After reading my last post, James reminded me of this chart that he keeps posted in his cube. It clearly outlines the value proposition of social interactions.
The simplest equation to consider involves only you. What are you doing right now, and is it worth whatever it really costs you or your employer?
The next equation involves you and someone else. How you interact has a huge impact not only on how much your interaction costs in terms of value, but how much it brings.
It is obvious that some people’s time is worth more than yours, just as your time is worth more than some others.
This is not an excuse to waste a Customer Service person’s time on the phone, or use that interaction ineffectively. At a minimum you are wasting your time as well as theirs. At a maximum you are preventing the situation from bringing about any value that ‘pays for your interaction’.
The most complex situations involve meetings. How many times have you witnessed wasted time in meetings, or poorly utilized time in multiple person interactions? Consider that while looking at the chart at the top of this post. Did the product of that meeting bring enough value to pay for what was used?
That meeting I was talking about in my earlier post? I estimate that the cost in these terms was approximately $350, but the project it kicked off is worth thousands of times that much.
One Comment
I especially liked that your goal is to make your meetings the minimum length to be effective. This concept, together with basecamp/sharepoint and campfire are essential in the toolkit of any fast-paced success-driven team leader.