Work discipline is changing here -Tokyo Engineer Talk
Setting up a R&D working flow with a customer, I observe some ‘winning’ pattern for work efficiency…
Calling it a day
‘We call it a day’
Actively setting your daily goal. Tokyo doesn’t sound crazy workaholic city anymore (in my view).
‘We call it a day’
But hang on, do you know some people call it a day with a certain criteria?
‘Time is running up’
‘we need more data’
‘Something is wrong’
Daily summary from Testing Department is filled with non-scientific lines. This itself is NOT to be blamed.
But the consequences they left would be.
Leaving loose end
Old school discipline, PDCA* cycle, is still valid even now.
Only argument could be that day work sometimes cannot accommodate whole process.
Therefore, at the end of play, your ‘desktop’ got:
Some plannings
Some plannings and try
Some plannings and try with a review
Those are like loose-end strings. They can be tangled up before any good use.
PDCA* – an iterative management process. Plan – Do – Check – Action. It’s adapted to many work-efficiency frameworks to date.
Power of Loop
Mass production and computer program- although those words themselves doesn’t sound very modern anymore, they are still key players in engineering world.
One common factor for both – it’s LOOP.
By ‘loop’
Short computer code deals with large scale of data set
Factory produces massive production volume with high efficiency
It’s the case even for individuals.
Do not work longer – all you need is…
I call it ‘magnet end’.
It could be anything as long as it attract something – something you can progress on to towards higher goal.
At 17:30, be desperate to close the loop.
And… be aggressive. That’s a key…
- One performing team threw all less performing parts to the bin PHYSICALLY.
- One manager made next plan without doing current plan (blaming plan itself for slow progression…) and e-mailed to company_all.
- One research associate took a photo (non-digital instant one!) as a key visual of test result. Put on the white board with the word, ‘ Photo of the day!’
They are not necessarily on normal work discipline but one definitive commonality, attracting next action ‘autonomously’ .
I still believe it’s not coincidence that all people with those episodes belong to performing-side cluster.
Like DIY paint job…
Painting is a pain but everyone loves to see finishing up it like putting final piece of the puzzle. Why?
People are motivated to see whole picture. You never spend too much time for a corner of panel. You will face the quality of your work when you got final state. It leads to next circle – something better you step up to.
Find your way to see whole picture before you are leaving….before overnight rain spoils your paint work.
Author: Sergio T.