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more likely to take the initiative to solve their own
problems. Sometimes problems are fleeted up just to
avoid decision making. The applicants aren’t the only
ones who sometimes hate making decisions. When
presented with a problem, make sure the bearer
realizes who actually owns it, now, and when your
conversation is concluded. Of course, you can set
time aside to help the RINC arrive at a joint decision,
if necessary.
More often than not, when faith and
confidence are displayed in their ability and they are
reminded who owns the problem, RINCs will
determine their own corrective action.
Don’t Let Fire Fighting Become
a Full-Time Occupation
We’ve all heard the expression, “I’ve been putting
out fires all day.” We can never recoup time spent
putting out fires. So, we spent all day fighting fires,
only to have tomorrow start out 1 full day behind
schedule. Because we are behind, everything must be
rescheduled, which requires more time not previously
planned. Pretty soon, it becomes a vicious circle
because all of those things put off until the last
moment due to fire fighting have now become fires of
their own. When it goes too far, the supervisor either
gundecks what is behind schedule or just throws in
the towel altogether. Before dropping everything to
rush to the fire scene, ask yourself whose training
time is being consumed.
Give your subordinates
credit for their intelligence and abilities. Ask them
what they feel they should do to correct the problem.
Delegate Whenever Possible
Delegating is a skill required of all supervisors.
We can never delegate responsibility, but we should
do some delegating of duties. Not only is it necessary
for effective time management, it is a necessary part
of our training program. Every zone should have an
assistant ZS and every multiple-person station should
have an assistant RINC.
Besides acting as the
supervisor in his or her absence, assistant RINCs
should be assigned some duties as part of an ongoing
training evolution.
Plan time to follow up on
delegated duties to ensure training has been effective.
Use Your Planner
In a previous chapter, we discussed the ZS
monthly planner/itinerary and the station planner. The
RINC and ZS should realize that their time must be
planned just as efficiently, perhaps more so, than the
recruiters’.
Leave some time on your planner open
for flexibility.
You may have to provide some
unexpected training to help one of your RINCs solve
a problem.
From Super-RINC to
Effective ZS
Let’s take another look at Chief Taylor after he
acknowledges some basic ideas of time management
and sound leadership. He has now set some ground
rules for the RINCs to follow. He takes no calls other
than emergencies during the hours from 1000 to 1400.
These hours are dedicated to RINC training at
scheduled station visits. Routine problems are now
handled during the time allotted for the DPR with
each RINC.
He has also made sure the RINCs
understand that their problems are just that – their
problems. And that they will still be their problems
after discussing them with him. He will gladly
schedule time to train and advise, even to work out a
joint decision, but the problem will remain the
RINCs’.
The same day now looks quite different.
Chief Taylor arrives on time for his first station visit
of the day. He never knows that Station A ran out of
medical prescreening forms because the RINC took
the initiative to swing by another NRS and borrow
some until her next supply run. The station visit goes
well. The RINC was having trouble getting access to
one high school. Chief Taylor provided training and
had the RINC schedule a joint school visit for the
recruiter, RINC, and ZS during the next scheduled
station visit.
In the meantime, the RINC has a
alternative plan for identifying the high school’s
market.
The remainder of the visit was spent with the
RINC and the newest recruiter on a scheduled
itinerary. Chief Taylor was pleased that the previous
month’s training had paid off and the new recruiter
was becoming proficient in PDCing and obtaining
referrals. After returning to his office, he finds out
the NF-qualified applicant scheduled for tomorrow
may be a problem, but the RINC outlines what steps
he has taken to resell the applicant. Chief Taylor
offers a few more ideas and tells the RINC to keep
him posted. During production review with Station A,
he finds that two of next month’s shippers are getting
cold feet. He discusses strategies with the RINC. She
tells him she has appointments with both the
following day and will incorporate the ZS’s ideas to
resell the DEPpers. She will report the results to the
ZS during tomorrow’s production review. After
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