All entries for Friday 12 October 2018

October 12, 2018

the first week of MBE – PDSA, the idea of diverse pyramid, time management

It's 12th of October and here I start writing Blogs about my every day/week reflection.

I have never practised writing blogs, because it was not what I was interested in and was not good at=(.

But this week I realised that this was probably my mistake, cause as scientists say, we are likely to forget about 70-80% what we learned the day before. I am experiencing information overload and this practice would help me to go back and look through again. Finally, at the end of the course, I am going to compare my first and the last blog, because now I find my writing very simple, I have to work more on it.

Ok, now, let me write shortly about what I learned this week:

1) PDSA (or PDCA)

PDSA circle

PDSA is everywhere, not only in business. I knew about this process before, but didn't give significance to it. "Failing to plan = Planning to fail". After a presentation of Vagelis about PDSA, we played a game "Predicting a next number" where we had to 1) study(collect more information), 2) deploy short-scale selling strategy, which is less risky, 3) deploy long-scale selling strategy, which is more risky and finally 4) implementing the full-scale selling the strategy - guessing the next 10 numbers, when you win in case you give correct answer, and if not, you are likely go bankrupt. Our team didn't win, because we didn't try less risky strategies, we decided to guess the next 10 numbers straight away))) This is only a game, but don't underestimate the knowledge we obtained playing it. Life itself is a risk, we need to study first, when we are in a new environment, then make a plan, then follow it, after again study(or check), then implement = AAA! (adapt, adopt or abandon)

2) Diverse pyramid

Δ - this is a standard scheme of an organization, where CEO is on top, then Senior management below, then junior management......and workers are at the bottom. Paul believes that it is more effective when the pyramid is diverse: workers are on the top(they are allowed to act freely and make decisions on their level) and CEO is on the bottom, who creates this comfortable environment for other workers. Hmm, isn't it too risky? But tha fact is there's only 1 CEO and he won't be able to deal with every problem and give a solution, when instead of him, the worker who has more knowledge about the process could make his own proposal of solving the existing problem. "There's no bad worker, there might be only bad system". Well, this is definitely idea I need to think about it and try to apply it on practice. Actually, we are already experiencing this practice, cause our tutor Paul(if to assume he is CEO) allowed us to make our own decisions everywhere: selecting the topic of seminars, the way how we learn, expressing our different ideas about any topic and not to worry about the marks of the module! wow, we are so free and on the other hand, we have to be so responsible about our studies, not the tutor!

3) Time management = managing yourself, not time

I am not used to use any kind of time management tools, because my time table was so simple: work-home-gym-some language classes-chilling out with my friends and etc. But I didn't realise that I'm missing something important in my life: my roles as a daugher, as a sister, as an aunt etc, because it was not urgent, but they always used to be mad at me, I used to think that important, but not urgent things can be postponed, but I used to do it every time.

The weekly schedule

It is not easy to get used to use the schedule provided above, but it's believed that at least 6 week of trial make people do and follow it systematicly. There are some steps to fill in the schedule:

1) Define your key roles

2) write the goals for each role

3) make a priorities list of the goals for this week

4) divide the priorities by each day of the week.

5) try to fill the timetable with the tasks without planning every minute in order to be flexible.

6) If necessary rearrange the tasks/postpone some tasks, but try not overuse, cause it may lead to burning out and finally not achieve what you planned.

7) Find time to sharpen the saw - renewing: social, mental, physical. Meditate if you distract frequently.

We also need to be able to sort our tasks by its importance and urgency. In order not to be in crises, we have to work basicly on the box B, because if we get used to postpone everything, the box A will be filled and we may lose control of it. Learn to say No for "D". It is vital to create work-life balance for being healthy,happy and satisfied.