These are difficult times for our world. I wish for the safety of your near and dear ones.
We do, however, find ourselves with a unique opportunity right now. We now have time to reflect and to prepare for the future. In the words of Barbara Concoran (from TV show Shark Tank), “Here’s what I’ve learnt on all these crises through all the years: when things go south, they come back like gangbusters.â€. In other words, the period after this crisis will bring a lot of pent-up demand, and this is the time to start preparing.
It’s time to re-examine the basis of our ways of working. What can we do better to optimize our processes? And where better to start than with our TnAs, the Time-and-Action calendars that are at the heart of managing our processes?
Ask yourself, “What do I want from a TnA?â€
- I want to know my status quickly, wherever I may be.
- I want to know what I have to do each day/week, etc.
- I want to be reminded of my To-Dos so that I don’t forget.
- I want early warnings when things start to go wrong, before it’s too late to act.
- I want to “learnâ€, i.e., I want to know if my TnA assumptions are valid, and what needs to be changed.
- I want to measure my performance and that of others. (How else will I know how we are performing, and how to improve?)
Think about what your company can now to prepare for the future. For a change, you actually have the time.
Sanjoy Sahgal (www.linkedin.com/in/sanjoy-sahgal) is the CEO of AXIND Software Private Limited (www.axind.com), a provider of Technology for Fashion. Contact him directly at sanjoy.sahgal@axind.com.
