"Optimanage.com"

On "Progress & Development"

By Adel J. Helou

Progress and Development (P & D) may be considered as a change from one state to a better and more mature state. We can see P & D all around us:

In human beings as they grow from childhood through adolescence and reaching adulthood.

In nature as trees grow from seeds to tall and strong trees, as animals grow from weak little creatures to become fully grown and strong within their species. The same happens with all other types of life on earth.

In schools where students enroll with little knowledge and graduate after several years having acquired more knowledge.

In medicine where new and more effective treatments have been discovered and introduced to improve health.

In the sciences where man has gained better understanding of the environment in which he lives and put it to better use to facilitate life.

In the humanities as man acquired better understanding of his past as well as the social and mental structure of individuals and communities which in turn helped improve communication.

In business as we see new concepts introduced to improve markets and commerce in a country and around the world leading to better profits and economic growth.

To achieve Progress and Development (P & D) one should also understand that it will need management. As you well know; P & D is a process, and it takes time and energy (effort) to move from one state to another. P & D needs management and managerial skills whether it is sought after on a personal level or in a business and commercial enterprise.

Traveling the distance from one state to another by investing the effort over an interval of time is considered work. This is the case for physical as well as intellectual states. Should that activity succeed, the effort and time would have been well spent. Should the activity not succeed, then the effort and time would have been wasted (work would not be achieved) and the process should then be reevaluated and revised as needed to achieve and ensure success.

The most critical element in managing a process or activity is time. Although we talk a lot about time management (or managing time), we do not manage time. We manage activities, operations, and processes within the available or allotted time. This is because time once gone it is gone forever and does not come back. We cannot speed up time. We cannot Slow time down. Time cannot be saved or put aside for future use. We cannot borrow or lend time. Time is a rare commodity with peculiar characteristics. Time should be used wisely and should not be wasted. Look at Figure -1 for an eye opener.


	The use of Time: Time spent on Quality, Safety, and Security is not considered wasted. It is spent to ensure Correct, Acceptable, Safe, and Secure continuity of the process, activity, and/or operation.

Figure -1

Now that we have discussed the element of time a little bit, let us continue to look at managing the process of P & D (see Figure – 2). To manage P & D to realize an improvement – on a personal and/or a business level - needs:

To identify and accept the present situation.

To define and specify a goal.

To develop a plan of action in the direction to reach the goal.

To determine the readily available resources needed to execute the plan.

To determine any additional resources needed to complete the plan

To formulate a schedule to execute the plan.

To determine the critical path upon which depends the completion of the plan.

To execute the plan to reach the goal.

To monitor the execution of the plan to stay on track.

To evaluate the results and the development of executing the plan.

To redirect or revise the plan when needed.

To continue along the path as planned to reach the goal.

Figure – 2
Cycle of a Progress and Development Activity
Putting a P & D activity in motion will take human resources (including oneself) to see things through moving in the right direction to reach the specified goal. This entails choosing individuals that are:

Knowledgeable in the required field of interest.

Willing to acquire and learn additional amounts of knowledge and information.

Capable and willing to new skills to their existing ones.

Self-starters and self-motivated.

Trustworthy and honest.

Respectful to themselves and to others.

Willing and able to work within a team.

Able to coordinate functions with team members.

Willing to cooperate with the other members of their team.

Capable of abiding to a plan of action, and to a schedule.

Able to function under stress without losing focus of the goal.

Mature enough to accept criticism.

Pleasant personality that can be acceptable by coworkers.

Good communicators in both the written and spoken words.

The above is a list of some of the useful characteristics of individuals that can help in a P & D activity. There may be other characteristics that you may want to add depending on your needs.

Adel J Helou: is a Business and Life Management Coach. He has more than 15 years of experience in production and operations management. The Author has international professional experience in the Middle East markets. He holds a B.Sc. degree in Chemistry and Physics and an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering. Mr. Helou has pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram: facebook.com/AdelJosephHelouManagementCoach/
linkedin.com/in/adeljosephheloumanagementcoach/
Instagram.com/adel.helou
twitter.com/helou_adel
Read about his Management Coaching and the articles he writes, by visiting the electronic magazine (E-Zine): optimanage.com.
The E-Zine has a fb page: facebook.com/optimanagedotcom/.
A.J. Helou can be contacted by e-mail: a.j.helou@optimanage.com (e-mail)

HOME		ABOUT US
VIEWPOINT		FOOD FOR THOUGHT
TECHTOOL		MANAGERIA
INFO MIX		ADEL J HELOU COACHING

Viewpoint

On "Progress & Development"

By Adel J. Helou

Site Map

"optimanage.com" TERMS & CONDITIONS