To Do lists are like blackberries, stealth multipliers producing long canes that arc gracefully across your lawn until the tips take root in new soil. One minute you are dreaming of juicy rewards. Next thing you know, you are ensnared in prickly brambles, surrounded by vicious trip wires, and unable to enjoy the fruits of your labor. And just like blackberries, To Do lists require ruthlessness!
The Patriots lost last night for the first time this season. But that is the least of their problems. Gronkowski was carted off the field and he now joins Amendola, Edelman, Lewis, Dobson, Jones – more players than I can list – who are injured. Brady looked crestfallen when Gronk went down. But this morning, what are they saying? “Just wasn’t our night.” In true Patriots fashion, they refuse to contemplate what Gronk’s injury means for the next game or the rest of the season. “It was a very hard loss” and “players gave a tremendous effort” are all that we will hear. Their job is to get it done. One game at a time. No matter what comes at them. Whether they will get it done remains to be seen, but we all know Tom Brady is special because of his uncanny ability to get it done by focusing on that and nothing else. Everyone has problems. Most people spend far more time agonizing, talking, and worrying about those problems than actually doing something about them. Save that energy. Channel Tom Brady. Your job is to get it done. One step at a time. No matter what comes at you.
Agendas are king. This message has been pounded long enough to be well-ingrained, even if not always followed. But have you noticed that despite the proliferation of agendas, everyone is still complaining about meetings? That’s because 95% of agendas are simply recipes for wasting time. 8:00 – 8:15 Waste time on this 8:15 – 8:30 Waste time on that 8:30 – 8:50 Waste more time Before I dive in, why don’t you grab a few agendas so you can see what I am talking about. First off, you need to keep in mind that the purpose of any meeting is to get somewhere. To make something happen. And you won’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you are trying to go. You have to have a destination. You have to know what must be different when the meeting ends. This may seem obvious, but it’s not. People who know I deplore unproductive meetings have been known to tell me about great meetings. When I ask them what made the meeting great, I typically get three reasons: The group was focused. The topic was interesting. Everyone was well-behaved. That’s it! There is no mention of outcomes! Just because you had an interesting discussion does not mean your meeting was productive. Now back to those agendas.
In case you missed my viral posts on Forbes in the past month: 8 Secrets Smart People Know About Time Management 10 Reasons Your Employee Engagement Program Is Hurting Your Company 9 Reasons You And Your Employees Can’t Do 40 Hours Of Work In 40 Hours – And What To Do About It The first one has collected over 45,000 views. Don’t miss it!
Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing another group get excited about the power of clarity! This time it was at the Northeast Lean Conference where I spoke about Transformative Clarity – The Best Thing Since Lean. It was an excellent audience with people coming from San Diego, the Canadian Maritimes, and everywhere in between. As always, I wish we had had much more time! Nonetheless, they left eager to apply some of the specific techniques we discussed to improve productivity, results, and commitment. During my presentation yesterday, I asked the group to identify the top time wasters in their companies. I wasn’t looking for non-work activities like Facebook and surfing. I was looking for legitimate job responsibilities that do not create value for which customers are willing to pay. From there, we looked at how clarity could eliminate or minimize the waste. They came up with a great list, every one of which can be reduced by applying the three pillars of clarity and the techniques I write about regularly in this newsletter, as well as in my Forbes Expert Blog, on my website, and in other publications. Here is their list:
The Power of Clarity that galvanizes commitment and drives high performance is built on three pillars. Clarity of Purpose If you want to maximize productivity, commitment, and results, everyone needs to know what they are trying to accomplish and why. You may think you’ve got this covered once you’ve established goals and priorities. You haven’t. First, you need to avoid the trap of too many priorities, which is a super common problem. Too many priorities means no priorities. If you have 2-3 priorities, you will accomplish 2-3 things. If you have 4-10 priorities, you will accomplish 1-2 things. If you have more than 10 priorities, you will accomplish nothing. I read this somewhere, don’t remember where, but I know it is true because it applies to me and everyone I know. At any given moment, you need to focus on one task. As your list grows, you spend more and more time looking at the list, shuffling items, trying to decide which to do next, playing games with yourself like adding things you’ve already accomplished so you can check them off, and not accomplishing anything that counts. Focus is absolutely critical. You and your employees must pare those lists down.
I’m often contacted about providing workshops and seminars. My most frequent response after listening to the caller is, “You don’t want training.” To understand why I would say that, think about the last class you took at your company. Or even an off-site class, for that matter. If you attended a really good session, you probably left with a good deal energy, eager to apply what you learned. That lasted until you got back to your office and the pile of business-as-usual on your desk and in your inbox devoured your fresh energy. It’s just like returning from vacation. Within about an hour, you are sucked back into the same old challenges and routines; you can’t believe you ever left.
There are 5.4 million job openings in the US right now. The unemployment rate is 5.3%, the lowest it has been since April 2008. That means competition for top talent is extremely high. Meanwhile, the average hiring process has increased by 10 days in the last 5 years. 10 business days! Two weeks! And that’s the average! That means some have gained far more than two weeks. If you are one of the companies with a slower hiring process, you probably “improved” your process by seeking more input, ensuring a consistent experience for all candidates, testing for anything from drugs to knowledge, documenting your decision more carefully. etc. And you may also have reduced the risk of a law suit from very small to tiny. But 10 days! With competition for talent at what’s probably an all time high, you can not afford to be slow! Speed matters! If your hiring process has gotten slower, I guarantee it is just the tip of the iceberg. What else is slower?
Energy is a game-changer. When we are energetic, we are happier. Period. That part is pretty simple. But it goes beyond that. Far beyond. When we are energetic, we are more determined and more able to overcome obstacles. When we fall down, the energetic jump up and try again. Energy fuels our ability to take actions that create more happiness. Furthermore, our energy does not just create happiness for ourselves. When we are energetic, we are also more able and willing to help others. We can be more generous with our time and energy. And we all know that helping others is a source of happiness for others as well as for ourselves.
When your car gets a flat, you fix the tire, not the transmission. Why don’t you do that with your business? While working with clients of all types, I frequently see examples where a few difficult people, one bad outcome, and/or an obvious lack of clear communication and understanding involving one process triggers broad pronouncements and substantial changes in the environment – the equivalent of overhauling the transmission. For example: