Anyone who knows me would probably describe me as detail oriented. I like to know and learn about the details of the projects or tasks that I manage, both inside and outside work.
Looking back to when I was younger, I think my mom would say that this is a trait of the first born as she was the oldest child in her family and she is exactly the same way. So whether I inherited this trait from her or it is because I was the oldest child in my family, being a details guy is just who I am. And although I’ve been this way my entire life, working in operations during my career has trained my brain to pay even more attention to the details related to what I’m working on whether it is a project, process or people in an organization. I like to dig in!
In my last blog, How To Drive, I outline several techniques I use to drive to a goal. The first was “Manage the details.” So I think you know where I am going with this . . . Yes, I want to use this blog to share the details of how I like to manage the details!
I hope you find this helpful as you think about and manage your daily work.
Details, details and more details – Manage the details! One of the hardest aspects of being in supervision is keeping up with your team. Your team can move a lot and get a lot of work completed. It’s hard trying to keep up with what each member of your team is working on, and then addressing roadblocks like shortages of or missing parts, planning issues or other problems your team members might run into. That’s why you need to use some techniques to ensure that you manage your team and don’t leave hitting the target up to happenstance.
Here are a few ideas to assist you:
- Walk the job: There is no substitute for walking the job in the “quiet” before shift start up. This isn’t the only walk through, but it may be the most important. Before your team starts to work, you have the unique opportunity to think about the work at hand, visualize what needs to happen and make sure your plan for the day makes sense. You can easily make adjustments based on what you see (or don’t see). Make an initial plan for your staffing and know what parts are present or need to be expedited. Use this time to get ready for the day! As you get ready for the day, you can also start planning the other days in the week based on what you believe will be done. Whether you work in an office or on the deckplates, going over what people have to get done that day sets you up for success.
- Take time to understand the work: It’s hard to manage the work if you haven’t figured it out or have an image of what it should be in your mind. It takes time to learn, but you have to do the work to gain understanding. You don’t have to actually do the hands-on work, but you need to understand how the tasks are completed and what the best order for those tasks is. Knowing whether special tools are required; what parts are needed; which temp services, special permits (i.e. confined spaces), licenses or certifications might be necessary, whether it’s a one- or multiple-person job, and so many other details will help you plan the work. Know the job!
- Vigorously manage the details: Take intense interest in the work that your team is doing and ask questions – there is no detail too small. The more you know, the better you will be able to manage the work. The people doing the hands-on work will tell you what you need to know when they know you are sincere and are trying to learn. Get involved!
- Know the details: Always prepare yourself to talk about the details of the work you are managing. The more you know, the more confident that you will be. Conduct detail-level meetings to make sure that your team knows, manages and completes the work necessary to accomplish the goal. Hold these deeper dives often – usually more than once per week. When I say details, I mean details like line-by-line reviews of WIP (work in progress), work tasks, step levels in procedures – I mean details. It’s the only way you can understand where you are. It takes time and repetition to make this process work, but it’s worth the effort.
- Use a notebook: Maybe this one is a little old school and showing my age, but it’s important to have a place to document your thoughts, the details (so you remember them), where you are in your plan, any lessons learned, changes for the next go around and so forth. I have learned that there is a connection with writing something down and remembering it. Give it a try!
I know that some may think that such deep dives into details is overkill or micro-managing. Maybe they think this is too time-consuming. However, not only do I believe knowing the details is a critical part of being a successful manager of a project or people, I also believe we all have the ability to manage the details if we want to. The reason that I use the words “want to” is because it takes time and effort on each of our parts to develop the skills necessary to dive in. You can train yourself to manage the details! It’s a learned skill just like learning to ride a bike or learning anything new.
Like I said in How to Drive, you have to do the work. You may be surprised what managing the details can do for your career.
Get into the details and see you on the deckplates!
Safely Execute High-Quality Work