Friday, September 08, 2006

Administration is a job unto itself

Administration is an elegant word for the corporate sludge and politics we all have to put up with. There is more to administrator then the rut! The meetings, the decisions, agreements and negotiations.

Years ago when I was a consultant I learnt a wrong lesson, you have meetings in the day and work on the real stuff in the evenings. Things were simple and easy then, I was single, I was on the road and staying late meant hitting the restaurants and bars late at night with my colleagues and buddies. I loved it, but life is different now! Work life balance is critical, and what’s more important is not just managing my work load but ensuring my team is not overloaded.

Balancing work with the rest of the load can be a tough act. Administration can be a job unto itself. I cam eup with a model to address the situation... working backwards:

7. Prioritization
6. Delegate
5. Develop talent
4. Reward diligence & commitment
3. Manage and track development planning
2. Institute and agree on a skill matrix
1. Hire the right people