Multitasking is BAD – stop it now!

You may think you can do many things at once, but in fact what you are actually doing it switching between one task and another very quickly. What’s bad about this?

Well for one thing some complex tasks require getting up to speed and each time you go off task the process of warming-up to the problem need to recommence. That is a waste of time. The other problem is that each time you switch it consumes energy in the switch-process, which could have otherwise been put to completing the task.

As a project and programme manager I have often said it is better to do 1 thing 100% than 100 things each at 1%. A 1% improvement is just dissipating your effort and will hardly be discernable compared to something that gets your full commitment.

Reality is somewhere in between prioritising maybe 5 key tasks, or 5 projects and then dividing your time logically. I know some who advocate a day each week dedicated to one project and for that day they are exclusive about their focus.

You can do similar things by carving up your day and dedicating certain times for emails, meetings, thinking, sport etc. This logical, locational and time separation improves performance of all those tasks.

This isn’t just good time management, there is good neuroscience evidence that this works. Indeed if you have a separate PC and a separate office for each project you are likely to perform better on each task. This is because a million years of evolution means the brain is good at linking memory with location: where was that water, where was that tiger, where were those fruits. If you can have a separate location for each thing or theme then you can improve your recall and capacity around that theme.

This is obvious when you think about it: you don’t find all the books of the library all in one bucket, but nearly laid out in a way that makes it faster and easier to see themes and draw knowledge.

What may be less obvious is that students who study in a room, get far better results if they then take their exams in the same room! Location gives us context, and builds associations and patterns which help thinking in that context.

Neuroscience also tells us that if we multi-task we are likely to get our mental filing wrong and misplace thoughts and feelings in the wrong categories. Specifically if the “wrong” area of the brain is activated then the experience is logged there instead of where it should be; with the result being faulty, flawed or false memory. A study showed that doing homework whilst watching TV caused information to be stored as “procedures and skills” not “facts and ideas”.

The other issue is the energy costs of decision making and task switching. The brain consumes lots of glucose in this process and if bombarded with choices, decision and task switching the capacity to make good decisions pretty much nose-dives.

Interestingly the issue is not one of complexity: small decisions take the same mental energy as big decisions. So if you can get your staff, supporters, your secretary or others to take the easy decisions you can save your energy for the big issues. Highly successful people surround themselves with good people so that they can minimise the decisions they have to take, and maximise the time of which they can think about them.

My advice would be don’t multi-task, but instead separate out people, places and tasks to offer yourself more breadth of space and time for your thinking.

SOURCE

I am currently reading, and strongly recommend The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload Hardcover – 19 Aug 2014 by Daniel J Levitin (see link below)http://www.amazon.es/The-Organized-Mind-Thinking-Information/dp/052595418X


THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is an experienced Project and Change Leader. He is founder of ciChange.org and curator for TEDxStHelier.Com . Roles have included Programme Manager for the incorporation of Ports and Jersey, and Jersey Post, as well as Operations Change and Sales Support for RBSI/NatWest. He is also Commonwealth Triathlete and World Championships Rower . He has a passion for learning and has been a Tutor/Mentor for the Chartered Management Institute. He is a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society, has an MBA (Management Consultancy) and is both a PRINCE2 and Change Management Practitioner.

Tim HJ Rogers
PRINCE2 - MBA (Consultancy) - APMG Change Practitioner
Http://www.timhjrogers.com | Twitter @timhjrogers | Skype @timhjrogers | Mobile: 07797762051 Curator TEDxStHelier (http://www. TEDxStHelier.com)
Founder ciChange (http://www. ciChange.org)

Lessons from Mindfulness - so far so good.

I have volunteered for a research study Mindfulness for entrepreneurs course for 8 weeks from the 3rd October with Dr Alessio Agostinis. My life is pretty hectic: I do circa 16-20 hours a week training for triathlons, rowing, canoeing etc. I have a challenging job (which I love) and a lot of interests, including ciChange and TEDx. I read non-fiction, mostly about business, teams and psychology and have number of roles with various clubs and associations. I’m not good at stretching, relaxing, meditation or anything like that, so Mindfulness will be a challenge!

