It’s About Planning And Scheduling Next Year's Performance

Would You Hire Another Employee Like This One?

By Dr. Larry Baker, CSP

“Spectacular performance is typically preceded by unspectacular preparation."
Dr. Kenneth Mc Farlin

Read the discussion, below, that illustrates one of the many possible time management systems that could be described in an employee’s presenting next year’s performance objectives.  This is a conversation involving a Vice-President, Al; a Division Head under him, Keith; and a recently hired Department Manager, Dora who works for Keith.  Then decide … Would you hire another employee like Dora?

Al: "Well, that raps up our discussion about your performance and self improvement plans for next year ... not bad for the first time you, Keith and I have done this together."

Dora: "Thank you, but I have a bit more planning, as well as scheduling, to do before being ready to start."

Keith: "You do?  How’s that; your objectives look good enough to me for you to start with a full commitment."

 Dora: "Yes, I’m committed;  I, also, like how you want us to assess my progress on them …  They'll stretch me some; but, they're realistic … And, I'll achieve them …  Still, I'll feel better after working out the time and other resource conflicts that may need adjusting."

Al: "What are you adjusting?  Nobody's ever mentioned doing something like that.  Won’t you work all of that out as you go?”

Dora: "Well, not all of it as I go, most of it will be predictable and finished within the next several days … I'll be back in touch, so we can have another discussion in about two weeks."

Al: "Another session, what for?"

Dora: "Well, I need to do some planning and scheduling, break each of these objectives down into one or more projects and schedule all their activities."

Keith: "I'm not sure what you are saying."

Dora: "I have my performance objectives for the year; now, I need to plan and schedule my work on them for the year … It’s part of the Time Management strategy I use … I dislike chronic disorganization."

Keith: "My other managers just get started and kind of adjust as they go.  You don't do that?”

Dora: "Oh, I'll make some minor adjustments as I go, and maybe a couple of major ones; but, when I start working on next year’s objectives, my plans and schedules will be pretty organized.  I have a Time Management system with strategies and tools that work.”

Al: "I've never done anything like you're talking about, nor have I seen it done by any of our other people.  Tell me about what you're going to do."

Dora: "I work with each objective, one at a time.  First, I brainstorm all the possible projects I reasonably could do to achieve an objective and write them down."

Keith: "All the projects?”

Dora: "Oh, just those reasonably expected to make a contribution.  I don't want to accept or reject any of them until I evaluate each project.”

Al: "You evaluate each project?”

Dora: "Sure do; each gets an initial benefit/cost analysis; so I can choose the 'best fit' projects." 

Keith: "What do you mean, 'best fit'?"

Dora: "Each project will cost me some resources -- like time, money, staff or other things.  I can only choose the combination of projects that fit my resource limits and equal, or hopefully exceed our desired benefit."

Al: "What do you mean, benefits?"

Dora: "That's the result stated by the objective I’m planning and scheduling.  For example, here's one; we agreed that I would reduce milling costs by four percent this coming year; that's the benefit that the one, or more, projects chosen to accomplish that objective must achieve."

Al: "So, you’ll choose only the projects that will stay within your resource limits, and yet, achieve the results stated in your objective."

Dora: "That's right; they're what I call the 'best fit' projects."

Al:  “Mind telling me how you do this, like -- from the beginning?"

Dora: "Of course not.  It starts with taking each objective, one at a time, and brainstorming to get a list of projects that could achieve the objective. Then, I map out each projects’ activities. At that point, I can determine the benefit and cost of each project.  The benefit/cost ratio of each project is used to choose the best fit project for the objective.

Al: "I'm getting the picture; you mentioned an appointment in less than two weeks; tell me what you're going to have in two weeks and how all this plays out next year."

Dora: "It's like this … you'll see my brainstormed projects for each objective, activity map and flow chart for each project with time schedules and the milestones to be achieved for each of the projects I'm working on at the time of each quarterly review.  We'll all three know my resource commitments, results accomplished and if I'm on schedule next year, behind or ahead.  You’ll know better how to advise me about adjustments I should make before it’s too late to save resources or improve results." 

Keith: "That sounds like a lot of work."

Dora: "It’s not as bad as the frustration, conflicts, complaints  and re-work that come from making mistakes, wasting resources  and getting  the wrong start on projects; and besides that, you can't believe how much more confident you feel about what you're doing.  For example, at each review I first ask myself if the objectives I'm working on are still appropriate.  That's often a more important question than how well I'm doing in achieving them.  Please don't make fun of me for saying it this way, but that keeps my objectives as dynamic as the world in which I work.  Sometimes objectives have to be modified in mid-stream.”

Al: "I wouldn't make fun of that.  But, don't you often have to make lots of changes in your project plans and schedules?"

Dora: "Some, but, not too many; and I don’t get ‘blind sided’ by many changes.  That's why I believe that, today, all plans and schedules should be written with the attitude that -- a pencil must be used and an eraser must be kept handy -- or accept that computer keyboards have a delete key to help deal with the unknowns and uncertainties faced when organizing future work."

Keith: "That's a fresh philosophy; how else do you use this approach to planning and scheduling?"

Dora: "I've only worked for you for a few weeks; in time, you'll see how I use it to organize special projects, and other responsibilities.  I've adapted the same approach for project team planning, committee projects and even used it with self- directed work teams … The same approach also works with my personal goals list." 

Al: "WOW, a lot of our people could benefit from your planning and scheduling techniques."

Dora: "It's the best way I've found to manage my own work. It helps me manage my staff’s work."

Al: “Dora, I was going to tell you to have the two week follow up meeting you mentioned, earlier, with Keith … Now, I’m looking forward to seeing the plans and schedules you will be preparing.”

Keith: “Me too; when you are ready, I’ll contact Al for us to work out a match with his schedule.” 

Some questions for you …

Does Dora make you feel confident in her knowledge of how to approach her performance objectives for the next year – with her “unspectacular preparation”?

Do you think Dora is more likely, just as likely or less likely to accomplish more of her objectives next year than Al’s and Keith’s other employees?  

Well … Would you hire another employee like Dora … Why?

How effective are you in managing the preparation and accomplishment of your own annual performance objectives? 

How would you rate your time management  skills?

You can begin within the next hour to discover your current planning-scheduling and other time based strengths and weaknesses, as well as discover hundreds of Dr. Baker’s time saving solutions.