Who Moved My Cheese? Thinklet
Process		Questions	Triggers	Thinklets	Workspace

Nth Degree Software	Reinvent Your Job
Why Use It Be pro-active in changing your job … otherwise you might not have a job left to change. How to Use It Reinventing your job requires that you fill your head with lots and lots of information and knowledge. The more you take in, the higher the probability that you will make insightful connections. Here are some things to start making significant changes and improvements in your job. 1. Analyze your routine work tasks and activities. Typically people make marginal improvements in their job by working harder or putting in longer hours. However, knowing the best uses of your time can be a much more productive way to enhance your performance. One of the best ways to improve your job is to eliminate work tasks that no longer have value. This innovation process is based on the Pareto principle that states: 80% of work results come from only 20% of work effort - or in other words - only 20% of work results come from 80% of work effort. The reason this disparity occurs is that typically over the years, many of our current work tasks have simply accumulated into our jobs. Things that once were important but have lost their value … are still getting done!!!! So instead of continuing to put more effort into your work tasks, decide if any work can be eliminated. Re-inventing is more about stopping work than starting new work. Eliminate Work Questions · List 3-4 of the biggest time wasters. · What feels like `busy work' and can I stop doing it? · Is this a work task that was added years ago and not longer needed? · What if I just stop doing this work task … what would happen? · Does the client or customer really need this deliverable/outcome? · Can I eliminate this task by combining it with something else? 2. Develop your peripheral vision. Most workers concern themselves with their own special interests and tasks and don’t look beyond them. Take a big picture perspective about your job. To do this, you need to develop a sharper peripheral vision of what is happening at the boundaries of your job. These boundaries or connection points deserve your attention as much as anything. Consider taking a systems approach and draw a mind map of your work methods, processes, and procedures. Ask yourself questions like the following: · What are all the inputs (things I need) to my job? Do I need them all? · Can these inputs be improved? · What value do I add to these inputs? · What are all my outputs/deliverables (things I produce)? · What do my clients/customers do with my outputs? · Do they really need them? · How can I add more value to my outputs? Operational Questions · What is the most difficult part of my job, how could it be made easier? · What are all the inputs to my job? Do I need them all? · Can these inputs be improved? · What value do I add to these inputs? · What are all my outputs/deliverables? · What do my clients/customers do with my deliverables? · Do they really need them? · Where can production waste be eliminated? · What information would simplify the job? · What can be made safer? · What standards can be improved? For comprehensive mind map resources go to innovationtools.com/resources/mindmapping.asp. 3. Re-tool yourself and your job. The value you bring to your job can be directly related to the tools you use. As new tools come to the marketplace, new opportunities for improvement come with them. Take it upon yourself to learn as much as you can about new tools. Mastering new tools gives you insights on how to improve your job. New tools help you produce more and better results in less time. Ask yourself questions like these: · What tools do I currently use? Why? · Am I overly attached to using certain tools? Why? · How is my job changing and what new tools can help improve my performance? Personal Performance Questions · Where might you be spending too much time on? · What areas are you not spending enough time? · What if you delegated some of your work? · What is the most difficult part of your job, how could it be made easier? · What if you ignore some tasks you thought were important? · What have you complained about and how can you make it better? · How could organizing yourself better help? · Are you reaching all your job measurements of success? · Are there any situations that you are ignoring that should not be ignored? · How could new tools or skills would help improve your job performance?