| |
| |
|
Management Information |
|
|
|
Is Your Brain Getting the Memory Full Message? 5 Ways to Free Up Room on Your Brains Hard Drive
Lynn was tapped to head up the project team for a major company restructuring. She began her first team meeting by delegating steps and due dates to the various department heads. That's when she noticed that one member, Bob, wasn't writing anything down. Lynn knew Bob was a competent guy. Yet given the importance of this project his casual approach concerned her. So, after the meeting she pulled Bob aside. "I don't want to tell you how to do your job," Lynn began, "but I noticed you're weren't writing down any of your assignments." "Oh, don't worry," Bob replied pointing to his head "it's all right up here." Lynn was hardly reassured. "That's great Bob. But what happens if you lose your mind?" You may not lose your mind, but are you getting the mental "memory full" message a bit more often these days? With a computer there is always the option to add memory or get a bigger hard drive. Even if we could rely on memory, besides not being fool proof, there's the problem of brain clutter, a concern that led Albert Einstein to conclude that one should, "Never bother to memorize anything that is easily accessible." So, what can you do? Since the closest analogy to the human brain is the computer it makes sense to look to it for solutions to the problem of brain overload. But first it's important to fully understand the problem. Here are some of the unwelcome things that can happen when a computer's hard drive gets too full. As you can see, when people try handling more information and performing more functions than we're "programmed" to handle similar things can happen: A too-full computer versus a too-full brain: The problem of a too full hard drive lends itself to a variety of solutions. These same solutions can apply to the problem of a too full mind. Here are five overwhelm-busting techniques human's can borrow from the computer: 1. Reboot: 2. Delete unnecessary files: 3. Call the help desk: 4. Download: If your mental hard drive is exceptionally full you'll want to start with a complete Brain Download. The Brain Download is an exercise in which you fully and completely empty your mind of all the things you need or want to do both in your work and personal life. Big stuff, little stuff. Things you have to do now, things you don't have time to get to right now but are none-the-less taking up precious mind space. To do a thorough download you should allow at least 30 minutes. At some point in the process you might hit the "overwhelm wall." Seeing how much you have to do can make you want to throw down your pencil in despair. But if you push through this wall and continue writing, ultimately you'll experience the benefits of a well-functioning computer: Faster processing of information, fewer errors, less need to call the help desk, and a greatly diminished risk of that your system will crash. But here's where humans have a definite edge on computers. Downloading our brain allows us to enjoy additional benefits like less likely to procrastinate, greater creativity, and the peace of mind of knowing that nothing will slip through the cracks. 5. Defragment: Next, put things into perspective by prioritizing your list. After all, on the same list you probably have things like buy new collar for Fluffy next to develop strategic plan. The simple process of sorting through your list and putting each item into its proper priority "file" can be tremendously freeing. Finally, just as the defragmenting process on a computer checks the drive for errors, taking the time to organize your activities helps ensure that nothing will slip through the cracks! In today's world, mental overwhelm is a fact of life. Fortunately, by applying some simple techniques from the computer world, you can avoid some of the costly consequences of a too full brain! You are welcome to reprint this or any of our productivity-enhancing articles in your organization's newsletter or on your web site providing the following attribution and hyperlink appear with each article. 2002/4 Time/Design. To learn more about Time/Design's Focus Management? tools, training, and coaching call 800-637-9942 or visit www.timedesign.com. Time/Design is a leading provider of time management training and tools offering practical and realistic strategies for managing commitments, communications and information.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Knowledge Management - Creating a Sustainable Yellow Pages System How can I "know who knows" None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it's easy to find the right person to talk to. This is why many organisations create "yellow pages" applications, which enable employees to find and contact other staff with particular expertise and skills. Customer Focus - Just 5 SimpleThings You Need to Think About You can boil down the difference between successful businesses and the rest in how they work with their customers, in just five areas.So, what does this mean? What They WantSelling what your customers really want is just critical. When Business Becomes A Battlefield "We have to be careful it's like a minefield out there" "I like to lob the odd grenade into the meeting to shake things up" "You have to watch your back all the time with her" "We need to attack whilst they are in a weak position" "There was blood all over the carpet after he had finished with them"What is your reaction when you are in situations where you hear these kind of messages? What sort of tone and atmosphere do