The "Team of Two" - one way to improve job satisfaction and organisational effectiveness
The idea
Much of the business of an organisation takes place between pairs of people. These interactions can be positive and developing or frustrating and destructive. You can improve them using simple methods. The one below will work between secretaries and managers, consultants and clients or engineers working on a job together. It will even work between life partners!
The method
Each person writes down 1) How they think they could help the other person and 2) How they think the other person could help them. The hypothetical example of a manager and secretary will make this clearer.
Manager's list
|
Things I, manager, could do to help you |
Things you, secretary, could do to help me |
|
Let you know where I am going when I leave the office. |
Tell me what you need from me so you can give me the best help. |
|
Stop giving long urgent tasks after 4pm |
Organise my office and filing |
Secretaries' list
|
Things I, secretary, could do to help you |
Things you, manager, could do to help me |
|
Talk to other secretaries on site to see if they have good admin. ideas we could use |
Listen to me when I am overloaded |
|
Learn to use the spell checker! |
Say "Hello" to me when I come in |
The parties then share their lists and create a joint list as below.
Combined list
|
Things I, manager, could do to help you |
Things you, secretary, could do to help me |
|
Let you know where I am going when I leave the office. |
Tell me what you need from me so you can give me the best help. |
|
Listen to you when you are overloaded |
Talk to other secretaries on site to see if they have good admin. ideas we could use |
|
Stop giving long urgent tasks after 4pm |
Organise my office and filing |
|
Say "Hello" when you come in |
Learn to use the spell checker |
The two people now discuss the information and decide what they will do.
A person may say: -
"Of course I will do as you ask". This would be sensible if the request is easy and gives an immediate benefit.
"I can't do that because......" . The request might violate your values, by being (say) unethical, or it might be politically unacceptable.
"I would be prepared to meet your request if you would help me with this one of mine". The request might demand work or a change of attitude. You would both win eventually.
Play the negotiation straight. If you use tactics or manipulation, then people will not use the technique again. They will also become suspicious of all the management techniques you use.
Make your requests small, clear and doable. It is more useful to ask someone to say "Hello" in the morning than to "Be more considerate".
Aim for equity in the negotiations. If people "give in" to every demand they will feel exploited later. People who want something for themselves for everything they give will lose co-operation. People will think they are mean.
Give the process enough time. The expectations take time to clarify. This is often the first time people have talked directly about how they work together.
Finally
Please play with these ideas and use them in any way that makes sense to you. If you stick to the values of focusing on giving and receiving practical help and treating both parties fairly it will work well.
Using these materials
I am entirely happy for you to use or draw on any these materials in any way you think will be helpful. I am keen to have my work, and the work of the people I have learned from, used.
Please will you say where you found them? One way might be to give a link back to www.nickheap.co.uk or to info@nickheap.co.uk. This will help these positive ideas to spread, and help my business, too.
If you would like to discuss any of this further, or meet, please call Nick Heap on +44 (0)1707 886553 or email info@nickheap.co.uk
Thank you