Prioritisation and getting more done!
Random thoughts to spark some breakthroughs.
Here is a series of bullet points to help you use time more effectively, prioritise and get more of what matters done. This article is just a series of ideas and thought starters for you to find a nugget or two……………
Critical start point is to have clarity of your purpose, vision and goals. Once you have that it is so much easier to prioritise the things that matter most. It is incredible how much effort is put into tasks that are not aligned to these critical areas.
‘Will what I am doing now, help the boat go faster?’ ie am I caught up in endless low value tasks or am I focused on high value activity that will help me accelerate in the direction I want to go in life/business?
No clarity - no ability to prioritise.
Create a personal operating rhythm based around what really matters. What are your key daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual interventions. Refine, refine, refine until it serves you and have the discipline to stick to it. ‘Without discipline you are lost.’
‘Never make a decision when you are tired’. Match energy to value of task. Sounds simple but most do the reverse.
Start well - everyday. What is your start up routine?
Put your people first and not last. Invest the time, be present and evidence genuine care. You will get shedloads of discretionary effort in return.
Be 100% present and focused. You work quicker, better and achieve more. Turn off ring-tones, notifications etc, particularly when doing ‘deep and important work.’
Mike Jeacock: ’Every leader can find 15 mins a day to say thank you’. Find it. Most don’t! These ‘little things that make a big difference.’ Your effort in this regard will lead to so much in return.
What gets in my diary, gets done. Start with the most important things that REALLY matter. Build around them not squeeze them in.
Do a daily mind-cleanse v a things to do list. One is about value and prioritisation, one is about stuff!
Get rid of meetings where you know you will not add or receive value - why go!
Shorten every meeting! It can be done!
Early at RBS, I saw 2 types of people: in vs out of control. Those in control had a clear operating rhythm and the discipline to stick to it. They worked out their high value activities and prioritised around that. Others - time wasting, inefficiency and duplication.
‘Last in, first out and top of every league table.’ My RBS sales leadership mantra. Get in, smash out the work, stop messing about, be at your best when it counts, go home and live a superb life. Simple!
Why does every meeting have to be an hour? Cut them in half, make them 30 minutes.
Why do so many people from the same team go to the same meeting?
When you set big goals it requires consistent, focused actions. Means you drive out waste and low value activity. Set SMUUT goals.
As a leader, hire the best people you can afford in every role. An A grade team makes everything better.
66% awesome v 100% perfect. Waiting for perfection kills success so decide-commit-go! Speed is a source of competitive advantage.
Tell me the time v build me a watch.
Limit every presentation to 3 slides! I don’t need a 20 page powerpoint deck, just cut to the chase (insights). If I need more, I will ask.
Do less, better with more. When I was at RBS the mantra was that every year we will need to do more, better with less. Reverse that. Focus on less things, do them better with more focus, energy, passion, commitment and purpose.
Go back and work through HVA v LVA
Ruthless v Strong prioritisation.
Ask the question: ‘What is the work only I can do?’ Work at your level. ie as a GM in a business, there are certain things that only the GM is accountable for - make sure you excel at those. Operate at your level, rather than doing other people’s work because it is what you used to do in your previous role and you are great at it.
You have to leave things behind - What got me here, won’t get me there.
What matters NOW? A killer question.
If your boss keeps adding stuff, stop her/him and say: ‘ I already have x/y/z which we agreed are really important to the team’s success. If you also want me to do w, which of the others do you want me to stop or reprioritise?’
Mozart time - slowdown to speed up. Greatness requires stillness. Think. 🤔
Time-block and focus on 1 thing!
When you work on your in-box you are working on other people’s priorities.
Virtual coffees - 15 mins.
Make a decision to break unhelpful patterns and routines. Imagine your diary is totally empty. What would you put in first? Why? Have clarity of purpose. Flick or scroll through your diary to a month that is relatively free. Stop there. Think back to the list you wrote of what you would put in first. LOCK them in! Commit to them. Stay true to them.