Managing Your Business

Turning work into play

You may have heard that work was given its name because it is not play. But does that mean work can't be fun? Alan Gregerman, a business consultant and author of Lessons from the Sandbox, says having fun at work actually can make you more productive. Try these steps for including playtime in your workday:

• Keep a "fun" log. Choose one week to write down each instance you and your employees laugh and have fun at work. Determine the daily "fun" average and decide whether it is time to add more fun to your workday.
  
  
• Study children. When you are around children, watch how they interact. Gregerman says children can teach lessons in enthusiasm, curiosity, leadership, teamwork and others. Determine how their methods of play can apply to your workday.
  
  
• Set aside 15 minutes. Each day, allot 15 minutes for fun. Spend that time singing, blowing bubbles, flying paper airplanes or doing anything that makes you laugh.

Source: Adapted from Lessons from the Sandbox, as cited in The Working Communicator, June 2001 issue.

Absenteeism is increasing

According to the 2001 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey conducted by Washington, D.C.-based CCH Inc.—a provider of employment and tax-law information and business software and services—employee absenteeism is on the rise. The survey claims stress caused one in five (19 percent) workday absences during 2001. The survey also notes that absences cost U.S. businesses $755 per absent employee per day. Following are other reasons for employee absences according to the survey:

• Personal illnesses caused 32 percent of absences.
  
  
• Twenty-one percent of missed workdays were a result of family issues.
  
  
• Personal needs caused 11 percent of missed workdays.
  
  
• Nine percent of absences were days employees believed they were entitled to take off of work.
  
  
• Bad weather and transportation problems caused 8 percent of absences.
  
  

Source: Adapted from PRNewswire, as cited in First Draft, March issue.

Retraining a supervisor

If you have noticed a project manager or foreman inadequately performing his job but do not want to fire him, it may be necessary to retrain him. Consider performing these steps to make an inept supervisor more effective:

• Create a corrective action plan. Specify the improvements the supervisor must accomplish to keep his job, such as increased revenue, timeliness, etc. Also, give the supervisor a deadline by which he must improve his performance.
  
  
• Become a coach. Provide the supervisor with training and feedback that focuses on his weak areas. Schedule meetings or prepare written progress reports to inform the supervisor about the headway he is making.
  
  
• Prepare for the worst. If the supervisor does not respond well to the action plan, you may have to consider firing or demoting him. Examine your company's severance packages to make sure they are adequate for the course of action you choose. For example, if you are demoting the supervisor, offer him assistance with his new job or counseling. This may help him adjust to the changes and succeed in his new position.
  
  

Source: Adapted from the Harvard Business Review, as cited in The Manager's Intelligence Report, April issue.

Making the day's end productive

Pretend you just looked at your clock and realized there only are two hours left in your workday. How do you efficiently manage that time so you are not overloaded with work tomorrow? Setting an alarm or beeper to alert you when only two hours remain in a workday is an effective time-management tool. When your alarm beeps, decide what urgent tasks you must complete now and what can wait until tomorrow.

Also, confine yourself to your desk or most productive area for these final hours. Ask your employees to keep disturbances to a minimum, and only schedule morning appointments. This will allow you to work straight through a workday's last two hours. Finally, let your voicemail handle incoming calls during these hours, but be sure to check your messages before leaving work.

Source: Adapted from Communication Briefings, January issue.