Getting things Done - Create a routine - Kata

It takes only three months to create a habit, good or bad. Routine builds good habits. Just look at a
successful major league baseball pitcher. In all likelihood, he can tell you his game day routine
down to the minute. He eats his pre-game meal at the same time, arrives at the ballpark at the same
time, and does his stretching exercises and warm-ups at the same time. He has programmed
himself to succeed by using this routine. Imagine a teenager who has a messy room, but who sincerely desires to become neater. If she starts by tidying her room 15 minutes every day, eventually the results will encourage her to do more. Soon, she'll find herself straightening up instinctively. Sometimes, a lack of routine is the only thing that stands in your way. Even something as seemingly mundane as checking e-mail can be turned into a productive routine. Instead of checking your e-mail every 15 minutes, only check it twice a day. Pretty soon that will be a habit, too.

Getting things done - you think you know it all.. think twice

Many managers, especially those recently promoted to positions of authority, think they always have to be right. They believe everyone will scrutinize them now, so they can't afford to be wrong because that would show weakness. They believe their credibility will be affected if they make a mistake or don't know something. Quite to the contrary, a manager who admits mistakes and is willing to accept team members' suggestions graciously will gain infinitely more respect and become a source of inspiration.
Who is right and who is wrong doesn't matter.
Reaching goals and achieving success is the ultimate barometer. Great leaders make mistakes all the time, but the key is whether they are able to extract the very best from their people.

Getting things done - Be a Optimist and be successful

Although they are involved in serious work, good managers try not to take themselves too seriously.
They may be disappointed when something doesn't go well, but instead of plunging into self-doubt and depression, they pick themselves up and attempt to resolve the issue from a different angle. Instead of spending time worrying or over-analyzing a failure, they try again. In the workplace, especially during challenging times or even when business strategies fail, it is easier to be pessimistic than optimistic, but that's a wrong turn - especially when your team members are looking to you for a psychological boost. Memorable bosses maintain their optimism through the most challenging times

Getting Things Done - Who is winning the game

In a basketball game between the Lakers and the Celtics, how do you know who is winning?

Answer: by looking at the score.

Although many managers are reluctant to deal in numbers, that's really the only way to keep your
team members apprised of their progress, tell them what you expect and show them how they can
improve. Imagine a coach sending a play to the quarterback without knowing how many yards the
team needs, what yard line the team is on or what the score is? As a team leader, you need to know the score and to be able to discuss scoring more points.

A coach may applaud his quarterback for trying to score, but ultimately if the quarterback can't get into the end zone, the team will get a new quarterback.

Your salespeople need to keep their eyes on the scoreboard at all times. They need to know when
they're winning or if they need to adjust the game plan.

Getting things done - how to motivate people by relaxing

Baseball night. The team is losing by a run; the bases are loaded. Two outs. The third-base coach calls time, meets the batter halfway down the baseline, puts an arm over the batter's shoulder and says quietly, "Just relax up there. Take it easy. Don't squeeze the bat so hard. Don't worry, you'll be fine." The coach knows that acting nervous or pressuring the batter would be counterproductive.
Such behavior could convey anxiety to the batter, who might then fail. The same principle applies to
the workplace. Nervous employees probably will not achieve maximum productivity. But employees who see that their manager is relaxed and patient may well adopt the same attitude. To motivate your team, be positive and calm.

Key Points of the Toyota Way

I thought that could summarize the main point of the Toyota way.

1) Do not stop improvement. At Toyota, this activity is called Kaizen (Continuous improvement). This is the heart of Toyota's success. Achieve mey small improvements and overtime you will have huge improvements.

2) Toyota's success comes also from the application of Lean manufacturing, which in short can be summarized as adding value to your customers by eliminating all waste in your processes.

3) Waste comes from overproduction, delay, unneeded transport, over-processing, too much inventory, unproductive movement, defects and unused employee creativity.

4) Trying to apply the tools that Toyota has implemented and used over the years, do not guarantee success. The success comes understanding and making the tools part of your culture.

These are the basic principles of the Toyota Way:

1- Apply a long term philosophy and grow leaders who live it.
2- Create continuous flow.
3- Avoid overproduction
4- Level the workload
5- Develop the right culture to ensure problems are resolved at the source.
6- Standardize tasks
7- Use visual control
8- Use only tested technology.
9- Develop People (Leaders)
10- Respect your network
11- Observe problems at the source
12- Decide slowly but implement rapidly
13- Practice relentless reflection.

Getting things done - Use positive reinforcement

A positive attitude is always better than a negative attitude in the relationship between a manager and a team member. Embrace every opportunity to be uplifting, whether you are suggesting a team-building exercise or giving someone a pat on the back. Welcome contributions from team
members rather than rejecting ideas out-of-hand.

When you embrace an employee's idea, you elevate yourself in the eyes of your team members and
convey the advantages of having a positive attitude.

Getting things done - Manage the agreements with people not the people

Managers frequently make the mistake of coddling those employees who seem to experience the most emotional turmoil. Managers get caught up in this tumult to be liked, and to keep that attitude of
constant churn from becoming contagious. The end result resembles a father-son or mother-daughter
relationship, which is doomed to fail in the workplace. You can't send an employee "to your
room" if he or she fails to meet deadlines or submit reports. However, you can appeal to an employee's professionalism and explain why a job must be completed. Feelings and emotions have little to do with such agreements. Establish a relationship that makes the employee feel accountable.

Getting things done - Do one thing at a time

Managers like to think that they can do many things simultaneously, but even the most effective manager can only tackle one problem or deal with one issue at a time. Many times, your mind may seem to be racing at 100 miles an hour - tomorrow's meeting with the vice president, the project that's due in a couple of weeks, the inbox full of e-mails. But if you allow your mind to dart from one thing to the next, you easily can become overwhelmed. In most cases, that will increase your stress, build tension in your workplace and harm employee productivity. As a manager, combat feelings of being overwhelmed by establishing priorities. Decide which phone call to return, deal with the person who called in a calm, intelligent manner and then turn to the next task. Resist the temptation to think ahead.

Supervisors and Managers trying to get results

These are some tips for managers or supervisors that are not getting what they expect from their people. Please consider these ideas when trying to get your people do what you want them to do:

1- Positive feedback is always more effective than criticism.
2- It's never appropriate for the boss to be "bossy."
3- When employees aren't productive, it's usually the manager's fault.
4- A well-prepared manager always has a game plan.
5- An inspired employee is productive because of self-motivation.
6- No matter what the situation, managers need to keep their perspective.
7- Don't be afraid of change; it's almost always for the good.
8- Hire good people - always. Good managers take responsibility.
9- Greatness is within everyone's grasp.


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