We have been trained from our earliest school days to produce the right answer. Math tests, spelling tests, grammar tests, science tests, foreign language tests – every test you have ever taken involved producing right answers. Far more often than not, those answers were black and white. You were either right or wrong. Maybe you got some extra points for effort, but wrong was still wrong.
Contrary to everything you’ve heard or experienced, debating pros and cons is not the way to make a decision! As with many practices—practices like SWOT and the pursuit of low-hanging fruit—just because it’s common doesn’t mean it is effective. So here is the problem.
I just did it myself. I jotted down my top priorities on one of the 5×7 pads I keep handy. My goal was to help me stay focused on the top few things I definitely wanted to finish today. Choosing those top few priorities is a good thing. Don’t get me wrong. But it was a mistake.
Clarity for lease. Imagine that! Sign the lease and suddenly: You have a new sense of strategic clarity. You know exactly what you are trying to accomplish. You have a vision that will clearly set you apart in the eyes of desirable markets. You know what kind of organization you have to become to deliver on that vision. You have a plan. It is ambitious, but also feasible and flexible. You are prepared because you know plans fail. Your employees understand what you want to achieve and why. Furthermore, they understand quite specifically how they will contribute to the organization’s success. But that’s not all!
I have always thought of myself as an active person. Hiking, skiing, ice hockey, ping pong, tennis, wilderness canoeing – you name it and I was game. From my tiny years when playing tackle football meant throwing myself around someone’s legs and hanging on as I was dragged the length of the field to the present day when more dignified activities like pickleball reign, action and sports have been a consistent, and nontrivial, part of my self-image. And then I got a Fitbit. The first few days were great plain fun. I loved watching the fireworks when I achieved the recommended 10,000 steps. I found pleasure in the flights, miles, calories burned, and active minutes that accrued. I bounced out of my chair when buzzed to ensure I hit the hourly minimum throughout the day. About a week in, on a work-filled, rainy Sunday, I pretty much forgot about the Fitbit. I ignored the hourly buzz. I just plugged away to get everything finished. At the end of the day, I was horrified to see I was nowhere near 10,000 steps. I hadn’t even hit 3,000! I missed the hourly minimum hour after hour. The number of calories I burned was pitiful. I may as well forget about eating unless I wanted to gain weight. I was officially sedentary!
I’m proud to be quoted in Skip Weisman’s new book, “Overcoming the 7 Deadliest Communication Sins.” Not surprisingly, you’ll find my advice kicking off the first sin, “Lack of Specificity!” Here’s what I said: “Specificity creates clarity. Without clarity, we walk around the block to get next door. We don’t know where to focus. We can’t agree. We talk more than we act. We measure the wrong things. Specificity creates clarity and clarity creates speed.” Says Weismann,
Mistakes happen. I get that. And when you are involved in routine tasks, whether executing or receiving, you may not encounter many errors. However, after moving, I am about to conclude that our economy is fueled by rework! Just think of the dollars and hours required to handle these problems:
When you think of productivity tools, you probably think of apps and other technological tools. Unfortunately, apps are not the route to greater productivity. As a matter of fact, technology often consumes more time than it saves. Here are my 13 favorite productivity tools, none of which require technology and all of which increase productivity:
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by the staff of Boston Voyager Magazine. The resulting story was published on May 15th, 2018; “Meet Ann Latham of Uncommon Clarity® in Southern NH“.