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works all the time with all the people. To determine the best approach, consider both the delegatee and the project. |
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Goals such as "Develop a strategy to increase our market share by 3 percent this year" can excite the new marketing director eager to please, or can frustrate the new sales rep with no knowledge of your budget or customer base outside his region. |
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Tasks, on the other hand, may be equally worrisome or welcome: "Call Joan Frazier to ask how many people she expects to attend the luncheon, and then order engraved invitations. Get them in the mail by October 15. Then reserve a ballroom at the Hyatt, and select a salad menu, something under 10 dollars per person." To your new administrative assistant, such detailed instructions may be reassuring, but to the corporate meeting planner, they would be insulting or frustrating. |
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Your choices are limited: you can organize by topic, location, chronology, importance, or frequency of the task. Organization of your instructions is the beginning of clarity. |
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Tip 875: Include six snippets of information in every set of instructions. |
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1. Goal. State your overall intention. If all else fails, the person can always follow the spirit of your instructions, if not the letter of the law. A mission might be "Make our star salespeople feel they're special to our executives." |
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2. Results. State the measurable results. How will the follower know he or she has been successful? What is the tangible, touchable final product? A conference in a resort location to which the star salespeople can bring their spouses? |
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3. Procedure. Give the steps, actions, and explanations. Should they select the star performers by the numbers, or will someone else determine the guest list? Do they handle all the arrangements or use a local meeting planner in the Caribbean? Should they make a personal site visit to several places before deciding on a location or go with a local referral? |
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4. Timing. State the deadlineeither for the project as a whole or for various interim steps. When do you expect all the meeting details to be complete? When do you expect the star performers to receive an announcement about the event? When is the meeting to be held? |
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5. Budget. Mention the money availableupper and lower limits. You don't want to have in mind budget for a sit-down dinner and discover |
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