We get it – no matter what industry, we are all time poor. However, it’s time to get our collective heads out of our a!#ss and stop rewarding ‘busyness’.
Why? Because today’s society pays homage and respect to those who are busy. We celebrate it; it’s one of the first questions we ask.
“How are you? You busy?”
However, for many, ‘busyness’ is a waste of time and doesn’t get much done. We need to start rewarding effectiveness, not just random ‘busyness’.
Busyness is one’s ability to run around making a lot of comments, noises, disruptions, but not really getting much done. Effectiveness is the opposite – we plan, we implement, and we work methodically towards an outcome.
How do we turn a culture around and stamp out ‘busyness’?
By being clear and consistent in our communication and directions, ensuring team members understand what their outcomes for each day, week and month are.
Perhaps you are in a role which is 50% reactive and cannot be planned out due to phones, customers, breakdowns etc.
Understanding what percentage of each day / week can actually be planned for ensures we create realistic workloads and don’t burn out our most loyal workers.
Step back and identify reactive vs proactive roles in your business. Which ones can have planned outcomes and which ones need space for reactive tasks?
Understanding and identifying these differences ensures you can set your team up for success by planning for only the portion that can realistically be planned for.
Your team members will be able to leave with a sense of achievement each day, rather than overwhelmed and de-motivated.
And instead of rating people on how busy they are – whether team-mates, colleagues or friends – let’s lead with: “How are you today? You’re looking well.”