The “addition by subtraction” phrase came from a client; we were talking about staffing changes at the time- but there are many situations where your business and your life can benefit from subtraction. In no particular order, here are some areas to consider as you decide whether there are subtractions you might make:
- A staff member is not pulling his weight or is disruptive.
- Someone who just can’t seem to “get it”- and you know you’ve given an appropriate amount of direction & support for the level and type of position.
- Someone your clients seem to avoid or don’t like working with.
- Someone that your staff has to cover for, someone whose work is often reassigned- worst case, someone you don’t trust and you are “doing it myself” instead.
- Someone who makes you crazy. This comes in a lot of flavors, but often relates to the amount of time the person seems to spend on the internet versus being productive, or someone who does what they’re told, but nothing more.
- Someone who doesn’t take initiative, someone who has a “job description” concept and doesn’t step out of it.
- Someone who constantly gossips or complains.
- Someone who would make derrogatory remarks about the firm inside and/or outside the office, or on the internet.
- Someone who doesn’t understand and practice confidentiality.
- Someone who talks about their personal (not to say “sex”, though it has happened) life inappropriately.
- Someone who is unprofessional and doesn’t respond to coaching. Someone who doesn’t represent your office well.
- Someone who faxes or emails documents related to one client to another. (this really is a fatal error in most cases)
- Work and clients that don’t support your business model.
- Not profitable enough.
- Not the work you choose to do at a discount or pro bono.
- Not the type of work you want to do.
- Work that doesn’t support you in developing skills or expertise
- Clients, vendors or other people you just don’t like.
- Life is too short to waste- you know who these people are, if you can subtract them- do it now.
- Travel you don’t enjoy.
- If you travel for your work but don’t enjoy it, or it causes too much pain in another area of your life- consider how to replace it with work that doesn’t require travel.
- Stuff.
- Eliminate where you can; we’re talking office clutter, home clutter, things you never use, things you don’t want, redundant things, etc.
- Become a “stuff“-free zone, be choosy and keep it under control.
- Meetings – in fact, any obligations that don’t serve you well.
- Email- newsletters, lists, feeds, etc. If you delete it without opening it- kill it. Same for snail mail, kill it once and for all and you’ll even be contributing to the slow-down of global warming…
I’m sure you can make your own list and I hope you will. If you’re stuck, here are two big hints:
- SHOULD’s are a bad sign. Reexamine them, and if you can’t turn them into a WANT by modifying something, look to eliminate them. (Note- legitimate NEED’s must be acknowledged and met. They’re different, if you don’t meet them in a healthy way, you will figure out how to do it in an unhealthy way.)
- Avoidance is a bad sign. If there are events, situations or people you are avoiding, the ones that make you cringe- pay attention and eliminate the source of the aggravation. (humanely, if appropriate)
Once again- we’re back to the objective of always being “at choice” and choosing to be happier. Look at your calendar, what can you change? Go forth and deal with it, some things don’t just go away, you have to do the subtraction.
Life is short. Struggle is optional. (Business coaching works.)
