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CHINESE FIRE DRILLS

By: Tim Bryce

Years ago, teenagers used to conduct what was called "Chinese Fire Drills." Basically, they would load up a car with as many kids as possible. When they pulled up at a red traffic light, the driver would put the car in park and yell, "Chinese Fire Drill," whereby everyone got out of the car, then would run around it shouting, before the light turned green and then piled back in. To neighboring motorists, it would be very distracting yet amusing. I don't think they practice "Chinese Fire Drills" anymore but it is a phrase that has come to mean helter-skelter in the workplace.

I'm sure we have all had days where we felt we've been in a "Chinese Fire Drill," where we are inundated with interferences which kept us from getting our work done. I experienced one recently myself and boy did I find it irritating. Instead of concentrating on my work, I was interrupted by an inordinate number of telephone calls and e-mails. But to top it off, my wife called to tell me our water heater was broken and water was spewing out in our garage. I then had to call a plumber who I had to meet at my house to replace the water heater. In other words, I didn't accomplish much that day.

I guess having a "Chinese Fire Drill" is to be expected now and then but I have also seen companies who seem to live in a perpetual state of "Chinese Fire Drills," where constant interruptions are the norm as opposed to the exception. Interestingly, I find the managers of such shops are typically oblivious to the problem and think everything is normal. As creatures of habit, I tend to believe we become conditioned by our work environment. What appears to be chaos to one person, may seem perfectly normal to another. Some people appear to thrive in an environment of "Chinese Fire Drills," others can't take the pressure and eventually bail out. However, I would wager you there is a correlation between the level of chaos to resignations, tardiness, and absenteeism.

It is the manager's job to control the work environment. I'm not suggesting micromanagement but, instead, to implement some simple controls over the distractions which keep workers from performing their jobs, such as minimizing personal telephone calls, breaks, or inconsequential meetings and discussions. There is a human inclination to be distracted even by simple things, such as an occasional e-mail or text message. These little distractions add up quickly during the work day and unless someone takes action to curb them, they can become rather costly to a company and leads to project delays. When a manager does exercise his/her authority and implements such controls they are sometimes regarded as an ogre. Well, not really; they're doing what they are paid to do which is to get people to work on the right assignments, and one way of doing this is simply by controlling the work environment.

I loathe "Chinese Fire Drills" but recognize they are inevitable now and then. However, I can't imagine working in a chaotic environment on a regular basis and probably most employees cannot either. It is up to the manager to put his/her foot down and bring order out of the chaos. If the truth were known, I think most workers are looking for managers to lead them towards stability, not "Chinese Fire Drills."

Article Source: http://ezine-articles-planet.com

Tim Bryce is a writer and management consultant located in Palm Harbor, Florida. You can find his work on the Internet at:
www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com

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