Managers - Get control of your time!

Most managers arrive to work, each day, with very good intentions. "I'm going to spend time training the advisors...knock out a couple performance reviews, write a job description for the new guy, etc." And then,...a half a cup of coffee into the day, the games begin...customer concern...can't fix this car...Jimmy calls in sick...Billy gives notice..."I can't drive this car with no gas"...on and on.

Suddenly it's 6:00 - "I'll do those things tomorrow...Good night team!"

Sound familiar? So what do we do about it?
Get out your legal pad and make a list of everything that occupied your time.The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe there is nothing that can be done to improve this situation.
Determine how many of these items would be corrected if you implemented the items on your current "to do" list. Delegate these tasks for a short time and implement your solutions, at once.
Next, determine how many of the additional items could be eliminated by adding items to "to do" list and repeat item #2.
MOST IMPORTANT STEP...and, your key to your success...
...as you search for and weigh out potential solutions, you must consider
these two management techniques:

Structured Operating Technique
Operational Operating Technique

A Structured Operating Technique is a process that is designed, created (written) and implemented that, when followed, should cause a predicted outcome. An example might be a job description..when properly prepared and implemented, the employee should perform their job with relative success.
An Operational Operating Technique requires hands-on management to maintain integrity. If we hire a new employee and let them go to work without any formal direction, then we either have to constantly watch and correct them or accept them to "create" their own job description.
It is certainly important that we manage with a balance of Structured and Operational Operating Techniques in our workplace. We begin by creating a process document or flow-chart that will instruct our people to perform at the level desired? As an example, flat rate pay plans would be considered a Structured Operating Technique. The pay plan causes the technician to be responsible for their own production. If left alone, with no Operational Operating support, we leave it up to the technician to determine their own ability. The challenge with this is it tends to create the perception that nobody really cares.
Where we go wrong, as managers, is not realizing that a successful Structured Technique always requires an Operational Technique. This is more traditionally known as "Inspect what you Expect"!
As you create a technique to solve the challenge, you must create a technique to monitor the performance. An example might be that you set technician or advisor production objectives. The technician and/or advisor agree to accomplish their objective...and you have it in writing. You will typically see an immediate increase in performance. But if left alone, the increase will be temporary. In this case, you would need a system to provide feedback daily.
I cannot tell you the number of times that technicians tell me: "We've tried that before but it never sticks".The Operational Review philosophy must be applied to every process that you implement, otherwise, you're wasting your time! As a manager, your task is to develop policies, processes and procedures that your department operates by. And a separate set of Operational Techniques that you operate by.
Let us know if we can be of assistance.