ZERO Follow-up
Let us start from today, One day we will achieve it…
I can remember, 15-20 years back, when I was working at manager level, appeared for a Job Interview. Interviewer ask, “Whatis your daily activity for 8-9 hrs.”
I have tried to explain with many activities like, Planning, Production, Deliverance, Trouble Shooting, Training, Audits, Compliance, Meetings, and Coordination with cross-functional team etc.
He has told that, “The activities you are telling except few, all are doing by others, eg. Operator & executives. In addition, Troubleshooting, Technical inputs for improvements, Monthly production planning, tracking, training etc. is not your daily activity….”
Again, he ask: “What you are doing daily, though managers are named for overloaded with task and late sitting on regular basis”.
At that moment, I was literally answer less…… tried to think deeply to find out answer but not got appropriate answer.
On that day, I realized that we all the managers and department heads are spending more than 50% time for “Follow-up” for execution of the allocated task. Follow-up to seniors, peers, subordinates, other functions, corporate function etc. Follow-up are considered almost necessary to get things accomplished. The amount of time spent here eats into one’s ability to be “productive”, apart from fueling frustration.
if someone asked “Have you complete the assigned task?” spontaneous reply will come, “Why you have not remind me?”
Many times seniors are also reacted to juniors that “why you have not taken follow-up for task completion? You should remind the people for completion the task”. Rather than asking to that person “Why you have not completed the allocated task in time? Why reminder are required?”
It has spread like diseases of deadly virus, called “Follow-Up”. That gradually damaging our mindset and working culture. Organization also affecting badly in all aspects.
People may have feel proud to have good Follow-Up person. We can very well visualize, having draft emails, with Reminder -1, Reminder-2 and Reminder -3 with a CC to our boss, Reminder -4 with a CC to everyone with lot of frustration.
I have seen, many article written on “How to take follow-up?” “How to take follow-up without hearting others” etc. etc.
Then obvious question comes in our mind that, “Why we should encourage follow-up?”
Why Follow-Up?
Whenever we looks on the reason for Follow-Up requirements, we can see, majorly due to person’s behavior & mindset, let us elaborate about the same:
- Trying to create Self Importance: Some peoples are intentionally hold the task as they are enjoying the follow-up. As they trying to create crisis and after repeated follow-up, execute the task and expect recognition for the same. They will not even start the work before receiving follow-up calls. Someone thought, it will sends a signal to the management that they are important, overloaded with work and hence deserve the next big raise / promotion.
- Poor decision Maker: Those who are not confident enough on the allocated responsibility and could not able to take correct decision on quickly basis, they are always hold the task at their table. It will not move and till repeated follow-up the task will not going to complete.
- Fear of mistake: Those who are involved in approving documents which are related to fund handling, Viz. purchasing documents, sales documents or payment to others etc., Many times taking disproportionate time to complete the task, as does not want to become answerable to Seniors or external auditors if founds any gap.
- Casual approach, person just does not care: Some peoples have very casual approach towards the execution of task and due to lack of seriousness, might not able to evaluate the importance and requirement for task completion.
- Inappropriate Judgement: Peoples, who allocate task to someone, does not have appropriate judgement for time requirement for completion of work. In addition, become impatience, believe that execution team is not capable and started repeated follow-up.
- Mindset and become habitual: In some cases, people think that repeated follow-up will speed up the execution. Many times in this situation, people cannot able to appropriate focus and causing multiple errors, repeated to & fro, quality of work will deteriorated. Resulted frustration among both party.
- Taking personally and Revenge attitude: The conflict or difference in opinion happened in discussion or in any meeting; sometimes peoples may take personally and carried in mind. So whenever there are opportunity appears, intentionally hold the task to keep under trouble that person.
- Not want to approve but that not willing to communicate: These are the cases observed among with seniors, who don’t want to approve the proposal or request, but on the other side not want to share the same with appropriate clarification/reason. They want to hold the same and taking time.
