The Missing Element
Many threads are woven into the Xpertweb meme. Like most of
us, I'm prone to remember poor service longer than good service. I've found,
though, that
outstanding service is so welcome that I want to tell my friends about
it, like great art, which it partly is. By noting great service, I also reassure
myself that I'm not yet so jaded that I have to wear my old fart lapel pin.
FWIW, I've been conducting an experiment for several decades.
Regardless of the service, tip the cab driver generously on the way to the
airport and you'll never be an airline statistic. The warranty does not extend
to your luggage.
Unfortunately I mostly notice
poor service. For many years, I was a reasonably successful real estate developer.
Since
we contracted to build
things, we were always a heartbeat away from a contracting meltdown that
made the Money Pit look like
a doghouse with crooked siding. About 1980, I was building a shopping
center and construction had not started well. Haranguing the pleasant but
somewhat lackadaisical contractors wasn't helping. I walked into the construction
shack one morning and immediately sensed that something was very wrong.
"Guys, there's something wrong here."
"Whaddaya talkin' about?"
"I'm not sure. Something's missing. Give me a minute."
I looked around and suddenly I got it.
"Holy Fucking Shit! There's no calendar! You guys are
running a $4 million job without a fuckin' calendar! Where are you from,
the Moon?!"
It was true. A wall calendar, the essential enabling technology
of project management, was missing. This was unheard of, as improbable
as a Texas Republican building an insane deficit while gutting the Bill
of Rights! Even the lamest contractor had a pin-up
calendar from Snap-On,
LJB Pipeline or Tarco Construction.
Like, you had to work at not having a wall calendar!
Meeting Mania Intervention—The 12 Steps to Sobriety
Meetings waste more time than any other activity. Most groups
would be better off with a Wiki. Most Wikis would be better with less conversation
and more explicit promises. Do you suppose that explains the success of Open
Source? It's a huge operation that
never
holds
a meeting.
The only
reason to have
a meeting is to find out what everyone's doing, what they should be doing
and when they will work on what they should be doing. Many organizations
I've worked for want more technology, but often the best thing I teach
them is how to have a meeting. It's actually simple:
- The meeting leader takes the minutes with a note pad and a laptop.
- Everyone says what's on their mind.
- Everyone will propose solutions.
- Ask who's going to actualize the solution.
- Note who's willing to do something and when.
- Outline the tasks, people and dates.
- Print and distribute the outline, requesting follow-up
at the next meeting.
- Now starts the back-tracking:
- "Oops, I forgot I'll be out of town this week"
- "I just realized it's more complicated than I thought"
- "I'll need Mary to help me"
- Record the changes and re-distribute the outline.
- 2 days before the next meeting, send the outline to everybody.
- Bring enough copies to the next meeting for everyone, since many will forget
it, hoping you will.
- Repeat. Allow six weeks for behavioral change. In Europe, allow six weeks
for behavioural change.
That's it. Published promises
galvanize productivity. If you do nothing more than list them, you're
ahead of 99% of the world's workgroups. Xpertweb forms automate that process.
No frickin' calendar? Sheesh!
10:35:18 AM 
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