F is for... Forms
Here's a game. You'll like this. Listen carefully.
In any organisation there are essentially two groups of people. People who know stuff. People who don't really know all that much.
In many, many cases the people who don't know stuff try to find stuff out by getting the people who know stuff to fill in forms or spreadsheets. It makes them feel useful. It makes it look like they are doing work. But in the end, they still don't know much stuff and they've just wasted a lot of time.
"Fill this form in so I can approve..." - does that mean they understand?
So, here's the game. When you are in work, just walking round the office, or in a meeting maybe, decide which of the two groups people are in. You'll be surprised by how many people fall into the "gaining information via the medium of forms" gang.
And if you spend all your day getting people to fill in forms then... better not finish that.
In any organisation there are essentially two groups of people. People who know stuff. People who don't really know all that much.
In many, many cases the people who don't know stuff try to find stuff out by getting the people who know stuff to fill in forms or spreadsheets. It makes them feel useful. It makes it look like they are doing work. But in the end, they still don't know much stuff and they've just wasted a lot of time.
"Fill this form in so I can approve..." - does that mean they understand?
So, here's the game. When you are in work, just walking round the office, or in a meeting maybe, decide which of the two groups people are in. You'll be surprised by how many people fall into the "gaining information via the medium of forms" gang.
And if you spend all your day getting people to fill in forms then... better not finish that.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 10:16 PM.
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I wondered if you might want to post on our project management blog. I'd be happy to contribute to yours as well. Email me at stdtime [at] hotmail [dot] com if so.
--ray
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