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Here are some typical programs that someone reading this blog might use during a regular working day, in no particular order:

• Email client, perhaps as part of a Groupware solution such as Notes, possibly pushed to a device such as a Blackberry
• Web browser, particularly for search
• Intranet portal offering a Business Intelligence dashboard
• Reports from a decision support system
• Workflow/BPM task manager for notifications and work allocation
• Back-end ERP system for data on finance, logistics, inventory, etc
• Operational front-end system for various forms of data entry and maintenance
• Document/content management system
• Spreadsheet
• Word processor
• Presentation designer
• Drawing tool
• Project planner
• Voice-over-IP (e.g., Skype)
• Shared document access (e.g., Writely)
• Sector-specific databases - of drugs in healthcare, license numbers in law enforcement, and so on
• Sector-specific tools - graphics editors in design, CAD/CAM tools in engineering, and so on
• etc etc etc

I could go on.  These days, many people would add peripheral tools such as blog editors to the list, for example.  But perhaps you take my point!  It's a long list, isn't it.

Peter Drucker wrote, as far back as 1966 (in "The Effective Executive"):

The effective person focuses on contribution.  He [sic] looks up from his work and outward towards goals.

The great majority of people tend to focus downwards.  They are occupied with efforts rather than with results.

In other words, effectiveness is not about tasks.  It is about time.  Decide at the start of each day what are the most important things you need to achieve, then allocate your time accordingly.

Do you do this?  Most people would like to, but in fact are simply drowning in a sea of software.  They spend much of their time using programs of various forms, without ever stopping to ask a simple question:

How much does use of this software, at this moment, contribute either to my personal goals or to the aims of my organization?

TAKE AWAY

We are in the midst of a massive change in human working behaviour.  Some people, and some organizations, may be capitalizing on it, but many more are not.  The world is polarizing into the "very smart", who understand how to leverage the change - and the rest of us, who are just struggling to keep heads above water.

So, do you want - and does your organization want - to be "very smart"?  If so, you need to tackle grass roots issues head-on.  In particular, you first need to find out what are your staff are actually doing each day.  Most organizations have no way of knowing this, let alone any way of measuring its effectiveness.

I will be talking more about this issue in future blog entries.  For now, you might like to refer to this article - What is going on in your Organization?

Posted by keithhb in Business Process Management • Internet • Management • Office Applications |Digg This|Add to del.icio.us