My motivation is partly because I read about business, teams and psychology and neuroscience does talk a lot about the mind, mindfulness, focus and day-dreaming, as well as sleep, relaxation and other related matters as being essential for high performance (see link 1 below).

Week 1 was a bit of a fail. My flights from Mallorca was late and when I got home very late I found the house has been flooded and the ceilings collapsed. I’d missed the inaugural session and the day was not one of tranquillity. Nonetheless I am resilient and despite a lack of food and sleep I bashed my way around the marathon course the next day before returning to sort out the chaos.

Week 2 I found that circa 50% of the people had missed the first week. Maybe there is something about entrepreneurs? I won’t go into too much detail of the course or the attendees since it is a research study and I am mindful of confidentiality and privacy.

I was really interested in feedback from one of the exercises. Some were “zoned out”, some almost asleep, others had day-dreams whilst a few appeared to stay on-task and be mindful of their bodies and the sensory activity around them. I found myself analysing the whole process: what was being said, how, why and the consequential reactions. It is interesting the mix of people who can relax and those that whose minds list, calculate, predict and judge continuously. The idea of not thinking and just “being” is very hard for me. A bit like not thinking of a BLUE ELEPHANT, the more you try the harder it is.

What I am better at is crowding out thinking by doing. I love climbing, cycling and canoeing and my sports generally consume me to the point that I am only thinking of what I am doing and not full of thoughts about work or projects. But I’m not sure that this is the same thing. Mindfulness does appear to be about bodies and the sensory activity and climbing for example demands that focus.

I am also interested in the pros and cons of day-dreaming. Mindfulness appears to be about internal focus, not mental rehearsals of things to do, people to see, problems to solve. And yet both sleep and day-dreaming are essential tools to mental house-keeping and key to memory and creative thinking. In these modes I am not blank, my day-dreaming and sleep are explorations and discoveries. They are novel, new, weird and sometimes insightful.

This week I have some skills to practice and a diary to maintain. I have to admit staying still for 25 minutes is very, very hard. I am finding it better to be mindful of myself when I am doing something so I’ve taken to doing some stretching exercises after my rowing sessions. This kills two birds with one stone: reducing the pain and tension of very tough training and allowing me to focus on myself without the distraction of work, projects, people or problems. I’m not entirely sure that Mindfulness embraces this type of multi-tasking, but it’s the best that I can do at this stage of my learning.

LINKS
http://www.amazon.es/The-Organized-Mind-Thinking-Information/dp/052595418X


THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is an experienced Project and Change Leader. He is founder of ciChange.org and curator for TEDxStHelier.Com . Roles have included Programme Manager for the incorporation of Ports and Jersey, and Jersey Post, as well as Operations Change and Sales Support for RBSI/NatWest. He is also Commonwealth Triathlete and World Championships Rower . He has a passion for learning and has been a Tutor/Mentor for the Chartered Management Institute. He is a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society, has an MBA (Management Consultancy) and is both a PRINCE2 and Change Management Practitioner.

Tim HJ Rogers
PRINCE2 - MBA (Consultancy) - APMG Change Practitioner
Http://www.timhjrogers.com | Twitter @timhjrogers | Skype @timhjrogers | Mobile: 07797762051 Curator TEDxStHelier (http://www. TEDxStHelier.com)
Founder ciChange (http://www. ciChange.org)

The merits (or otherwise) of breadth or depth of thinking

FOCUS IS EVERYTHING – OR IS IT?

General business thinking is that focus is essential to success. Focus on what is important; focus on customers; focus on quality; focus on profitability. You cannot be successful without focus, but apparently that focus has to be on everything! In a small Island like Jersey is specialism the key to success, or with a limited talent pool is broader skill set more useful to achieving success?

