What One Thing
Look at Paul Lemberg's article What One Thing?
In it he quotes Earl Nightingale as asking, "What one thing would you do if you knew you could not fail?" And also Jack Palance as Curly in City Slickers asking, "What is the one thing?"
Paul says that you need to sacrifice, or let go, of some of the less important things on your to-do list.
I can see his point.
But I believe he's coming at the strategic focus from the wrong angle. Don't look at the thousand and one things you have to do.
Better is to list your top 5 responsibilities.
Then list the activities that must be completed to achieve all those responsibilities.
Then against each activity assign a category according to how well you can do the activity as follows:
A - Awesome ability to do the activity
G - Great at the activity
M - Most people could do the same as you
W - Weakness (if you're honest - which you must be)
Now what you have is a list of activities that all need to be achieved for you to have success in your role.
What if you could make every activity an 'A'?
You can you need to assign all activities that you're not 'A' or 'G' to other people. Or decide if that activity is really needed.
You must assign all 'W' activities to other people. Don't get trained up on it because all you'll get is a slightly stronger weakness!
So what happens if you're a solo company?
Still undertake the task and think of ways of working with other businesses to minimise your 'W' tasks. One obvious one is that if you're weak with producing accounts - you hire an accountant.
The final point is WORK hard on your 'A' tasks because you're going to get even more awesome and when tied together with people who can deliver your weak activities awesomely you're going to go stratospheric.
1 comment:
ohh thanks for you comment at my BE account. And sure.. now basing on your blog i can see why your not into poetry.. and art(!)
well goodluck on your biz here..
hope your not mistaken for a spam tho };-}
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