you think they create?These words and phrases are becoming more common-place language amongst managers and are indicators of how things are done in their business. They are also indicative of the growing number of leaders who believe that running a business is like waging war or engaging in a military operation. A Journey of a Thousand Miles You can't build a reputation on what you are "going" to do. Henry Ford Everyone procrastinates in their own way. Basic Management Skills Recent studies have shown that industrial supervisors are working at less than 60 % of their potential. Basic management skills training is guaranteed to change all this and at such little costManager in contextMost of my adult life has been spent working as a supervisor or manager on industrial projects throughout the world. An Original Perspective on Waging Conflict as a Way to Promote and Restore Self-dignity Conflict is a fact of life for all of us, but too many painful consequences are generated by avoiding or managing it in the wrong way. When we deal with everybody else day after day in any capacity as leaders or team managers, is inevitable that we will be personally confronted with conflict. Keys to Feeling Powerfull In An Uncertain World Life has always been full of uncertainties. Over the last several years with downsizing, bankruptcies, scandals, crime, the economic environment, and the threat of war, people are feeling power-less, fearful, and stressed about their present and future lives. Supplier Sees 53% Reduction in Out-of-Spec Orders Case Study The goal of perfection is a challenge. It is often viewed as an expensive process requiring large investments. New Job, New Culture: Do You Fit In? It seemed like a good decision at the time. A 10-percent raise, an easier commute and a chance to move up the corporate ladder. Management - Mary Poppins Style! Mary Poppins describes a style of management which has for too long been hidden in many businesses and organisations.Think about it. Four Steps to Better Performance Reviews Direct reports-people who need direction and leadership-rely on their leaders to give them feedback and mentoring, not just management and evaluations. However, these people who most need their boss's help frequently lack the guidance that would enable them move to the next levels of success-theirs, their team's and the company's. Is ISO 9001 2000 Right For My Business? Firstly you should decide your own reasoning behind considering ISO 9001 2000 registration for your business.Is the number of registrations in your market sector increasing?Are your competitors seeking registration?Are your customers asking about registration?Are registrations increasing in your industry?Are your customers asking you to become registered?Have your group HQ asked you to gain registration?Do you want to reap the financial benefits of registration?Have the number of customer or consumer complaints increased?Preventable errors reoccur again and again?It is not possible to state exactly what benefits your organization will gain by having a formal quality system, primarily because each organisation is different. The Do's and Don'ts of Giving Feedback Being able to give effective feedback is not just a good skill to possess in business, it is a great life skill to have. Because when you are masterful at giving feedback, not only can you help your employees to sustain continuously improving performance, you can also improve the performance of the baseball team you coach, the cleaning lady at home, or the performance of your own children on completing their chores. Budgets that Damage - The Downsides of Making the Numbers In my organisational career, I had budgets from the age of 22 to 47. I lived and breathed them and many times, budgets, the gospel that they were, caused havoc, albeit within the corporate retailer framework that I worked. The Email Trap If you sit at a computer for most of the day, it's tempting to constantly check your email to see what's new. But that's a time management disaster if you're trying to make progress in your business. Delegate, Dont Abdicate One of the key skills for the leaders of growing businesses is to 'get' the distinction between delegation and abdication.Many managers and business leaders fall into one of two extreme categories:They delegate too little and try to do it all themselves or they give too much away, abdicating both their responsibilities and the prerogatives of power. Leadership Styles - the Ten Top Qualities the Best Leaders Show Top leaders.. Organizational Culture, Creativity, Innovation It can be concluded with great certainty that certain organizational cultures inhibit creativity and innovation whilst others foster it. Some organizations are just better at identifying problems, generating and selecting valuable ideas and developing and commercialising them - this is why those firms tend to maintain competitive advantage and remain leaders in their field. 5 Surefire Ways to Bring Your Business Objectives Full Circle with Technology All small to mid-sized company owners want to know where their dollar is being spent when it comes to computer technology in their organization. The challenge is for them to get the information they need to make the right purchasing decisions. Employee Orientation: The 90 Day Difference Why do some new managers succeed while others fail? It all depends on the first three months - the critical time when the new hire is learning the ropes. The new manager's boss plays a vital role in the orientation process.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
