Clearing Obstacles

Shawnee Love   •  
August 4, 2017

A manager’s job is to get stuff done on time, on budget and at the expected level of quality.  The manager does this through his or her people.

In my experience, there is a three pronged approach needed to successfully manage:

  • Educate your team in what needs to be done, by when, and how to do it- E.g., Set standards and goals and train your staff well,
  • Obtain adequate resources to accomplish the work, through procurement, scheduling, financial and time management, etc.Removing Obstacles
  • Clear obstacles to getting the work done.  That is, anticipate what if anything could stand in the way of smooth sailing and do your best to get rid of those challenges.

Beyond enabling a team to get work accomplished,

clearing obstacles also reduces frustrations.

Issues that keep arising and getting in the way will accumulate over time and stress people out.  As we know, stressed employees don’t perform as well as they could if they were relaxed and confident.

Thus, to enhance employee wellness (the theme of this blog series) and to achieve your goals, simply clear the way for your employees.  Get rid of red tape and rules that no longer apply.

Start by reviewing processes and the overall environment for opportunities to improve and smooth your employees’ way.  Don’t allow sacred cows and ban: “We’ve always done it this way”.

What sacred cows have you tipped?