NEUROSCIENCE AND BEING ORGANISED

I am currently reading, and strongly recommend The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload Hardcover – 19 Aug 2014 by Daniel J Levitin (see link below)

Overwhelmed by demands on your time? Baffled by the sheer volume of data? You're not alone: modern society is in a state of information overload. The Organized Mind investigates this phenomenon and the effect it has on us, analysing how and why our brains are struggling to keep up with the demands of the digital age.

I won’t try to summarise the whole book, but would like to pick on theme with resonates with me. As a project and change manager I have always been a “jack of all trades” rather than a master of one. Instead I try and achieve success by understanding enough about a problem and the inter-relationship of issues sufficient to know who I need to include in the problem solving and solution delivery.

I often carry a notebook and pen and always make notes of people, ideas, events which may be useful. Comparing the human brain to a computer this is what Daniel J Levitin suggests is my off-line or external memory and useful for accurate research and recall, which is nigh on impossible to hold in mind all the time.

We can only remember a certain amount at any one stage, which is why we forget keys, birthdays, or the exact the wording of the first paragraph. Instead we generalise, blur, forget unless the issue is so significant, urgent or important that it trumps everything else. In those circumstances there a winner (the thing that comes to mind) and a loser (the other things that are crowded out).

Often when we recall we bring back to mind the emotions and bias, rather than the facts, creating imperfect or modified recollections.

THE WOOD FOR THE TREES

The problem with being too specialist is that the fixation on one issue may create focus on symptoms rather than causes, or fixation with the task (process) rather than the outcome (result). Moreover the deeper we analyse something the more we rely upon our experience, beliefs, bias and expectations to guide our interpretation.

Daniel J Levitin makes the good point that many of our best ideas are when we day-dream allowing the mind to wander and make new and novel connections. I recollect during my MBA a CEO in saying that they would intentionally mix teams of different disciplines to create random sparks, and different perspectives which may be the catalysts for new products and services. If nothing sparks within 6 months, they rotate again, constantly creating change on the edge of chaos with a view to encouraging creativity and innovation.

The problem with specialism is that “If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem you come across becomes a nail”

So often in project and change management the issue presented is a smokescreen for a problem that is something else altogether. If you try to solve the apparent problem it’s like “trying to nail jelly to the wall” the solution simply evades you, despite your efforts.

In these circumstances understanding the mind of the people, and how they have rationalised and categorised the issues as they see them is key. Simply applying your logic, values, experience and will provoke conflict because although you may be looking at the same thing each of you may attached a completely different meaning, feeling and experience to it.

UNDERSTANDING THE INDEX

Simply starring at the place where you think the keys should have been placed will not make them materialise! Instead you need to put yourself in the shoes of the person arriving home late, in the dark as they open the door and the phone is ringing. They put down the shopping, stop the dog escaping and scramble for a pen and paper to note an important message.

Under those circumstances we are overloaded and our mind may remember the message, but at the expense of where we actually put the keys. TV Dramas like The Mentalist and Sherlock Holmes, as well as hypnotists and psychotherapists promote this type of mental replay as a means to understanding and unravelling problems that aren’t solved by pointing at the empty key rack and saying “it should be there!”

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?

Being on holiday and riding my bike I have covered many miles of Mediterranean roads, in warm sunshine and cool breeze. Being switched-off from work allow the mind to wander and offers a different perspective on things. Reading and reflection offers new insights for the challenges that are held in my notebooks.

Perhaps a key to success is to spring clean our mental filing system, allowing us to examine old ideas in a new light and re-categorise them. And perhaps the best time to do that is when your critical focus is switched-off.

The point is that simply thinking harder, with more focus, may not be the solution. We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. (Albert Einstein)

If a long bike-ride is not the thing for you, then maybe go for a run, or just sleep on it.

