There's nothing so marvelous as being able to look back at
the end of a day, a week, a month or a year and see
everything that's been achieved! I don't mean crossed off
of a list, but rather put on a 'done' list that lets you
appreciate what's been accomplished. And too many
entrepreneurs and professionals have too short a list!
If you're like most people who are running a business, as
an owner, an executive or an independent professional you
get to the things on your To Do list in an ad hoc fashion.
In truth, you have more on that list than you will ever get
to. But wouldn't you agree with me that inconsistency in
putting things into action creates inconsistency in your
results?
Successful leaders and managers don't escape from having
full To Do lists. They're just very effective at keeping
their attention on the High Pay-Off activities that will
get them to the results they're set on. The reason they can
act with such consistency is the clarity of their goals and
their ongoing system of step-by-step techniques are keeping
them on track and avoiding distractions.
If you were to follow these folks around for a day you'd be
able to spot what they've learned to do. They use
repeatable techniques that systematically move ideas off of
lists and into action. Here are the 5 steps they're using
that you can use to boost your own effectiveness on a daily
basis.
Step 1 - List It All
High Payoff results require being able to focus your time
and attention, and you cannot do that if you are trying to
hang on to all your ideas in your mind. Get them out and on
paper where you know the idea is ready for you to give it
the attention it deserves. Success Catalyst subscribers who
listened to the free audio mini-course learned a technique
for listing 'everything' and report that this immediately
frees up their mind and attention.
Step 2 - Prioritize It All
The tighter you evaluate the things on that list, the
shorter your list will grow. This is particularly so if you
use a tool like the Daily 4-in-1 sheet I supply with the
audio mini course. When you designate each item as ones
you'll take action on 'today', or 'tomorrow', or 'delegate
today' it becomes immediately apparent which ones you know
will have a High Payoff if they get attention versus what
you'd vaguely "like to give attention to because they seem
like they 'might' be worth pursuing."
Step 3 - Assign It To Get It Done
It may seem that if you've decided what you'll take care of
and what you'll delegate, it's get done. Sorry! All that
means is that you've made a really good list! Now you need
to set those items up to be shifted from ideas to action
and that means each of them must have an 'owner'. If the
owner is not you, then you need to notify the person you're
delegating it to that they are being given the
accountability and responsibility for that action.
Before you hand it off, decide what the goal is for that
activity, and how you'll track and monitor that it is being
accomplished. Be sure that the person taking it on knows
what you expect, AND that they are in agreement with what
they're supposed to be handling and how you're to be
notified of its status.
Step 4 - Supply the Resources
It may have taken 5 minutes to decide 'who' should be doing
the task, and 5 minutes to notify them, but without
resources no progress is going to take place. There is
nothing more certain than ideas won't move into action if
the support system doesn't exist to guarantee action can
take place!
Action requires investment and your role is to guarantee
that the action has a realistic likelihood of taking place.
That means you need to put your wallet behind your
assignments. What's needed? Staffing? Computers? Supplies?
Time? Your next step is to ensure those resources get lined
up and made available so that the idea isn't just moved
onto yet another To Do list!
Step 5 - Calendar It
Action requires commitment and follow-through is only
guaranteed if time is blocked out for uninterrupted
attention on getting it done. Your strongest guarantee of
action is... putting it on the calendar for attention and
action. If the idea is on your To Do list, then it should
be on your calendar. The same holds true if you've
delegated it - it needs to be on the other person's
calendar. And that includes the status meetings where
they'll report back to you that it's being accomplished.
Make these steps techniques that you use and you'll soon
find yourself consistently ticking things off of your To Do
list and being able to rewrite them on your
'Accomplishments' list. And you'll know that the rest of
your team is handling their To Dos as well.
----------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Linda Feinholz Management expert, consultant,
and coach Linda Feinholz is "Your High Payoff Catalyst" If
you're ready to focus on your High Payoff activities, boost
your professional and personal results and have more fun,
get her FREE audio mini-course "7 Quick & Simple Steps to
Increase Your Focus, Ease Your Effort & Accelerate Your
Results" and the free weekly newsletter The Spark! Visit
http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com
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