Frequently Asked Questions
 

Is PEP a System?

PEP is not a system. It is a set of sound, commonsense working principles. The principles can be adapted to any “white collar” working environment, and it doesn’t matter whether you work with mainly paper or electronic systems, or use Outlook, Lotus notes or any other email handling, calendar and organising system.

What does PEP cover?

PEP changes forever the way people work.
PEP helps people improve their workspace organisation by discussing:

• structuring folders and files for easy access and information
• file content
• information retention
• information retrieval, and
• information management.

PEP helps people deal with ineffective (and often unconscious) working habits and routines including:
• multiple handling of e-mail (and paper)
• distractions and loss of concentration from incomplete work
• crisis management
• interruptions, and
• procrastination.
 

PEP develops positive and highly practical ways for people to improve:
• work planning and time management
• individual planning needs
• project/key task planning and management
• use of calendar - electronic and paper based
• prioritising and scheduling of work, and
• linking of project/key task planning to daily activity

PEP also equips participants with ways of improving effectiveness in teams including:
• personal responsibility, and
• opportunities for team interaction.

Is PEP for the team, or for individuals?

PEP is for both teams and individuals. We typically coach groups of six or so participants at a time, but those participants can represent either members of an intact team or workgroup, or be individuals from within the same company/organisation.
It is important that the participants work in the same location because our facilitator needs to be able to spend enough time with each participant at their own workstation to ensure that the PEP principles and processes are in place for them. 

What is PEP?

The Personal Efficiency Program (PEP) is a practical program that will improve the way that everyone works with paper and electronic information. It is a personalised coaching program conducted primarily “one to one” with participants in their work areas. PEP can dramatically increase a person’s and team’s productivity because it deals with:

• good working habits
• personal work organisation
• personal effectiveness, time management and work planning, and
• team interaction and effectiveness.

By helping people to release their administrative burdens and achieving what matters most, PEP makes people feel good about their work. They feel empowered, happier and motivated. This in turn means significant cost and time savings, employee vigour and exuberance, and greater employee retention. Put simply – a workplace full of PEP is a better place to be.

What is different about PEP?

PEP does something no one else does. Its multi session, “at the workstation”, coaching based methodology instils productivity practices for participants to get more important things done. It is the only program focused on workplace productivity that employs a coaching process immediately following each theory session.

Each day, we present the principles of PEP in a theory session for about two hours, after which we accompany participants to their work areas while they put the PEP principles in place. We coach, guide and advise according to their individual needs and circumstances. We then return to the training room for another two hour theory session, followed by another practical session at the desk. This tight relationship between theory and practice represents best practice in adult learning, and is unique to PEP

Why does anyone need PEP?

While we might understand the content and context of our jobs, very few of us are ever taught appropriate work methods. As a result, we develop our own work habits and routines, some of which can be quite ineffective.
Most of us have never been shown:

• what to do with the day to day flow of information
• what to keep - and for how long
• how to track outstanding or delegated work
• how to file for easy access using either paper or electronic means
• how to plan and prioritise, and
• how to ensure time is spent on high return activities that meet our organisation’s goals.
PEP programs introduce participants to proven best practice models of handling information and work processes.

Who is PEP for?

PEP is for anyone who is keen to get more done with less effort, and to concentrate their effort on the things in their job which really count.
PEP can make an enormous difference if you or your colleagues are:

• drowning in emails and paper
• working overly long hours
• not getting to the important tasks and projects
• missing deadlines
• constantly fighting fires, or
• poorly handling crises

Why is PEP so effective?

PEP is effective for three main reasons:

• we work only with small groups of people, typically six at a time.
• each theory session is followed immediately by individual coaching at each participants’ work area, and
• we “step in” the learning over a period of time, with three or four days of face-to-face contact over a six to eight week period.

Why is coaching important?

The aim of learning and development activities must be to change behaviour in some way. Coaching is absolutely crucial to that outcome. Without coaching, the activity is just an information session. There are many different types of PEP-led coaching:
In-situ workplace coaching
Time management, priority management and workplace organisation principles must be coached at the individual’s workstation to be genuinely effective. Genuine behaviour change in an overloaded, stress-laden environment must be done with the individual in a position to put the learned principles into practical effect.

Time-distributed coaching

The fundamental principles must be inculcated and coached over a period of time. Permanent behaviour change cannot occur in a training room or seminar environment. Research tells us that new habits/behaviours must be practiced for 21-30 days for the new behaviour to stick. This means that action plans and support plans must be put in place over an extended period of time to ensure permanent and ongoing change. We recommend coaching sessions at least 2 weeks apart.

Behaviour-change focus

Identification of the behaviours to be modified is essential. Once these behaviours are identified, then the facilitator can coach to the specific changes needed. The PEP program differentiates itself because it does not only focus on cognitive understanding - we understand that behaviour is a function of the concepts, thoughts, feelings and actions of the individual, and therefore we concentrate on learning changes at all these levels.

The mechanics of getting results

Ultimately productivity and effectiveness is about getting things done and achieving results. The whole emphasis of the PEP program is on delivering and accomplishing practical, easy-to-use actions that ensure that the job gets done and the results are achieved.
Our best results come from coaching our clients on their own work at their place of work. We have coached in offices, cars, factories, casinos, high security locations and even on farms, trading floors and oil rigs! Quite simply... where your people work, we’ll work!