LINKS
http://www.amazon.es/The-Organized-Mind-Thinking-Information/dp/052595418X



THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is an experienced Project and Change Leader. He is founder of www.ciChange.org and curator for www.TEDxStHelier.Com . He was Programme Manager for the incorporation of Jersey Harbours and Jersey Airport, and previously Operations Change and Sales Support for RBSI/NatWest, and Project Manager for the incorporation of Jersey Post. He is also Commonwealth Triathlete and World Championships Rower with a passion for teaching and learning and is a Tutor/Mentor on the Chartered Management Institute courses. He is a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society, has an MBA (Management Consultancy) and is both a PRINCE2 and Change Management Practitioner.

Tim HJ Rogers
PRINCE2 - MBA (Consultancy) - APMG Change Practitioner
Http://www.timhjrogers.com | Twitter @timhjrogers | Skype @timhjrogers | Mobile: 07797762051 Curator TEDxStHelier (http://www. TEDxStHelier.com)
Founder ciChange (http://www. ciChange.org)

What could possibly go wrong?

Some thoughts on commercial risk management. How hard can it be?

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS?

I used to work with a very large bank, in Offshore Real Estate and they had excellent systems to guide assessment of commercial risk. By look-up of company, sector, location, you could find out all the risk factors for example of ABC Company Limited, Fitness Industry and London. Or XYZ Developments Ltd, Student Flats, Bristol. This was a hugely useful tool for credit risk assessment, and risk pricing. This provided an overall context prior to looking at any specific proposal.

Of course these weren’t the only factors: we also looked to the leadership, and management experience as well as what “skin in the game” they had. Track record and commitment are critical factors since all risk is about trust.

This was all before we looked at the investment risk of a specific proposal. Link 1 - The Four Risk Factors for Investment is a useful guide. Many of the factors considered in Offshore Real Estate lending are outlined in Link 2, however this is primarily focused on Real Estate and not necessarily relevant to other industries. Link 3 is a little more generic and may be valuable for other types of investment.

From the above we can see that risk assessment is hugely complex, looking at the context (industry and location), looking at the company and people (will they do this successfully) and the proposal (is this a good deal)

WHAT APPROACH TO TAKE?

From the above, and supporting link it is apparent that you might look at many, many factors. The risk therefore is analysis paralysis and being so deep in detail that you fail to take a balanced approach proportionate to the risk and reward.

My instinct would be to table a list of headings for a stakeholders meeting and get the people at the sharp end of the deal to prioritise which merit discussion and evaluation. The challenge therefore becomes to identify the key stakeholders for the entire deal life-cycle through concept, delivery and operation to exit.

DEAL LIFE-CYCLE AND STAKEHOLDER INTERESTS

As a project manager I know that great ideas can fail at the drawing board, in the implementation or in their operation. Sometimes failure at the end is due to an error at the beginning. For this reason I would commend careful consideration of all the stakeholders at all the stages.

Consideration of all stages is particularly important it you are in something of a Dragon’s Den scenario. External investment can take many forms from friends, family, banks and businesses to equity partners. Each will have an entry and exit point, and demand different rewards for different types of participation.

Some may take satisfaction that they helped you start-up, others may demand their “pound of flesh” whilst those with a longer term or participative role could have very different interests in the short, medium or long term.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion there is no right way to manage project and/or commercial risks. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve (the outcome) and how you are trying to achieve it (the process).

Good governance and methodologies can help the process, but they are no guarantee and a project perfectly executed will be a success: Perfect delivery of a sailing boat will still be a failure if the objective was to transport cars. I often cite the case of Euro-Tunnel which is without doubt a fantastic engineering achievement, but in terms of financial return to its investors it was a disaster!

So as it so after the case, the answer is “It depends…….”

If any reader has a recommended check-list or guidance I would welcome feedback.

