Rule 3: There is Always More Work Than People 314 Filed under - Archived Content The rules so far: Prioritise the work Don’t make your customer wait This would be OK but for Rule 3 which states that: There is always more work than people. This rule can be expressed in many ways: You never have enough time There is always more you could do You never have enough money Demand outstrips supply Or maybe just the observation that your boss is an idiot How you express it depends on what kind of day you are having, but it always comes down to the same thing: there is always too much work. It doesn’t matter how many people you have There is never have enough time, people or money to do everything you want to do. If you think the solution to the problem is simply to hire more people you will always be flat-out disappointed. As a wise old man once said to me, “deal with it”. Don’t rely on getting more people to solve your problem. Rely on understanding the work. Get organised, get creative, find another way. Rule 3: There is always more work than people Addendum to the rule: Oddly, the better you understand the work and the fewer staff you need to do it, the happier your boss will be to give you some more people. This is analogous to the fact that banks are always delighted to lend you money when you have plenty. e-Mail Course Enter your e-mail address to receive the free service improvement course from the Squawk Point. The course is delivered as series of e-mails. After you have clicked the button you will be taken to a web page asking you to confirm your request. You can cancel the course at any time. We will not share your address with anybody. Improve the service your operation delivers by signing up for the free 12 part e-mail course “Service Improvement for Pragmatic People”. Enter your e-mail address below. Author: Jonty Pearce Published On: 23rd Jun 2015 - Last modified: 5th Feb 2019 Read more about - Archived Content Contact Centre Reports, Surveys and White Papers Get the latest exciting call centre reports, specialist whitepapers and interesting case-studies. Choose the content that you want to receive. Contact Centre Reports, Surveys and White Papers Invites to exclusive Webinars & Events Weekly Newsletter