Pressure is one thing all managers have to live with. The more senior the manager, more the pressure. There are many kinds of pressure - infrastructural, financial, personnel, resources, time etc. Most of these issues are those where the manager has limited control as there are external factors influencing the situational parameters. The manager has to function within the circumstances of his environment. One of the biggest pressures is that of time.

Very few of us realize that time is malleable and can, to some extent be controlled by us. No, the project deadline cannot be changed and the various inter-related issues have to function to a pre-defined schedule for the project to be completed on time. But what about your "personal" time? By "personal" time we mean that part of your time that is not committed to meetings and other forms of external interaction. This is in your control. Yes, there are great pressures on this "personal" time too. However, do you ever stop to think of what would happen if you stopped for a while? The previous sentence contains one of the most frequently used and least understood phrases in the English language - "stop to think."

Three simple words, but what do they mean? Stop - cease current activities; To - for what ; Think - the reason for stopping. What this phrase is asking one to do is step back from the current activity, free your mind and focus it on creative thought. While working on a problem your mind is functioning in a process mode, analysing the issues within the parameters of the problem to find a solution. Your mental focus becomes tunnelled and is limited by the parameters of the problem. This often compromises your ability to look at different aspects of the issue and other approaches to the problem. There is a tool that can help resolve this problem and free your mind to examine an issue in its broader perspective. This is called The Stop Sign. It enables you to Stop To Think. This is the easiest tool to learn yet one of the hardest to implement. It is well worth your time to bring this tool into your life. But you have to create this habit. When you are faced with an issue or an opportunity, sit back and reflect for thirty seconds. Think about other ways to approach the problem and look for creative, effective solutions.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Perhaps the difficulty is in the fact that this tool appears to be so simple to use, when really it isn't. Pausing for a few moments to reflect on an issue is easy. Making it a habit is not. Perhaps you can put up a sign on a wall that simply says STOP. When you see the sign, stop what you are doing for a few moments and think about what you are doing instead.

The Reversal

When you're struggling with a problem, your brain locks-up. You continue to mull over the same facts and figures time and again, and the solution is not at hand. There are several ways to deal with this problem and open your mind. One of the easiest techniques is known as a "Reversal". It is exactly what the name implies - do the opposite of what you would normally do; in the current situation, think in reverse, i.e. how do you increase the dimensions of the problem you are facing?

In other words, how would you make things worse! For example, say that the problem you are facing has to do with poor sales. The first thing one must do when facing a problem, any problem, is to put that problem into simple terms. Most people call this a "Problem Statement".

A better name is "Opportunity Statement" (OS) because it shows a positive outlook. None the less, the result is the same: focus. In this case the OS is "We need to increase sales."

In order to overcome the dreaded brain-lock, you have to undergo shock therapy. You do have to shock your brain, but don't worry, because it does not involve real electricity. Simply reverse the statement. In this case, ask yourself the question "How can we decrease sales?" Answers to this question might be as follows: Don't make cold calls. Stop advertising. Mess up the Meta tags on our home page so that people won't be able to find us on the Internet. Don't answer the phone quickly. Don't qualify customers etc. Note ALL of these ideas down on paper!

Don't judge your ideas just yet, or you may miss a diamond in the rough. Keep on until you have listed all the negative (or, to be more honest, stupid) things you can think of that could make the problem worse.

Now look at the list and see if there is anything on it that reflects what you are doing currently. In case the answer is yes, the solution is not just to stop doing it but to go back and see why this action was initiated in the first place. The answer may illuminate some long overlooked malaise in the organization setup that may have negative impacts on other issues. A simple example you find phones being answered slowly. You tell the operators to answer as fast as possible. But if you go into the reasons for the delay in answering the phones you may find that at some time in the distant past the operators were told to answer the phones only after five rings as it was perceived at some time in the past that a quick answer would indicate that the phones were always free because there was no work going on! No one even thinks about this today - like many office traditions it has become self perpetuating. This discovery could lead you to other overlooked issues having their roots in a time when looking busy was as important as being busy.

Now look at all the things on the list that you are not doing. OK, so now you know the stupid things you could be doing but are not. But don't sit back satisfied with this. Reverse these ideas again and see what results you get. You may be surprised. The above is quite an oversimplification. At the same time, making things too complex is not always necessary or desired. Also, the aim is not to try to solve a sales problem here, but to pass along a brainstorming technique. The fact is that creating a reversal will bring in a flood of ideas. Once you have your list in-hand, turning these ideas around into positive ideas is an easy matter. E.g. make cold calls. Advertise. Work on the home page, etc. 

Shiv Nair Management Support Consortium - Bangalore

Issue BG65 Aug06

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