LINKS
http://www.cpexecutive.com/newsletters/capitalmarkets-newsletter/netleasecolumn/the-four-risk-factors-for-investments-2/1004034275.html
http://www.principalcef.com/risk-factors.php
http://www.investopedia.com/exam-guide/finra-series-6/evaluation-customers/types-investment-risks.asp


THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is an experienced Project and Change Leader. He is founder of www.ciChange.org and curator for www.TEDxStHelier.Com . Past roles have included Programme Manager for the commercialization of Ports of Jersey, Operations Change & Sales Support for RBSI/NatWest, and Project Manager for the Incorporation of Jersey Post. He is also Commonwealth Triathlete and World Championships Rower with a passion for teaching and learning and is a Tutor/Mentor on the Chartered Management Institute courses. He is a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society, has an MBA (Management Consultancy) and is both a PRINCE2 and Change Management Practitioner.

Tim HJ Rogers
PRINCE2 - MBA (Consultancy) - APMG Change Practitioner
www.timhjrogers.com | Twitter @timhjrogers | Skype @timhjrogers | Mobile: 07797762051
Curator TEDxStHelier www.TEDxStHelier.com
Founder ciChange www.ciChange.org

Do people or systems effect change?

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (1903) "Maxims for Revolutionists" Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)

SYSTEMS OR GROUP APPROACH TO CHANGE

It’s fair to say that people effect change: but it is also reasonable to suggest that people are conditioned, constrained or motivated by the systems that surround them. People are (in part) a product of their schools, their parents, their friends, their education, their laws, values and beliefs as well as their job and other experiences.

SYSTEMS THAT EFFECT CHANGE

I am reading “Changing Organizational Culture - Cultural change work in progress” and highly recommend it (See source below). In the early chapters there is some text about Open Systems and it got me thinking: what are the systems that effect change in an organisation?

In an organisation the systems that effect change (or not) might include…
• The management systems – how people are talked to, directed, tasked, managed (score 1-5)
• The HR systems – how people are recognised, rewarded, supported (score 1-5)
• The leadership systems – how people are communicated with, motivated, engaged (score 1-5)
• The finance systems – how performance is monitored, measured and reported (score 1-5)
• There may be many others, depending on the organisation and the external context

If these systems are like interconnecting cogs then success comes from them working together, rather than in opposition or at conflicting speeds.

Another perspective suggests three mutually dependent systems…
• the technological (production)
• political (allocation of power and resources)
• cultural (normative glue)
An organization is effective to the extent that there is alignment within and across the sub-systems

What is interesting about this as a model is that no amount of “team building” or “task forces” are likely to deliver change, or overcome resistance to change if the creative talent and commitment of that band of brothers (and sisters) is constrained by the “systems”. The answer is, of course, to change the systems. However that may not be suitable, feasible or acceptable depending on the metaphor for change.

If the intent is fix and maintain, then that suggests no change to the systems
If the intent is build and development, then that suggests only tweaks at best
If the intent is liberate and re-create then there appears to be scope to challenge and change

The problem is that evolutionary, incremental or “safe” change favours the first two whereas the “liberate and re-create” approach may be perceived as high risk, revolutionary and de-stabilising.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

I think it is useful to look at the 7S model and the Cultural Web, noting that systems are both “hard” and “soft”, as well as “formal” and “informal” and generally run alongside each other often in parallel.

I think successful change comes from changing the system(s), rather than the people.

I think rather than empower people to “go out there and deliver change” it might be better to identify the systems that need changing and focus efforts on those. This is because the former approach is likely to pander to personal interests and politics, whereas the latter sets the agenda and the intended outcomes, without being too restrictive of the creative process.

The reason I think this (until I change my mind!) is that any approach which suggests “go out there and deliver change” will either create paralysis (Oh gosh what should I do?) or quick wins (Here is an easy success, with my name on it!). You don’t generally get people prepared to tackle the “elephant in the room”, the big, difficult issue that we all recognise as the barrier to change, but never speak its name.

