Trivial Pursuit
Bill Floyd
"But I'm busy!" Sherry loudly let it be known to her office mates. "And Josh keeps piling it on. I'm never going to get this done. I've got database work that's never ending, daily routines and those customers, I wish they'd stop calling. They are driving me crazy - always asking for me to do something to help them out."
"That's it." said James. "Sherry, into my office - NOW!" Sherry slumped a bit at her desk and sheepishly did what she was told. James glared at her and said, "Girl - you are out of control. You do a great job for us and that's why you are still here, but you are making this office a very unpleasant environment." Before she could speak up James continued, "You are conscientious, and I know you want to get your work finished but let's get one thing straight. As long as you work here you will NEVER finish your work - NEVER! There will always be more to do. You will always leave work on your desk when you go home at night. And, you want CUSTOMERS to stop calling you? Why don't we just lock the doors right now?"
Sherry whimpered an apology but James wasn't finished. "Sherry you are stuck in Trivial Pursuit." he said. "You need better organizational skills. You need to learn to prioritize your tasks. Everything on your to-do list is NOT an "A" item. Yes, some are musts and nows. But some of what you do is fill in, and some is when you get to it. Customers are almost always at or near the top. Other tasks, not so much. I've talked to our counter men when I've seen them stocking shelves or putting up displays while customers wait for service. Same deal. They too need to understand what's important, what's their priority. And, I've talked to them about it."
"I'm signing you up for this "Forget The Trivia And Get Things Done" seminar that came across my desk this morning. Improving in this area will be a "A" item for you at review time. Am I clear?"
An aside: Sound familiar? All items are not "A" items. So know what's really important, prioritize and accomplish.
Contact Us: bfloyd@electricsmarts.com
"That's it." said James. "Sherry, into my office - NOW!" Sherry slumped a bit at her desk and sheepishly did what she was told. James glared at her and said, "Girl - you are out of control. You do a great job for us and that's why you are still here, but you are making this office a very unpleasant environment." Before she could speak up James continued, "You are conscientious, and I know you want to get your work finished but let's get one thing straight. As long as you work here you will NEVER finish your work - NEVER! There will always be more to do. You will always leave work on your desk when you go home at night. And, you want CUSTOMERS to stop calling you? Why don't we just lock the doors right now?"
Sherry whimpered an apology but James wasn't finished. "Sherry you are stuck in Trivial Pursuit." he said. "You need better organizational skills. You need to learn to prioritize your tasks. Everything on your to-do list is NOT an "A" item. Yes, some are musts and nows. But some of what you do is fill in, and some is when you get to it. Customers are almost always at or near the top. Other tasks, not so much. I've talked to our counter men when I've seen them stocking shelves or putting up displays while customers wait for service. Same deal. They too need to understand what's important, what's their priority. And, I've talked to them about it."
"I'm signing you up for this "Forget The Trivia And Get Things Done" seminar that came across my desk this morning. Improving in this area will be a "A" item for you at review time. Am I clear?"
An aside: Sound familiar? All items are not "A" items. So know what's really important, prioritize and accomplish.
Contact Us: bfloyd@electricsmarts.com
