Now, let me share with you simple control device that did turn-around for me.

It was set up as a spreadsheet. In first column I listed items to be produced, in second column were objectives (e.g: 10 / week, 0.2/day, 12 in can, etc.) and to right columns headed with dates of workdays for month into which you tally your production. In far right columns are totals and evaluation against your objectives.

The vertical tally gives you a quick view of your daily output.

You can construct this on your personal workstation, laptop or palm device. I opted for a printout for recording my single stroke [|||] tally because I was working at my desktop computer. Results can be entered on my spreadsheet or into my database later if I want more extensive analyses or records.

This is especially valuable for manager assuming responsibility of selling to key accounts and may have excused himself or herself from scrutiny of a sales manager.

It’s a good idea to occasionally review all of your functions for any possible lapses into some gold-bricking activities. It pays to ask yourself, “Who’s managing manager?” Should you find a weakness, you have my empathy as it can be a humbling and/or embarrassing experience. Take heart – it’s rewarded with valuable improvements in your own productivity along with improved self-esteem.

From that example, we might think of crafting our own communication strategies, based on mundane.

One of great difficulties with mundane, of course, is that it's harder to see and to grasp. After all, it's absence of something rather than its presence. The classic expression of this phenomenon may have been Sherlock Holmes‘ remark about dog that didn't bark.

Having identified a mundane phenomenon, we're next faced with challenge of understanding its significance. If not a single customer calls with a complaint or compliment, what does it mean? If there haven't been any resignations lately does it mean your employees are more loyal than they used to be? Or is it just a statistical blip?

And, one final issue: how will you explain significance of phenomenon to others? Will you explain it for what it is, or what it is not?

You may remember Show About Nothing episode of Seinfeld television series. George Costanza tries to explain to TV executives how a new show would be about nothing, while executives look bewildered. And, switching quickly from art to life, a show about mundane life of Jerry and friends became one of most successful television series ever.

In summary, common and ordinary things of life, mundane, offer untapped opportunities to create great communication strategies.