I think leadership is about tackling the difficult stuff, and creative challenge should be focussed on changing the systems rather than the people, because if the systems are right then the environment will encourage and support the right behaviours.

This has to be better than appointing an A-Team who seek to deliver change in the face of, and in spite of difficult systems. Whereas the efforts of the A-Team may be heroic, and possibly inspirational they are unlikely to be embraced by the vast majority who inevitably “go with the flow” of the systems.

LINKS

7s Model https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_91.htm


Cultural Webhttps://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_90.htm


SOURCE

Changing Organizational Culture - Cultural change work in progress
Mats Alvesson and Stefan Sveningsson
First published 2008 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
ISBN 0-203-93596-9 Master e-book ISBN

THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is an experienced Project and Change Leader. He is founder of www.ciChange.org and curator for www.TEDxStHelier.Com . Past roles have included Operations Change & Sales Support for RBSI/NatWest, and Project Manager for the Incorporation of Jersey Post. He is also Commonwealth Triathlete and World Championships Rower with a passion for teaching and learning and is a Tutor/Mentor on the Chartered Management Institute courses. He is a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society, has an MBA (Management Consultancy) and is both a PRINCE2 and Change Management Practitioner.

Tim HJ Rogers
PRINCE2 - MBA (Consultancy) - APMG Change Practitioner
www.timhjrogers.com | Twitter @timhjrogers | Skype @timhjrogers | Mobile: 07797762051
Curator TEDxStHelier www.TEDxStHelier.com
Founder ciChange www.ciChange.org

Your staff are more important than your customers: because your staff are your customers!

IS THE CUSTOMER KING?

I’m all for customer focus, but there are some interesting things to know about customers. They can be irrational, demanding and unprofitable. If 100% of your attention is on your customers then you’ll be run ragged and perhaps miss important attention on your people, products and services.

WHY ARE STAFF MORE IMPORTANT?

In any business your staff are what gets the customer excited, interested, engaged and buying. Even as a sole trader the product does not sell itself: you have to be there! If you start your business from your laptop, or with friends around the kitchen table it all begins with the passion and vision of the people who will craft, develop and market the products and services.

“If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple.” Sir Richard Branson

THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP

In a recent article in Jersey’s Connect Magazine (Link 1) Luke Smith of Purpose.je challenges “Do you have a job or a business?” (Link 2) I think this is an excellent article and recommend everyone to read it.

I believe it adds weight to the argument that success is from leadership (“doing the right things”) rather than management (“doing things right”) and my logical extension is that this means creating the right environment for success rather than shouldering the impossible burden of satisfying every whim of each customer.

Success in this context is a business of people, products and services which can grow and thrive based on the principles and processes you have co-created, rather than demand increased effort from you for each additional customer.

The former approach will allow you time for holidays and retirement, or at the very least time for reflection whereas the latter may lead to burn-out and an early grave.

CO-CREATE YOUR FUTURE

Staff are better educated and informed, like never before. Tap into their expertise and whilst you may provide the canvas, let them bring the paint.

The role of leadership is to create the right environment: this does not mean wrapping up in cotton wool. Let them get the scars, cuts and bruises of experience and the satisfaction of success and they will continue to pour their talents into your products, and delight your shared customers.

Your legacy should be that the customers, products and your reputation should outlast your leadership, because it lives on in the values and behaviours of your staff.

LINKS
http://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/connect/
http://epublishbyus.com/ebook/ebook?id=10042108#/94



THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is an experienced Project and Change Leader. He is founder of www.ciChange.org and curator for www.TEDxStHelier.Com . Past roles have included Programme Manager for the commercialization of Ports of Jersey, Operations Change & Sales Support for RBSI/NatWest, and Project Manager for the Incorporation of Jersey Post. He is also Commonwealth Triathlete and World Championships Rower with a passion for teaching and learning and is a Tutor/Mentor on the Chartered Management Institute courses. He is a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society, has an MBA (Management Consultancy) and is both a PRINCE2 and Change Management Practitioner.

