[News] How to Succeed at Work
Get the big picture, then master your tasks
Question: I have so many tasks on my plate that I often don't know
what to do first. The e-mail flow is so heavy that I don't know
how to organize it so that I can determine my next actions, let
alone find time to answer them all. How can I get out of these
trees so I can see the forest?
Answer: Once you know what your forest looks like, you'll be able
to see which trees fit. You'll then be able to get organized and
take action. Outline the big picture of your job. Write down your
top tasks and major responsibilities so you're clear about what
you should be doing. List the time-eaters that are outside your
scope, too.
Then, gain focus by getting your e-mail under control. Assess
which e-mails are necessary for your core account-abilities.
Realistically, many are probably unrelated and could be deleted
unread.
Just like clearing clutter from a room helps you feel lighter,
getting your work life in order will give you new energy. If you
have hundreds of e-mails waiting, pare them by sorting by sender.
Delete those that are information only, including newsletters and
status updates for non-core projects.
Create a system to organize the keepers based on your personal
style. If you like a detailed filing system, replicate that in
e-mail; use broad categories if they work better for you. Decide
on an approach to track e-mails that need responses, perhaps
creating a separate folder or using "action needed" flags. Then,
file your remaining e-mails into your new system.
Some simple steps can help maintain your system. Decide what time
of day you'll review e-mails, and plan your work. Be disciplined
about deleting unneeded e-mails unread and getting off
unproductive distribution lists.
To understand what the boss wants, understand the boss
Question: My boss isn't very clear in his expectations for me, so
I often feel like I'm falling short and not doing what I should be
doing. How can I make this better?
Answer: Understanding and communica-tion are the keys to improving
your situation, and it's up to you to take the lead.
Start by reminding yourself that both you and your boss want you
to be successful at your job. Then, focus on gaining a deeper
understanding of what you need to be successful, as well as
insights into how his mind works.
Take a recent task that your boss assigned, using it as an example
to analyze your styles. Think about what he told you, other
informa-tion that would've helped you, the frequency of progress
checks and the clarity of the goal. Consider how you each gave or
received infor-mation. Remember, this isn't about one way being
better or worse—it's about gaining under-standing.
Build on your insights by creating a plan to be more effective in
working with your boss. Try meeting with him to discuss your ideas
for setting clear expectations.
When a new task is assigned, take the lead in how you seek
information about his expec-tations. If he's more linear than you
are, suggest walking through the task from start to finish. If
you're more of a planner while he tends to go ivith thefloiv,
offer to plan out the task. Generally, use your insights about his
style to frame his expectations and increase his comfort with the
steps you're taking to do your work—while you also get what you
need.
Even well-intentioned people can miss the mark when communicating
about work expectations, especially under time pressure. Taking
the time to understand how people operate and using that
information to commu-nicate effectively can ease this challenge
and set you up for success.
You can share work and add skills without lowering standards
Question: I find it hard to delegate tasks to others. A coworker
told me I have "control issues." My boss says I need to stop being
a perfectionist. But I feel that I need to do it all myself to be
sure it's done correctly. Help!
Answer: Perfectionism and control create a powerful,
performance-limiting trap. Changing your approach to sharing work
will open up more robust possibilities.
Your first step is to explore the dynamics that lead you to
maintain tight control. If errors that have been costly in the
past, then letting go of control may seem risky. But you can make
strategic decisions on which work to delegate and how closely to
maintain thought.
Also, consider the benefits of successful del-egation. You may
have seen positive outcomes and high morale. Remind yourself of
these examples when you're trying to ease up on control. And be
open to learning from someone else's way of performing a task.
You may be more in your comfort zone with detail work and less
comfortable with strategic thinking. Consider which aspects of
your job are a stretch, and be clear about your strengths and
development needs. Your goal is to become comfortable with knowing
what you don't know—and then to use this knowledge to grow.
Start safe. Choose someone you trust to do a good job, and do a
final review of the work. Widen the net of people you're
comfortable with by delegating lower-risk tasks, gradually
including more visible or complex tasks. To ensure that work
quality is maintained, provide specific, actionable feedback while
staying open to new or different solutions for accomplishing the
task. And remember to express your appre-ciation.
Perfectionism can hold you and your organization back. However,
you can maintain your high standards while increasing your
contribution by building your skills and investing in others.
http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2006/feb/08jamal.htm
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※ 編輯: hisunshine 來自: 118.166.3.225 (04/23 10:16)