“It is not only a matter of when to do things, but whether or not to do them at all.” Stephen Covey
Frustration, for me, happened most often when I was required to do a task that all my knowledge and training told me wasn’t even necessary. An example?
In the Major Incident Room, the practice is/was to list all documents submitted to that room. “Of course,” I hear you say. “That is the rule.”
No it isn’t.
The laws and codes of practice relating to disclosure required only the retention, recording and revelation of relevant material. “But it’s all relevant,” the uninformed may respond.
No it isn’t.
Understandably, even considerately, every time someone submitted a statement (relevant), they would also submit their leave plans for the next six months, on an MG10 form.
Notwithstanding that I couldn’t see how when anyone went on holiday would ever be relevant, until we actually arrested someone for the murder it was going to be a useless piece of paper within 6 months – long before the average murder trial.
But we were ‘required’ by the uninformed the spend a few minutes recording, assessing and filing these useless documents onto the HOLMES System ‘because that’s what we’ve always done’.
That may seem a minor matter but it is the first example that came to mind.
To be frank, opinion may differ on taking hearsay statements from 12 people who all heard someone say something in meeting, knowing that they are all inadmissible as evidence. One or two I can see a need for e.g. early complain confirmation; asking the others if they heard anything different I can understand. But 12 hours (plus travelling) to take 12 inadmissible statements? Don’t get me started.
But…..
If you are like me and you wish to argue for better task management by the powers that be, you MUST know the system, laws, practices and supporting principles well enough to argue your case for an alternative. You can’t just moan. Moaning implies you just don’t want to do it but you aren’t willing to justify a better way.
One good way of identifying great ways of saving time requires taking time to know the system well enough to promote change.
Every system change is a direct result of someone identifying a better way and convincing policy makers to adapt their thinking so as to make your (and everyone else’s) job easier to do well.
You can be ‘busy’ by digging holes and filling them in again, but if you’re going to be productive you ought to ask why you’re digging them in the first place. And if the answer is, “That’s they way we’ve always done it,” find a way of finding better leaders to follow.
Police Time Management 