Tim HJ Rogers
PRINCE2 - MBA (Consultancy) - APMG Change Practitioner
www.timhjrogers.com | Twitter @timhjrogers | Skype @timhjrogers | Mobile: 07797762051
Curator TEDxStHelier www.TEDxStHelier.com
Founder ciChange www.ciChange.org

Procrastination is like a credit card: it's a lot of fun until you get the bill.

I have a bias for action: to get things done. When I was younger I used to get really frustrated when the boss failed to do anything about the issues that I brought to his attention. With experience and increasing wisdom I now appreciate that sometimes doing nothing, is exactly the right thing to do. However, only sometimes!


A TALE OF TWO DAUGHTERS

I have two daughters, both very bright and clever and both destined for greatness by virtue of their drive, determination and hard work. However one will plan things well in advance and the other will be a whirlwind of activity at the last minute. I cannot fathom how siblings can be so different!

MY APPROACH

I generally am aware of things in the long and medium term and think about them. I start planning a few months or weeks ahead, depending on the activity, but generally make the final decision quite late. I like to keep my options open!

For big competition events like rowing or triathlon the training plan may be devised months in advance, but the actual weekly sessions vary according to weather and circumstance and the event on the day is when I make final choices bases on bike options, shoe options, clothing options etc.

My approach in projects and change is much the same. Have a good idea of the big picture, be firm but flexible about the method of getting there, and keep options open for opportunities or to accommodate last minute changes.

I seldom use precise Gantt charts because I am more interested in the outcome (product, deliverable or decision) than the process and may switch between a variety of means to get there according to circumstance (people and events). I feel being too focussed on the charts, graphs, and project periphery can distract from what you are actually trying to achieve.

However at the same time I like to focus on clear goals, milestones, performance rather than procrastinate indecisively, with no discernible output or outcome for my efforts.

ONLY FOOLS RUSH IN

It may be true that only fools rush in, but to never venture is to miss out on learning, opportunity and innovation and by starting early there is plenty of time to add or amend your approach according to circumstance (people and events).

Leaving things really late means an issue becomes a drama and a drama becomes a crisis and by then your options and opportunities have expired and what may have been a great opportunity to co-create change, and help communication, collaboration and co-ordination has now passed and you find yourself with an ultimatum.

This is not good.

WHY DO PEOPLE PROCRASTINATE

There is an old “Yes Minister” saying that success comes from avoiding answering a question until the issue is no longer relevant.

I fear procrastination is not because people don’t know the answer, but because they don’t want to take responsibility for the task, the decision, the output or the outcome. I can see that this may create a sense of stability (nothing rocks the boat) but I worry that it creates stagnation.

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION

For my daughters I hope that the ability to focus and plan does not crowd out the opportunity to be spontaneous, creative and have fun. For the other I wish that having an eye toward their goal, ambition, or dreams will persuade them to set themselves some milestones to mark the progress toward what-ever makes them happy.

THE AUTHOR

Tim Rogers is an experienced Project and Change Leader. He is founder of www.ciChange.org and curator for www.TEDxStHelier.Com . Past roles have included Programme Manager for the commercialization of Ports of Jersey, Operations Change & Sales Support for RBSI/NatWest, and Project Manager for the Incorporation of Jersey Post. He is also Commonwealth Triathlete and World Championships Rower with a passion for teaching and learning and is a Tutor/Mentor on the Chartered Management Institute courses. He is a Chartered Member of the British Computer Society, has an MBA (Management Consultancy) and is both a PRINCE2 and Change Management Practitioner.

Tim HJ Rogers
PRINCE2 - MBA (Consultancy) - APMG Change Practitioner
www.timhjrogers.com | Twitter @timhjrogers | Skype @timhjrogers | Mobile: 07797762051
Curator TEDxStHelier www.TEDxStHelier.com
Founder ciChange www.ciChange.org