| On a recent airplane flight, I thought of all the | | | | You also should expect those around you to be |
| systems that are in place to get us from one | | | | handling their work spaces with the same efficiency. |
| destination to another as efficiently as possible. | | | | Consider what would happen to our flight if everyone |
| Boarding | | | | were following the systems needed to get the plane |
| Consider the rapid turnaround of planes these days. | | | | turned around except for one group. |
| When the arriving passengers disembark, their | | | | Suppose the cleaning crew didn't pay much attention |
| luggage is taken off, the plane is refueled, a | | | | to the exact timing on their schedule. They knew |
| maintenance check is done, the interior is cleaned, a | | | | they were going to clean planes today, but some |
| new crew boards, luggage is loaded, food and drinks | | | | friends from another unit stopped by so they had a |
| placed on board, and the new passengers settle in - | | | | brief visit and chat. Then someone had to make a |
| often all within 30 minutes. Then we're soaring to our | | | | personal telephone call. When they got to the plane, |
| next destination. | | | | they found they didn't bring all the supplies they |
| Taking Off | | | | needed, so someone had to go borrow materials |
| We don't buckle up in our seats and then wait while | | | | from another cleaning crew. Meanwhile the boarding |
| the pilot rummages through stacks of papers, old | | | | and subsequent take-off is delayed. |
| charts, unread magazines, and empty food | | | | Even though everyone else did their jobs, following |
| containers, trying to figure out what the present | | | | procedures and schedules, the repercussions of this |
| destination will be and then where the directions are | | | | one group's delay trickle on down to all of the planes |
| for that destination. | | | | following after. |
| We expect these procedures to go smoothly and | | | | This may sound far-fetched but it occurs in some |
| rarely give the process any thought. The pilot boards | | | | form every day in offices everywhere. We may be |
| knowing exactly what he is going to do. There is | | | | efficient ourselves, but there's often one person |
| nothing in that cockpit that is not specific to the job | | | | whose desk is stacked, who has to constantly ask |
| at hand. He has a set of procedures that he follows, | | | | for duplicates because they can't find what they |
| in a set order, to make sure nothing is skipped. We | | | | need, who is easily distracted, and who forgets to |
| count on that, for both punctuality and safety. When | | | | follow up. We tolerate that and make jokes about it, |
| something does goes awry and we are delayed for | | | | but ultimately it's not just that one person in the |
| any reason, we're disappointed. If a plane has an | | | | organization that's affected, it's everyone around that |
| accident, we're shocked. | | | | person. If you are working with someone like that, |
| Yet do we expect the same of ourselves in our | | | | you are subjected to disarray, interruptions from |
| business endeavors? Consider your desk or your | | | | them, and not being able to count on them to be as |
| work area as the cockpit, driving the segment of the | | | | efficient as they could be in doing their share of the |
| business for which you are responsible. Take a look | | | | work. All of these results impact on the rest of the |
| around you. Is everything as streamlined as it could | | | | team. |
| be? Are there any extraneous materials that do not | | | | Each of us needs to be working like the pilot. Know |
| pertain to the job at hand? When you come to work | | | | what your schedule is, establish a prioritized plan of |
| in the morning, do you know immediately where to | | | | action, have the materials you need on hand, and get |
| begin, or are you shifting through papers and clutter | | | | rid of any unnecessary matter around you that does |
| to determine where to focus first? | | | | not pertain to the job at hand so that you can focus |
| With a good system in place, your work has been | | | | on what needs to be done now. |
| prioritized the night before. When you come in, you | | | | We count on that when we do business with other |
| know what your schedule is and what you want to | | | | companies. Shouldn't they be able to expect the |
| accomplish this day - your destination. Nothing will fall | | | | same from us? If you want to get your business off |
| through the cracks because you have a procedure to | | | | the ground, set up systems that will help you soar! |
| record every task and follow-up that has to happen. | | | | ©2006, Key Organization Systems, Inc. |
| The Crew | | | | |