This will be a quick post because we have storm coming in, so I'll have to shut down soon.
HTH had a fairly visceral - and extremely appropriate - response to my quote from The 4 Hour Workweek yesterday that discussed the combination of Pareto and Parkinson. As I mentioned, I knew that there would be points of disagreement with Mr. Ferriss. The first and foremost will come from anyone who provides a service - like HTH does - for a living.
The current economic wisdom claims that the only jobs that will not be able to be outsourced - to be done more cheaply elsewhere - are in the world of service. I'm not sure that I fully believe that, but I can see why that is being said. The beauty of the 4-Hour Workweek is that many of his principles can be used to create more time for service. There is a fair amount of "back office" work that is associated with any service provided. All of that work adds to overhead costs, which decreases the profitability of service companies. Every minute HTH or I spend on operational work is paid for by his billable hours. In other words, streamlining non-billable work will increase the actual bottom line effect of every billable hour. Corporate
However, the service itself cannot be provided using the ideas I discussed yesterday. Service requires an open mind and the willingness to listen. In my job, I listen to people and teach them how to fix whatever problems are plaguing their work life. HTH listens to the machines (yes, they talk to him - really!) and fixes whatever problems they present to him. The solutions can be provided more efficiently, based on the experience and skill level of the problem solver. But the listening cannot be reduced by efficiency methods. In this case, efficiency improvements - usually measured by time spent on a job - would reduce the effectiveness of the service. And ineffective service, no matter how efficient, is worse than no service at all.
So, to use the entire 4 Hour Workweek well, it is important that you be producing a thing. The principles can free up your time and attention so that you can be more present in whatever you choose to do - whether it be provide a service or go skiing in the
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
HTH and The 4-Hour Workweek
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4 comments:
You told them my secret!!! (now the damage control). OK folks not everything you read is true and certainly I can disprove this theory of machines talking to me. Actually since this is scientific debate I want to clarify that I don't hear any voices from machines describing their illness, it is a mere mention, more likely a hint of an issue or a slight inconvenience of its operation. Your honor there is no possible evidence that I actually "talk" to machines and so I resolve to have the previous mentioned description stricken from the records, permanently! Now that I have clarified that I am a sane person I just want to say that if you have a machine of any sort, even the human type that is not working at its best then instead of telling it what the problem is, just open your ears and let it (him or her) tell you the problems it is having. If I go into a job with just a screw driver and decide from my car that the problem is this, then it is the duty of the machines to thwart my every move and sooner or later every tool I own will be inside with me. If a service panel does not want to go on there is a good chance that I left a screw driver inside the machine. Life is a lot like hockey (stop laughing and just listen) in such a fast moving game it is all about patience and letting the play come to you and not forcing the play. And so my friends, my peers, my wife's audience while I firmly dispute the fact that machines talk to me I don't deny the alleged allegations either! (No I am not running for any office and you can leave your hanging chads where they hang) And I would like to echo the fact my beautiful wife so poetically states, "life is..."
I only hope that I have clearly stated the facts, just the facts, and nothing but the facts. Thank you for your time.
Well now I don't know which is best any more - the post or the RESPONSE to the post! You two sure can keep me amused - long one of your goals in life, I'm sure. Love you bunches!!
There is never a dull moment around here, I'll tell you! Good thing HTH doesn't have any political aspirations!
Dear Omi
I tell Ang all the time, "If you're laughin' you're not leavin'" and the same goes to you. How can you NOT read the next post now. See my devious plan?
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