Fire fighting – a waste of energy unless you’re saving lives

I mean in the business sense – we’ve all done it, it’s good for the adrenaline but can have some real negative effects on a business.

Having said this some people in business are really good at it, make a profession of it and don’t want to stop doing it. The following are some guide lines for those of you who do want to stop this bad habit:

• When everybody is fire fighting don’t be surprised if there are more fires to put out!
• When you’re fire fighting you only look after one job everything else is likely to be thrown into chaos.
• The key is to ask and discover why you are fire fighting:
  • Maybe you’ve got to much to do – beware of unachievable goals
  • Maybe your not delegating or not delegating effectively
  • Maybe your not demanding enough
  • Maybe your subordinates aren’t performing
  Etc.
  Unless you know the cause you can’t fix it – only you know.
• If the boss fire fights don’t be surprised if the rest of the business does

This is all a bit negative and stating the blindingly obvious. So on to some ideas to make things better. Without knowing the real cause the following are some generic suggested ways of improving things:

• Have a look at your to do list. Identify:
  • Definitely needs to be done – if your part of the process in your business these tasks will be here.
  • Wants or nice to get done.
  • Can do without – been there a long time
  Now you’ve got some priority into your list – stick to it – beware of frogs! – eat them. For clarity this last comment refers to the book “Eat that frog” written by Brian Tracey (ISBN 0-340-83504-4). In it he recommends doing first the task we’re most likely to put off – it’s likely to be the one that has the most positive impact of your business! He explores the three vital rules to effective personal time management: decision, discipline and determination. Worth a read – don’t worry its only short (113 pages) – go on you’ve got time.
  
• Limit the number of meetings you have – one per day or if this seems unrealistic two per day.
• Always plan meetings and have a good idea of their likely duration. Ensure objectives are met and time is broadly stuck to:
• Adopt good meeting practices. Try some of these tips:
  • Is it needed? – mode and problem
  • Assess required results
  • Be selective – who should (needs) to attend?
  • Prepare and circulate an agenda in advance
  • Be prompt
  • Its important - minutes – actions – who?
  • Be focused – on target (Goals)
  • Be in control – roles – leader – secretary. Don’t try to do all these roles yourself.
  • Be coordinated – process
  • Clarify
  • Discuss
  • Decide
  • Act
  • Be committed – participation – commitment – mutual respect
  • Agree meeting behaviour and standards
  • Review - how did it go - did we achieve what we set out to.
• If its clear attendees have not prepared for the meeting – abort the meeting until they have.
• Avoid impromptu and adhoc meetings.
• Have an outline structure to your week – don’t be frightened to shut the door and have some quality time for a particular task or just thinking.
• Adopt the practice that if a jobs worth doing do it properly.
• The Doctors surgery syndrome – the queue outside your door – be prepared to ask is it urgent? Does it need an answer now? Steadily encourage people not to come with problems but come with problems and potential solutions
• Make it clear to your subordinates how you intend to operate (standards), stick to them and ensure they know what is expected of them.
• Wait for the person to knock on the door and ask “you always seem calm, relaxed and don’t get up tight – how do you do it?”
  

Also periodically give yourself a pat on the back – but only if you deserve it! Don’t forget two of Brian Tracey’s key areas of good time management are discipline and determination. Have them!

Written by Geoff Trapnell Fellow of the IBC and Leader of EMS