Management by Follow-ups.

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Management by Follow-ups- Boon or Bane..

 

We all know what follow-ups are and it does not require any explanation at all. In fact, we do it on a daily basis to remind people and to get things done. I am sure, sometimes, we would have felt as if things are literally moving on “Follow-ups”. But do you know there is a country where people do not even know what follow-ups are..? Yes. There is!!

That’s Japan!

I was really surprised when I heard this from Sharu Rangnekar, one of the well-known Management consultant and speaker. It was almost 12-13 years ago in a Management workshop organized by our HR for all the Executives. He was narrating his experience in Japan where he went for a Management Program and he wanted to carry few things along while returning. He chose to have it shipped and gave the responsibility of doing it to an Executive Secretary there. Looks like he asked a colleague working along with the executive Secretary to do a follow-up. Unable to understand, he asked him, “What does it mean..? Am not able to understand.. Can you pls. explain..? 

Astonished at the questions, Sharu Rangnekar explained that Follow-up means reminding people and ensuring that the entrusted job is done. Having understood the meaning, the colleague felt very strange and said that he can’t do that. He added that the secretary will get offended if he does that and moreover things are never followed up in Japan. He assured him that it will be shipped as committed and it does not require any follow-up at all.

I am not sure if any study has been done on this topic, however, I can say that we all do it and we do plan for follow-ups and spend quite some time on it. Even if it’s just 10%, it means lot in the Business context. 

For instance, a recruitment team doing 100 closures per month could do another 10 closures additionally. A Production Team doing 100 units per day could increase its productivity by 10%.   I could mean increased customer satisfaction by another 10%. It may also transfer into additional Revenue for the Business organization. 

In a nutshell, it improves the efficiency levels further across the Organization.

Time spent on follow-ups can be better utilized much more productively. When we don’t learn to work without follow-ups, sometimes, we might find ourselves working in first quadrant (Important and Urgent) instead of Quadrant - 2 (Important but Not Urgent) as things become urgent calling for immediate attention. Working from Quadrant-1 is a crisis situation and it’s not healthy.  It would show us in poor light in front of others too and is a sure recipe to lose one’s professional credibility.

(Quadrant-1 includes tasks that are important and urgent, Q-2 includes important but not urgent tasks, Q-3 has Not important and urgent tasks and  Q-4 has Not important and Not Urgent tasks)

Learning to work without a follow-up is a habit and it can be very much acquired by any one.  It’s a matter of mind set and it requires some amount of unlearning and discipline.  It needs to be nurtured as a culture across the teams and Organization. 

One basic and fundamental thing that I can suggest is simple planning and prioritizing in terms of noting down all action items and keeping track of it on an on-going basis.  One may do it in a simple diary or in an Apple I Pad. 

While MBO (Management by Objectives) is effective, Management by Follow-ups is certainly not an effective way of working.

Remember..When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.