Scott Simmerman talks about how, in trying to implement changes that help a
firm become a LO, demands are made upon time -- especially time that is
considered "time on essential tasks." For example, when we try to get
people to share their learning, often ...
>paperwork demands increase
This is a real, and a serious, problem. I want to share two perspectives
on it:
1. In any change there will be a "transitional" period (like the chaos
before a bifurcation), in which business as usual becomes more difficult.
There will be more demands placed on people's time, and trying to continue
to do essential things the old ways while also trying to learn to do them
in new ways will be a tremendous (if temporary) burden. As long as people
are aware of this, and accept it, and as long as it truly has an end (it's
truly temporary), this is not an insurmountable problem.
2. Sometimes technology can come to the rescue, if cleverly used. For
example, in Scott's case of salespeople reporting their activity, if a
company switched to using something like Act! (this is an example, not a
commercial announcement) to help salespeople keep track of their accounts
-- after an initial learning period salespeople find that they are
spending less time on paperwork (because the software automates some of
the routine and simplifies other aspects) while the reporting requires no
extra time -- the information is simply available, through the software on
the corporate network, at any time. So daily, even hourly, data
availability comes with no extra cost!
My advice to clients contemplating changes like these has always been very
simple: If you are "adding" some kind of reporting requirement, make sure
you aren't really adding but replacing. And make sure that, after the
transition period, the time requirements are less than they were before.
It ain't always easy, sometimes it ain't even possible -- and in the
latter case I usually recommend that they not proceed with the change.
--"John Gunkler" <jgunkler@sprintmail.com>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>