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