When you have two or more jobs to do, which comes first? Essentially, what’s involved in the establishment of a priority. Of course, when the urgency of one project is obvious, there is no problem. But frequently the sequence in which to tackle a series of projects isn’t self-evident. In such a situation, consider these four principles:
Principle No. 1:
Do the easier job first
With the easy job out of the way, the executive can concentrate on the tougher one without worrying about the other hanging over his head.
Principle No. 2:
Start the longest of equally easy jobs first when they must finish together.
This is the old lamb-chop-and-baked-potato principle used by the kitchen-wise housewife. She starts with the potatoes baking first, puts on the chops later. When your requirements are such that all items must finish at the same time—as when you must make a shipping deadline—this principle is decisive.
Principle No. 3:
When the products of both jobs are equal in value, do the short one first. The virtues of this course include the following—
- Organize what you have read. The reason for reading is to recall a useful idea later, when you need it. The secret of retrieving an idea, according to Cahners, lies in spotting the dominant theme. The main theme serves as a magnetic field around which facts cluster in pat
- With the brief assignment out of the way, the decks are cleared for you to go all out for the remaining item on the agenda.
- In the process of getting the shorter task completed, you may have partially mobilized resources which can then be swung on to the bigger job.
Principle No. 4:
Question off-the-cuff judgments and check the accuracy of estimates.
Assigning priorities to a job often means you’ve got to guess at some pieces in the puzzle. In one case, it’s the time it will take to repair a machine. In another, it’s the completion time of an unfamiliar job. It’s wise to ask questions about estimates, get other opinions. Now you’re better able to set job sequence. You’re the one who has to make the decisions. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use the experience of others to guide you on the preliminaries.
Qualities Of A “Great” Executive
What’s the difference between a good executive and a great one? Dr. Mortimer Feinberg, a consultant psychologist to American big business for many years, gives this definition: “The best corporate officers, the men who are recognized as tops, have a lot of energy and drive. They do many different things simultaneously—not all of them well, necessarily but they are driven, people. Napoleon could do seven things at once. Look for such traits in your subordinates. “I have never seen a top executive who was passive, contemplative. Hamlet would never have become a good executive, in my view.
There may be some Hamlets around, but they aren’t holding the top jobs. Fred Friendly, a former president of CBS News, was known in the industry. As ‘Frenzied Fred,’ because he expected others to tackle projects with his own clock-defying zeal. He was described as always looking as if he had just got off a foam-flecked horse. “There are some other, more subtle characteristics that distinguish the potential presidents from the also-rans on the executive staff: “Dedication. Just plain, sheer devotion. You call in the man and you say, ‘Listen Jack, you’ve got to fly to Chicago and get that order. Get out there tonight.’ Occasionally, he may have a good excuse—his wife is sick or his child is in hospital. But if he goes 99 percent of the time, he is committed to the game of making your company successful.
The question of “Honesty”
How honest is he with himself? Does he wear expensive suits and dirty underwear? Is he aware of some of his own limitations? How honest is he with you? How consistently does he produce what he said he would produce? Are his aspirations out of touch with reality? Or, are they close to what he can actually achieve? If he says, ‘OK, I didn’t do too well that time, but I learned a lesson and I’ll do better next time,’ then he’s honest with himself. “Realism.
He has his feet on the ground. He doesn’t just dream about how great he’s going to be someday. If he’s always seeing the big picture and never the details, he’s in trouble. The outstanding executive is looking at how he’s going to get where he wants to be; he is almost compulsive about the little things, the short cuts. “Maturity. He knows that his own future rests on what happens to other people. He can fire a man who does not contribute to the good of the organization. Also, he respects differences of opinion.
ETIQUETTE FOR THE EXECUTIVE
- The subject of etiquette for the executive is as much a joke as it is an area of concern. Look at some of the books that have been written on the subject, and it’s all too clear that good manners on the business scene are a simple extension of etiquette in everyday life. Then, what are business etiquette books about? The well-intentioned authors, after stressing how important it is to businessmen to cultivate good manners and good appearance. Then go on to such vital matters as how to dress, how introductions are to be made, and so on. But once these areas are exhausted, the writers tend to take one of two paths:
- They go into the lore of etiquette in general—visiting cards, orders of precedence, and forms of address (one English book on business etiquette goes into great detail on how to address mail to the royal family, and dukes and duchesses of royal blood.)
- The other direction in which the subject-matter-starved writer tends to turn: that of business situations. And these don’t involve etiquette as much as they do management procedures.
For example, one authority discusses meetings and committees, offering perfectly good suggestions that constitute, however, simply good management practice rather than considerations of etiquette. Perhaps it’s unfair to take these business writers to task so harshly. There is some justification in considering some management procedures from the viewpoint of courtesy and general appropriateness. For our purposes here, coverage in three areas will suffice: dress; introductions; phone usage.
In any case, here are some guidelines:
- Dress. The key to acceptable appearance largely depends on the “climate” in your company. The standard white shirt in many instances has been replaced by a whole rainbow range of colors. And in some cases, neckties have vied with the brightest of sunsets. Give some thought to the way you want to look. It is possible to be conservative without being “square.” It’s possible to follow current trends without conforming to the last detail. And “political” consideration enters: it may be advisable for the executive on his way up to be somewhat more conservative than he might like to be, and leave it to better-established executives to be the style innovators and trendsetters.
- Introductions. Frequently you’re called on to introduce people: your secretary to a visitor; a visitor to another executive. Introductions in the business world tend to be informal. But they should be audible. In addition to pronouncing names clearly, a title or descriptive phrase is helpful. Handshaking is almost always in order among men. Women may or may not shake hands, as they prefer. Finally, if any of the names involved in the introductions are difficult to pronounce, you may want to make it a point of spelling out: “Mr. LeBeau, capital L-e- capital B-e-a-u.”
- Phone usage. It’s in the area of telephone utilization that business practice does tend to vary with practices of the nonbusiness world. Some of the specifics of business phone use involve the executive, some of his secretary.
The Duties involved:
- Prompt response. People calling you, customers, suppliers, other executives, and so on, get a bad impression when phones ring and go unanswered for any length of time. On the other hand, people appreciate the businesslike and courteous impression made by prompt answering.
- Identification. The “Hello” response of the everyday world isn’t satisfactory on the job. Your secretary will avoid guessing games by answering a ring with: “Production Department, Miss Jones.”
- Screening. Train your secretary not to ask, “Who’s calling?” It’s more acceptable to say, “May I tell Mr. Smith who’s calling?” or, “Mr. Smith is attending a meeting. May I have him call you when he’s finished?”
- Explain delays. If you must leave the line, you may want to provide a word of explanation, or at any rate, indicate approximately how long you’ll be. Generally, if it’s going to require some time to get information, it’s wiser to offer to call back.
- Taking messages. Here’s where Girl Fridays may need coaching, particularly if they are beginners in the business world. Train your secretary to spell back names if there is any question and to verify numbers by reading them back to the caller. As we’ve said, good manners on the business scene are a simple extension of etiquette in everyday life. And there is no doubt that good manners are an asset to the executive, while lack of courtesy can lose good will, customers, and destroy morale within the executive’s own organization.
