5. DON’T MAKE EXCUSES
Get things done
Don’t be vague or evasive
Don’t use jargon
(unless with specialists who know the
lingo)
Don’t use bullshit
Keep politics to a minimum
8. HATE WAFFLE
Waffle is the enemy of a clear decision
Take the time to think first
Think straight then talk straight
Don’t do spontaneous word dumps
Ask for five minutes of their time
When’s convenient for you to talk?
12. PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION
Perfectionist bosses demoralise staff
by consistently redoing their work
Perfectionists in a team take too long
agonizing, putting pressure on colleague
Go for highest standards & finish the job
13. DO IT FAST OR DO IT PROPERLY
Quantitative tasks can neither be done we
nor badly
Get them done fast with minimum fuss
Qualitative tasks need time and thought
By having clear set times for the quant,
we can think harder about the qual.
Am I just doing it, or am I doing it well?
18. MEETING & EMAIL ETIQUETTE
Only call meetings when really
necessary
Make them short
Turn up, prepare properly, stay on
theme
Never touch an email more than once
Read it, then action it, file it, or delete it
Use a different medium if you can
Don’t be an email thief and steal time
23. SHARPER, SMARTER, FASTER
Brevity equals intelligence
The shorter the better
Edit first before wasting others’ time
Tasks do not improve if they are delayed
So don’t put things off – they get worse
If in doubt, do the worst first
Free up time for important stuff
Set up tripwires for stuff you’ll forget