I've been in the world of Leadership and Sales Development for over 20-years.
I'm constantly surprised by how much there is still to learn, yet shocked by how much great stuff I've absorbed over the years that lies covered in dust in a corner of my mind.
During a discussion or workshop I sometimes seem to drag them up from 'nowhere' if the conversation or discussion leads that way...and they prove to be 'news' to some people.
It's only when those 'golden nuggets' are polished up that I realise how useful they used to be, and I wonder why I've not been actively using them or helping other people to try them.
One such example happened this week in Washington, USA whilst working with a group of very senior business leaders. I was helping them to;
- Consolidate and simplify their overarching company goals.
- Align functional goals and activities to these.
- Determine the knowledge, skills and standards required to perform these activities.
- Create a 'capability matrix' for their teams.
- Adopt the most effective development approach (training vs coaching etc.) to close any gaps.
Then one of the leaders said 'We just don't have enough hours in the day to get this all done'.
He's right.
Leaders are overwhelmed in the workplace today, so I spontaneously got onto the flipchart and shared with him the RAMMPP Matrix. A tool / technique to help teams 'de-clutter' their activities.
Over time the things we do become a habit...so we keep doing them and add more-and-more things on top until we are at breaking point. Rarely do we stop to challenge what we do and ask some serious questions about the things that are in our control to change.
The RAMMPP Matrix asks us to brainstorm all of the; reports, approvals, measures, meetings, processes and procedures we do in the team.
For each item we then look at which are in our control to change vs other people's, functions, regulators etc.
For each item (RAMMPP) that is within our control we then ask of it:
- Can we stop doing this?
- Can someone else do it?
- Can it be done less often?
- Do we need to do all of it?
- Can it be done in a different (technological) way?
Once we have done this we end up with a set of actions that should lead to a reduction in workload or things that steal time when they shouldn't.
I think I'll go and dust down a few other things people might want to know about...perhaps things they used to do that were effective and still could be!