Newspapers and Technology, June 2000

Efficiency. No Longer An Option for Managers

Time. If we all have the same amount of it, why is it some managers seem to get so much more accomplished while others never seem to meet deadlines?

I have been interested in improving and speeding up process as long as I can remember. The concept of time management for me started when I was very young. My father was a time and motion expert. Although he could not change a diaper, he could figure out the most effective method and set up the standards for others to follow.

One of our favorite movies was Cheaper by the Dozen. A story about two efficiency engineers and their 12 children. They had everything organized and were more productive than a typical family of two.

The concept of improving personal time led to teaching time management seminars in the 70's. The purpose of the seminars was to improve personal efficiency so one could get more accomplished to either enjoy the work more or become more valuable to the company.

Becoming more efficient was pretty much an option as to whether a person wanted to improve.

In the 90's, programs like the 7 Habits evolved to help a person become more efficient with the focus on the total job including the family life. There are now a variety of training programs to improve the effectiveness of people, but less focus on plain time management.

Fast-forward to the work environment of today, and we see that a big difference from the 70's is that there are less managers. Staff is almost a dirty word. When the question of delegation comes up, the reality is there are less people that a manager can pass the work to.

With the exception of the period of transition from hot type to cold type, and letterpress to offset, I do not remember such a shortage of promoted personnel. Any opening for a significant job will likely mean going outside the unit, and more and more outside the company. The bench strength is very weak.

Thank goodness for the coordinators that were hired for USA TODAY or we would really be in the management outhouse.

When there is less staff and limited succession planning, it really puts the pressure on managers at all levels to be very efficient.

Having good time management skills is no longer an option. The best way to get sideways with a boss is not meeting deadlines. Of course, there is a quality expectation that goes along with the deadline.

Typically, when CBAssociates works with clients we will request information. Of course, the performance ranges from people who have an outstanding understanding of the concept of only handling the work one time which then this material is returned to us quickly.


Recently, I asked for back issues and some forms to be updated. Much to my surprise it was at the office when I returned at the end of the week. This person, when given the task, delegated immediately, set immediate response deadlines and got the project off everyone's deck. That group is organized and highly effective. They are the go to players for this publisher because they do not have to follow up once the assignment is given.

On the other end of the spectrum are those managers that never seem to get the time to process the requests. This is not to say that they are not busy, but they just never seem to find the time to get things done. Many times they are too busy to focus on a project.

They have not embraced the most basic time management fundamental of prioritizing their time. Of course, this is the most common fault of most people. During classes on time management we would spend the most time fielding questions relating to this area. Some managers allow themselves to get in the position of being upward delegated as well as downward delegated.

To those suffering from a subordinate that brings problems, we suggest that they insist that this person bring a solution with any problem and as importantly, a solution that is workable. Downward delegation in excess can be more of a problem, but prioritizing those requests is a good starting point. Then, move fast on the requests to get them off the desk.

A good clue that a person has a problem meeting deadlines is when a manager has to constantly follow up on requests. This is stating the obvious, but it is too common. Good managers will not do the work for the people that work for them. They have learned the art of stopping upward delegation.

Good managers seem to be faster than others at moving on projects and getting results, and meeting commitments. Of course, they will have a staff that mirrors this attribute. Fast and good is not a bad combination.

This does not mean that they move fast, in fact, most seem not to be going fast at all. They are focused, prioritized well, and have good organization ability.

Some managers come by these talents naturally, while others develop the talents that make them very efficient and effective. Nonetheless, being efficient and effective is less and less an option in this lean management world we live in.

Chuck Blevins & Associates
©Copyright 2002

[HOME]