Back in the day, I had a work colleague who, if she left the office before 6pm, would leave a cardigan draped over the back of her chair, and her office light on so that it would appear that she only had left her desk momentarily, perhaps to get coffee, but would be working late into the night.
We all knew that the boss was watching us and watching the clock — monitoring who came in late and left early. Time was money, and our time belonged to the company.
Executives, decision makers, and management in general have a finite amount of “Management Attention Units” (MAUs). So, what are MAUs anyway? We use this general term to refer to time used by management to carry out core supervisory duties. Management’s time – a very valuable and finite commodity.
Why do some employees seem always to get things done on time and as expected, while others struggle? Is it in their DNA? Is it an organizational culture that condones missed deadlines so that some people do not feel the pressure to perform as well? Are incentives, like bonuses, or penalties, like losing a job, accomplishing their objectives?
An audit manager is very much like the captain of a large ship. The captain can’t complete a successful voyage alone; no matter how skillful he is or how much time she has spent on the water.
The captain can chart the course, but each member of the crew must carry out his or her duties and tasks as planned and in a timely manner for the ship to reach its destination safely and on time. One mistake or omission could end in disaster.
