Propres Newsletter

PRO-vocative IDEAS from PRO

President's Resource Organization

We are pleased to send you this PRO-vocative IDEAS e-letter. Each issue brings you a Thought PRO-voking Idea designed to help you run your business better. If you don't want to receive these monthly emails, just click the Remove button below.

These ideas don't come out of an Ivory Tower, but from the real-life experience of entrepreneurs like you. At PRO, Presidents' Resource Organization, the owners of small businesses gather monthly to share problems, and work towards solutions, based on their own lessons learned. PRO members move their companies to the next level through this peer group interfacing.

Here's an example of a PRO-vocative idea and the discussion leading to it:

Getting Organized.

Member Problem:

A PRO member tells the group that, when he is at the office, he always seems to get so involved in the daily activity that he never gets to the important things. How, he asked, does each of you handle this situation?

PRO Advisory Board Recommendations:

Susan -- I start each day with a list of the three to four important things I want to get done that day. Then I concentrate on getting them done before I let myself get involved in anything else.

George -- I always ask my people, when they bring me something, "How critical is this?" If it's not critical, I ask them to come back with a proposed solution, and I set a time for us to go over the issue of concern.

Ryan -- Can you rely on your administrative assistant to know which issues to bring you, and which to handle? My assistant knows which emails to handle, which phone calls to return, and which daily issues to deal with. Having so many of these minor and routine issues taken off my plate gives me the time for the big picture stuff.

Tom -- I stay away from the office and let my people do their work. They know how to find me if they need me, but my absence empowers them to take care of things they might otherwise pass to me. My role is to keep up to date with the changing technology in our industry, set strategy and make sure we have the best people, who are capable of getting things done.

Valerie -- George and Tom and Ryan recognize that the first step is to discipline yourself. Many years ago I was in the same busy work trap. I learned I had to take a one-day-at-a-time approach to implement change in me. I had to learn that others could do many activities as well or better than I could do them. To get out of the daily "doing" rut depends on your depending on your people to do what they were there to do This is a great compliment you are paying them, as well as a great benefit to the business and to yourself as the boss.

Sam -- I have a very simple system, which is a hitchhike on Susan‚s daily to do list. When I put an item on the list, I date it. If I haven't gotten to that item in 30 days, I give it to someone else. Someone else doing it is much better than my not doing it at all.

Sean -- My physical surroundings are Step One to help me not get involved in my employees' work. I work with my back to the door! That way I cannot see people walk by, and don't get into conversations that are not necessary. It is a daily personal battle to keep out of the details, but the results are well worth it.

Kevin -- I work only on new projects or when something is critical. We all grew up in our businesses doing everything, but the main lesson we have to learn is not to get involved where others can do the work very well. It's very "macho" to have your employees come to you or think everything revolves around you, but, as Valerie said, you have to train yourself.

Facilitator's Comment:

There's a sign in my office that reads, "THERE IS NO SENSE DOING WELL WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING AT ALL." As you all seem to recognize, each leader has to learn discipline, and, if necessary, behavior modification, to work only on the important items.

Some people work best when they create a deadline for themselves, in terms of an actual date or a commitment to an employee. The key to getting out of the daily grind is to recognize you have to change your activities. That's the only way you‚re going to take the company to the next level. It means you have to work ON the business and not IN the business.

Your job is to create priorities for yourself and others. You have to recognize and implement the things that really drive your business. This means you will work outside of your comfort zone. Valerie's one-day-at-a-time approach is the best way not only to change your bad habits; but also to expand your comfort zone. If you slip back to your old habits, it is important to recognize what's happening and get yourself moving forward again.

A good way to start this change is by classifying the work you do as important, not important or critical. All work in an organization is important, but if it can be done effectively by your employees, it must be! If you are doing busy work, instead of critical work, your business is not benefiting from your skills and knowledge. Get out in front and lead your company.