2015 9th: Don't let the monkeys jump back.

From many management books to see the metaphor of "monkey", inadvertently from the Kangqiao to see him out of a list of books, most of which I have read, only "Don't let the monkeys jump back on the back" this one did not seriously read. Originally wanted to see the English version of the book, unfortunately did not search, can only read the Chinese version.

In my previous understanding, monkeys are the tasks and projects that managers throw at you, throwing monkeys at your superiors or subordinates, equivalent to the assignment in GTD, but after reading the book, it is not entirely correct to see this understanding. This book is written to the manager, for the technical staff is not applicable, but encountered some chores, you can also apply the skills mentioned inside, put the monkey to the superior or subordinate's back, often see here, there is always a sense of guilt. The original work affairs, completely transformed into a monkey war.

The "Monkey" in the book refers to the next step after the end of the conversation between the two sides. A monkey is not a problem, a project, a plan, or an opportunity; The monkey is just the next step in solving the problem and carrying out the project (exactly as in the GTD Next action).

Some subordinates are about to throw monkeys on your back, and when you take responsibility from your subordinates, two things happen. First, you let employees supervise you, you become the bottleneck of the project. Second, you let them not have to do their own job. Keep in mind that it's not your job to help your subordinates.

The book mentions an Ken free scale, which refers to the five task levels that subordinates can use:

(5) Independent action, routine reporting (highest level)

(4) Action, subject to immediate request (meaning that the report frequency exceeds the routine report)

(3) Proposal, awaiting the action of the show

(2) What to do with the instructions

(1) Waiting instruction (lowest level)

When the subordinates are at the task level (1) and (2), he has actually succeeded in throwing the monkeys to the boss. If the boss is occupied by the subordinate's time, indicating that he is in a state of reverse management, when the staff idle, and the boss busy, and disorderly turn. The worst layman is the monkey who receives subordinates all day, and the second-worst amateur manager is a prolific monkey-keeper who throws out 1000 monkeys a day, even if he doesn't know what to do.

Managers ' contributions come from their judgment and influence, not the personal time and effort they devote. What if a person has both a managerial role and a technical role?

The book concludes with six rules to reduce the monkeys ' body:

Rule 1: Feed them or shoot them: don't let them starve to death.

Like the second step in GTD, "clear meaning," does it need to be done? If it is useless to the user, to himself, to the future, kill it.

Rule 2: As long as you find the monkeys you need to feed, your subordinates will have to find time to feed them, but don't overdo them.

Don't throw a bunch of monkeys at your subordinates every day.

Rule 3: Feeding the monkeys according to the time and place on the feeding schedule is the responsibility of the subordinates, who do not have to chase the starving monkeys along the way and feed them indiscriminately.

Senior managers should not inform direct subordinates, direct orders to the lower subordinate (the obvious exception is the situation of life and death), once this principle has been destroyed, it will lead to so-called leapfrog supervision, confuse the priority of the task, so that the subordinates received thankless.

Rule 4: If there is a conflict, the time of the scheduled feeding of the monkey can be changed at the proposal of either party, but is not considered a delay, and no progress can be used as an excuse to reschedule the feeding time.

Agreed time can be negotiated change, no progress also to report. In order to report, always make some progress.

Rule 5: Whenever possible, the monkeys should be fed face-to-head, otherwise use the telephone and never use letters. Memos, e-mails, faxes, and reports can be used for the feeding process, but not as a substitute for face-to talk.

You shouldn't have said, "Send me a record of the meeting." "You should say," Bring me the record. ”

What the subordinate really wanted to say would not appear in that transcript, it was hidden between the lines.

There is also the question of face-to-face dialogue: If the conversation is over and the next specific step is clearly yours, how do you proceed?

Take your subordinates with you. Usually this is a good management practice, so that the monkeys will not be scurrying.

Rule 6: More than a few pages of memos, e-mails, faxes, and reports should be written in a summary on a single page in order to initiate an immediate conversation.

The lengthy report must be accompanied by a brief summary to illustrate the contents.

2015 9th: Don't let the monkeys jump back.