This is probably the best management book I've read. It's straightforward, deep, and supports multiple readings. Summary notes from High Output Management (Intel's CEO, Andy Grove, RIP):
- *The most common problem cited (by 20 middle managers) was uncontrolled interruptions, which in remarkable uniform fashion affected both supervisory and know-how managers. Everyone felt that the interruptions got in the way of his "own" work. Interruptions had a common source, most frequently coming from subordinates and from people outside the managers' immediate organization but whose work the managers influenced. *
- To gain better control of his time, the manager should use his calendar as a "production" plaanning tool, taking a firm initiative to schedule work that is not time-critical between meetings...move toward the active use of your calendar, filling holes between meetings....say no at the outset to protect your time.
- The real sign of malogranization is when people spend more than 25% of their time in ad hoc mission-oriented meetings.
Six questions for a decision:
- what decision needs to be made?
- when does it have to be made?
- who will decide?
- who will need to be consulted prior to making the decision?
- who will ratify or veto the decision?
- who will need to be informed of the decision?
- As a manager you should remind yourself that each time an insight or fact is withheld and an appropriate question is suppressed, the decision-making process is less good than it might have been.
- So ,instead of going into hiding, a manager can hang a sign on his door that says, "I am doing individual work. Please don't interrupt me unless it really can't wait until 2:00".
A meeting is nothing less than the medium through which managerial work is performed...before calling a meeting ask yourself:
- what am I trying to accomplish?
- is a meeting necessary? Or desirable? Or justifiable?
- If not all answers are YES then don't call the meeting!
There are two types of meeting:
**process-oriented:** knowledge is shared, information is exchanged.
1:1
- the 1:1 should be regarded as the subordinate's meeting, with its agenda and tone set by him. There's good reason....someone needs to prepare for the meeting...the supervisor with eight subordinates would have to prepare 8 times, the subordinate once.
staff meeting
- interaction among peers
- supervisor learns about issues by listening to debate among SME
operation review
- learning and exchange among different personnel across teams and levels
- **mission-oriented:** solve a specific problem.