Subject: Luxury or necessity
Whenever I write or lead workshops, I often feel guilty that I ask too much of people. I know how stretched we all get; so many demands, so many meetings, so much to do to keep things going. My question is about finding the time to go back to basics (eg is my organisation doing what its meant to, should we think about the strategy, have a we got the right skill mix?)
What is your experience:
- is your world at work too busy to take time out?
- is it OK to just get on with the necessities?
- is forward thinking a luxury?
This comment was last edited on Feb 12, 2010
I don't think that forward thinking can be a luxury. Strategic planning, goal setting, and consistent evaluation can't take place without periodic time outs to come together as a team.
Obviously, in day to day work I think most all of us feel like we are so deep down in the weeds that there's no way to see the sky. Convening opportunities for staff to come together at regular intervals can definitely help get everyone out of the weeds, even if it is just for that afternoon or day-long session.
There are many ways to do this, from bringing in a consultant or facilitator, to taking a day out of the office at the park together. In my experience, the sessions that worked best were those that had a bit of planning (email out a questionaire or form that everyone can fill out beforehand that starts everyone thinking about questions and issues to be covered), and is structured to allow for both critical conversations about strategy and planning as well as reflective conversations about "how it's all going."
This comment was last edited on Feb 12, 2010
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