Definition of the Problem

We must first define a problem exactly before we can describe, analyze, and explain it. We define it with the deviation statement, or name of the problem. It is important to state this name precisely because all the work to follow—all the description, analysis, and explanation we will undertake—will be directed at correcting the problem as it has been named.

However simple or complex a problem may seem at the outset, it is always worth a minute or two to ask, “Can the effect of this problem in the deviation statement be explained now?” If it can, we must back up to the point at which we can no longer explain the deviation statement. Vague or generalized deviation statements must be reworded into specific deviation statements that name one object or kind of object, and, and one malfunction or kind of malfunction for which I wish to discover and explain cause.

It is tempting to combine two or more deviations, in a single problem-solving effort or to try bunch a bevy of seemingly related problems into one overall problem. Nearly, everyone has attended meetings during which two or more distinct problems were tied ankle to ankle in a kind of problem-solving sack race. This procedure is almost always inefficient and unproductive.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir – Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

Inflation and Disinflation

Fiscal policy is related to inflation, which occurs when the prices of goods and services rise steadily throughout the economy. Although many factors (such as increases in the prices of imported goods) contribute to inflation, government borrowing is major factor. When the government borrows great sums of money to bolster the economy, the total amount of money circulating tends to increase. With more money chasing the same quantity of goods and services, inflation increases too.

Theoretically, the government is supposed to pay back its debt during inflationary times, thereby taking some of the excess money out of the economy and slowing inflation to moderate level. This system worked throughout 1950s and 1960s, but during the 1970s, inflation kept building. By the end of the decade, prices were increasing by almost 14 percent a year.

Inflation of this magnitude brings an unproductive mind-set. People become motivated to buy “before the prices goes up,” even if they have to borrow money to do it. With greater competition for available money, interest rates increase to a level that makes business borrowing riskier and business expansion slower. Businesses and individuals alike begin spending on short-term items instead of investing in things like new factories and children’s education, which are more valuable to the nation’s economy in the long run.

Because of the peculiar psychology that accompanies high inflation, slowing it has always been difficult. In addition, the causes of inflation are complex, and the remedies can be painful. Nevertheless, several factors conspired to bring about a period of disinflation, a moderation in the inflation rate, during the 1980s.

Whether inflation will remain under control is debatable. The country is still vulnerable to outside shock. Bad weather could jack up food prices, and political upheavals could limit the supply and boost the price of vital raw materials. Also, government efforts to stimulate the economy could rekindle inflation. When the economy slumps, the government is inclined to increase the money supply, which tends to drive prices up.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir – Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

On Meetings

Most meetings are time wasters, and certainly most take twice as long as necessary. A previous survey of top executives reported in The Wall Street Journal revealed that meetings accounted for the greatest amount of their unproductive time, topping telephone calls, paperwork, travel, and office gossip.

 

But whether it’s a a one-on-one conversation with your boss or co-worker, or gathering of five, ten, or twenty people in a conference room, meetings are a fact of our everyday business lives. When you stop to think about it, how well you present yourself and your ideas and how well you work with other people are the two basic essentials of any career. And that’s exactly what meetings are all about. They are an important management tool. And the way you conduct yourself at meetings, whether as the leader or as a participant, can make or break your career.

 

Why then, are so many meetings boring, unproductive—and almost always too long? Here are a few of the reasons:

• No specific, clear-cut “objective” for the meeting, its leaders, or its participants.
• No meeting agenda.
• Too many or the wrong choice of participants.
• No consideration for allies or antagonists.
• Failure to prepare properly.
• Inability to present ideas concisely.
• Lack of sound leadership and control.
• Improper use of visual aids.
• Too many digressions and interruptions.
• Time wasted on “why” rather than “how.”
• Mixed final decisions.

 

Meretings don’t have to be long and unproductive. There’s another way. By mastering a few shortcuts and strategies you can get the job done—and in half the time.

 

Learn how to determine whether a meeting is really necessary (and how to say no if it isn’t), how to prepare for a meeting, how to present your ideas concisely (and briefly), and how to keep on track and on time.

 

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir – Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, Line of Sight