- Simply forgetting: Many times, peoples telling that, “Sorry, I forgot, will do it now”. Again in next reminder, “I’m very sorry, I forgot, will do it now”. These are the cases might be happens, when the person may handling other more important & Urgent task or issues. That may not be intentional but not treated as important like other task and that is why this may skipped and require follow-up to complete the same.
- Overload of work: There are peoples, who are sincere to their work but has much more workload disproportionate with available time. They are also hesitating to say “No” to new task also. In addition, they may not be able to priorities the task based on Urgent & important also. So gradually, pending task will piled up and creates repeated follow-up.
If we refer Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands, so as to fill the time available for its completion” … In other words…”Work contracts to fit in the time, we give it”. Cyril Northcote Parkinson shares the story of a woman whose only task in a day is to send a postcard: A task, which would take a busy person approximately three minutes.
But the woman spends an hour finding the card, another half hour looking for her glasses, 90 minutes writing the card, 20 minutes deciding whether or not to take an umbrella along on her walk to the mailbox … and on and on until her day is filled….
Let us share a story of Late Coming
In an organization there were issues of late coming in meeting or in office and that becomes regular issues. Everyone has some reason to justify the same. One day there were town Hall meeting organized. Senior Management had addressed the audience, and tell,
As we have observed, in meeting and other events, many of you are not punctual and obviously, there are justification for delay you have. However, because of your late coming, the meetings are not able to complete as per schedule time, effectiveness of meetings reduced and cost of meeting increasing.
If we declare that, today onwards if you show punctuality, you will earn reward Rs. 500/- on each event. I am sure many of you will start to show punctuality and some of you may be still will continue.
Now, If we increased the reward amount Rs. 1,000/-, then I think except very few, everyone will maintain punctuality, even if your busy schedule.
Now if we declare that today onwards, if you are not punctual, you will be penalized for Rs. 5,000/- for each time. Then I think everyone will be punctual but criticize the rules for sure.
Why this kind of behavior reflecting among us?
Someone may found Rs. 500/- is not that much big amount, so it not so important to them, but earning opportunity of Rs. 1000/- in each day is important, so maximum peoples becomes punctual.
Still few persons may left, as they may be lazy or too much casual approach or earning of Rs. 1000/- is not so important to them. However, when we have fear to loose Rs. 5,000/- for not maintaining punctuality, this becomes very important and peoples become punctual without any excuse.
If we can apply the similar penalizing rule in case of Reminder or Follow-up, Organization may able to achieve close to zero follow-up to some extent, but a lot of dissatisfaction will spread among people.
When peoples have self-realization that allotted task are important to them also like others, they will not forget and not required for repeated follow-up.
Bringing about a cultural change to “ZERO Follow-Up culture” is not easy!
We should start from ourselves with belief and self-commitment. Keep a target for one day, that today no one will have requirements for follow-up from me. May not be 100% successful on 1st day, but if we continue, gradually it will improved and that will influenced and motivate to others also.
When group of peoples started same practices, gradually it will percolate at each level of organization and Zero follow-up culture will build across the organization. That is possible, when and only when, it has come from top level of management.
Senior Leadership also should believe on ZERO Follow-Up culture, values for it and needs to demonstrate by themselves. Leaders should create the self-image as ZERO follow-up person.
As a next step, Leadership should help peoples to realize the loss of Follow-up culture and benefit on ZERO Follow-up culture. Cultural shift and transformation to ZERO Follow-up culture is possible, only when we are determined and committed towards the same.
For a moment if we can imagine that “we all are committed to do my own allocated work without any follow-up or reminder, we are living in ZERO follow-up environment”, then how it can be visualize.
That will have miraculous and enormous positive result for organization; everyone will feel comfortable. At the end of day, we all will be happy and ZERO frustration. Late sitting at office will be reduce. Overtime cost of organization will be reduce. Peoples can spent more quality time with family. Moreover, Productivity will be improve.
I am sure if we start from today with baby steps, over a period, we all will be able to reach to our target and organization will be able to transform a cultural change to ZERO Follow-Up Culture.