Keep the monkeys off your back

It's nothing to do with data cabling but here’s a superb extract from “The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey” . . .

“Discretionary time is time in which we do the things that make our work truly rewarding over and above financial compensation – things such as creating, innovation, leading, planning and organisation.

Although discretionary time is the most vital time of all, it is, unfortunately, the first to disappear when the pressure is on, as I learned well in the school of hard knocks.

Why? The reason has to do with the incentive system. You see, if we don’t comply with our bosses wishes we will be guilty of insubordination. If we don’t conform to our systems requirements we will be guilty of noncooperation. If we don’t do what we promised for our staff, that is, work off the monkeys, we will be guilty of procrastination.”

A "monkey" is a problem that needs to be dealt with. It can easily climb from one person's back to another. To learn how to free up your time and deal with priorities, and how not to take on a problem if it isn’t yours read Kenneth Blanchard’s The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey. I don't have any commercial connection with it, it's just an excellent book that would benefit so many managers.

Alan Bullen
Managing Director
Lynx Networks plc