What?
In college, we evaluated a case study called The Parable of the Spindle. One of the main points of the case was that in many restaurants, cooks and chefs were considered higher status employees than waiters. Whether this was right or wrong is not the point. The point is that waiters were “giving orders” to the cooks and this caused considerable tension. Someone came up with the idea of using a spindle, like you still see in many restaurant kitchens.
The spindle solves several problems. The waiters no longer give the cooks verbal orders. The written orders are attached to the spindle and submitted in a much more organized fashion. It is easier for the cooks to decide what to do next; the spindle rotates and the orders come up in priority order. Everybody feels more comfortable and the new process helps get things done in a more organized and appropriate fashion.
So What?
If this simple process works for cooks and waiters…it will work for you and your projects.
Now What?
All the popular word processing software programs have a “table” function. You can easily create tables to serve as your “electronic spindle” for projects you work on or manage. Although sophisticated project management software is available, a word processing table document is a simple solution that’s easy to learn. Simply create a table with the following columns:
* Category of the item (for example, People, Products, Processes, Resources or any categories that make sense for your particular project)
* What is to be done
* Who will do it
* When they will do it
* A column for general comments, if needed
* A column to keep up with the status of the item (in-process, completed, etc.)
Then, sort the table by date and you are ready to get started on your project. This is also a great way to monitor the progress of projects you manage. You simply glance at the table each day and see what is scheduled for completion and what is still pending. You can revise the document and re-sort it if unexpected items need to be added to the project plan. It’s a great way to stay on top of anything that is important to you.
There are three potential problems with planning…no planning, not enough planning and overplanning. Keep it as simple as possible.
Chris Crouch, president and founder of DME Training and Consulting, is the developer of the GO System. The GO System is a structured training course designed to improve focus, organization and productivity in the workplace and is taught by corporate trainers and professional organizers all over the country. Chris is also author of Getting Organized: Learning How to Focus, Organize and Prioritize and other books that provide practical and easy-to-learn ideas on personal achievement, success and productivity.
Visit
http://www.thegosystem.com to learn more about the GO System, to inquire about having Chris speak to your group or organization, to sign up for Chris' free newsletter providing tips on having a more joyful and productive life, and for additional ideas on improving focus, organization and productive.
To learn about becoming a Certified GO System Trainer, visit
http://www.gosystemcertification.com.
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