How To Cut Through a Bureaucratic Blizzard
Are you overwhelmed or inundated by overblown administrative procedures and rules that impede your ability to get things done? If so, help is here. Krishen Kota offers advice in a three-part blog series on how to survive a bureaucratic blizzard.
- Find the path of least resistance. Figure out what your primary objective is and how to best get there. Decide which bureaucratic processes are most impeding you and ask experts how to work that system most effectively. In other words, find the gatekeepers who control the various parts of the process.
- Show respect to all. Who those gatekeepers are isn't always immediately obvious, so it's in your best interest to pursue your goals with courtesy and professionalism. If you can't show sincere respect to a gatekeepers, consider letting another member of your team make contact and check up on progress.
- Follow up like crazy -- with a smile on your face. Don't assume things are happening; make sure they are. Figure out the next steps and who's in charge of making the next steps a reality, then get in contact. The smile keeps people from getting annoyed as you persistently and regularly request process updates and ascertain what needs to happen for things to move forward.