The Hindu Business Line : Space for new activities with ‘must stops’

Do you feel overloaded at work? If ‘yes,’ as most of us would like to answer, the only comfort you can draw is the fact that you are not alone. Not surprisingly, therefore, whenever the management announces a strategic review and launches new initiatives, the perception that is created is generally one of greater burden for everybody.

Wait, you can counter such a perception to some extent by looking explicitly at those activities that need to be stopped, advise Ap Eigenhuis and Rob van Dijk in HR Strategy for the High Performing Business ( www.vivagroupindia.com).

‘Must stops’ are necessary in order to create the space for other new activities and to free up the energy needed to work on the newly determined priorities, the authors insist. “Communicating explicitly which programmes and activities will be stopped will encourage people and teams to review their own set of activities and priorities and to align their new work plan with the new strategic framework.”

This can be embedded into one of the golden rules within the organisation – such as, ‘don’t start a new initiative before having completed or stopped another one.’ Imperative read.

D. Murali