Masonry Magazine September 2012 Page. 43
ADVERTORIAL
Assure the Work Being Done Attributes to Company Success
CONTRACTOR TIP OF THE MONTH
When you don't have enough work to do, you will make work out of what you have to do. That's what my mom told me years ago. With nine kids, they had plenty of overhead to cover, so maybe that is why she and Dad always kept plenty of work laid out for us kids to do back then. The same is true in business. Has your office staff informed you that they are so busy, not a single one of them can take on another task? Or, does it just depend on how they define "busy" that keeps them so busy?
I am on vacation at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, with another mason contractor, his kids, my girls and their friends. It sure is peaceful at 5 a.m., sitting in this motor home writing, while the girls all get their rest for another day riding roller coasters. (Of course, I will be riding with them, refusing to ever put my hands down before they do while we ride.) It also is a good feeling to know my desk is clean when I get back in the office. How'd I do that? Glad you asked! I made myself commit to not leaving for the trip until I was caught up on all the messages and mail that had been piling up.
The girls and I planned to leave no later than 10 a.m. Friday morning, which meant I had to finish in the office by 9 a.m. At 6:30 am. that morning, I was faced with a couple of days' work needing to be done in 2.5 hours. Not knowing where to start, I decided to start with the far left side of my cluttered desk, and then I would circle right until I cleaned it all off. There was a lot of junk mail from the political parties that I would normally look at, but not today. Although my inbox was full of funnies and things from clients and friends, I deleted those messages off my computer without reading, while quickly responding to the vital messages I had.
With no time for distractions, when one of my managers knocked on my door, I asked him how important it is we talk right that minute as I could call him once I got on the road. He said that would be fine. I did the same with the messages on the answering machine and other calls I needed to make, which lead to me banking about 10 calls to make on my four-hour drive here. Making those calls on the way saved me several work hours, while making my drive here just fly by. Can you believe I left with a clean desk, empty inbox and message bank in the 2.5 hours I had allotted?
Looking back on what I had piled up to do, less than half of it was important to the success of my companies; the rest was non-essential things I would have done if I had more time. Wait a minute, what about the rest of our employees? Are they all working on the most vital parts of their jobs? Or, are they spending time working on those same non-essential things that I let pile up?
So maybe we should all take a page out of mom's play book: Make sure that we, and each of our people, have plenty of work to do and don't just make work out of what we have to do to stretch out and fill our day. And maybe more important than that, make sure the work we do contributes toward the success of the company, so we aren't using our best energy up on non-essential tasks ranging from things like creating lengthy reports that don't get read (or even understood) by anyone but the person who creates them; tracking useless data that no one ever requests; scouring junk mail, or playing fantasy football. Each minute we take doing those non-essentials is a minute you never get back. Wouldn't you rather spend your time doing the things that matter most?
Damian Lang is a mason contractor in southeast Ohio and inventor of many labor saving masonry systems and products. He is also the author of the book "Rewarding and Challenging Employees for Profits in Masonry." To order a copy of his book or to network with Damian on these tips or tips you have and would like published, contact him at dlang@langmasonry.com or call 740-749-3512.
Provided by Damian Lang. President of Lang Masonry Contractors, Inc., and EZ Great Corp.
READER SERVICE #314
September 2012
MASONRY 41
MICHAEL PHELPS SAYS...
"I learned how fast you can go from being an international hero to being a reference in a joke on a late night talk show."
what with the flexing of those "blades" on his legs. Let me say this again, just so that nobody misses it: People seriously thought that the runner, Oscar Pistorius, had an advantage because his legs had been amputated and he was running with the aid of prosthesis!
Well, Oscar Pistorius is going to get the last laugh on this. I guess I could say, also, that he is going to get the last "lap" on this, as he is a part of South Africa's 4x400 meter relay team. His country thinks that he is one of its best 400-meter runners, because they put the best on the team, and they want to win.
Remember that "best" means many things: physical ability, heart, attitude, discipline and skill. When you are out there in the world, competing as best you can to provide for your family, company and community, don't ever lose heart. Besides your company team, don't forget about your MCAA team, which stands ready to help you with the training and skills you need to not only survive, but also thrive. The training and structure is there. You supply the heart, the discipline and the will to win. IMAS
Gary Micheloni is a working project manager, speaker, author, consultant... and a coach. Write him at FullContactTeam@gmail.com
Copyright 2012 Gary Micheloni
COACH GARY'S CORNER:
What's your plan for competing in the trials of 2012? Coaching will help you get there in less time, and with more success. Ask Coach Gary to speak for your group, association or convention, or even to coach your company? You can at least ask! Coach Gary's first book, "Get Paid for a Change!" is available at Amazon.com. Pick it up there; change your business. And, get his FREE scheduling seminars at www.MicrosoftProjectClasses.com
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