If you want to learn a productivity secret, then watch a bartender. He or she can teach you a lot about commitment, action, and time management.
Imagine that a bartender is making a cocktail. The ingredients are mixed together quickly and then it comes time to poor the concoction into a glass.
Play close attention to this part. It’s something you can repeat later over your kitchen sink.
The bartender does not hesitate while pouring. He or she knows that the liquid wants to go into the glass and wants to take the easiest route to get there. You could say that the bartender gives a clear direction to the liquid.
Try pouring something with an unsteady hand or a lack of confidence. You’ll find that lot of the drink ends up on the counter or sink. You didn’t take control of the situation.
Let’s take you out of the bar for a moment and consider how you treat your team. Do you give them clear instructions that they can follow or do you keep changing things, delaying the process. If you have an unsteady hand as a leader, then how focused can your team be on accomplishing its goals?
People can be like liquid, in that they want to flow and not face a lot of obstacles.
In addition, if you watch a successful bartender, you’ll notice that he or she really honors their time. They make drinks quickly because that earns them tips and possibly another order.
You’ll also notice that bartenders tend to always be doing something. Maybe they’re cutting fruit, cleaning glasses, or checking to see if a customer needs something else to drink. The good ones make this process look effortless.
In non-bar lingo, they’ve mastered time management. They know that they have a finite amount of time to get things done and want to do everything possible to get to the next sale. Procrastination is penalized. It’s the bartender’s productivity secret.
Would you make a good bartender? Do you delay completing projects for no apparent reason? Are you anticipating your team’s needs?
The bartender knows that spilled booze is lost money. Do you treat your time the same way?
Be the bartender, the next time you find yourself facing a new project or leading your team on a major initiative. You may not have a full tip jar by the end of the project but you may enjoy other rewards.
Maybe it’s time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
Read any good books lately?
