Habits of Execution vs. the Illusion of Being Busy

Category: Time Management, Productivity, Getting Results

It’s all about habits…

Habits of execution vs. the illusion of being busy

Are you in the “habit” of getting things done….getting the right things done at the right time? One of the marks of an effective professional is the ability to get things done.

At the end of last year, USA Today surveyed several freshman senators and house members to find out what piece of advice they would give incoming colleagues.  Interestingly, over half of those whose advice was recorded in the article addressed the issue of time management, scheduling, etc.

In working with time management, here are two important words to consider – efficient and effective.  In fact…

1. You can be efficient and not necessarily be effective.

2. Effective is getting the right things done at the right time.  For example, you can get a lot done in a week and still have critical activity fall through the cracks.

3. Being effective means one has to take the time to PLAN and determine what’s most important what’s critical or ABSOLUTE.

The conclusion?...they are equally important. So, BE KNOWN as someone who gets things done and how do you do that?...by creating the needed habits.

So ask yourself, what new habits do I want to create to manage my time and life better?

Also, recognize that a habit takes at least 21-30 days to create. That’s the shortest period only if you are consistent in the attempt.  It will take longer if you are not consistent.

Remember, a true habit is one in which the behavior is done automatically without even having to think about it.

Habit – Your Constant Companion

“I am your constant companion; I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.  I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.  I’m completely at your command. 

Half the things you do you might just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.  I am easily managed.  You must merely be firm with me. 

Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great men and alas of all failures as well. Those who are great, I have made great.  Those of you who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine although I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a man.  You may run me for profit or run me for ruin.  It makes no difference to me.  Take me, train me, be firm with me and I’ll put the world at your feet.  Be easy with me and I will destroy you.  Who am I?  I am HABIT!”

How Effective Are You?

Category: Personal Productivity, Time Management, Success Tip

In the realm of time management, the word effective is used quite often.  In fact, there is usually a comparison made between effective vs. efficient and of course, both are needed for professional success.

As a reminder, a common definition of effective is doing the right things at the right time to get the best results. However, in this post, I’d like to expand our thinking around the concept of being effective.

I believe increasing our “effectiveness” is more important than ever in creating and maintaining value to our organizations. It’s a must have and do career strategy.

An Expanded View
Consider effectiveness to not only be getting the right things done at the right time, but additionally identifying and  addressing needs, identifying potential solutions, and getting high-impact results.  In essence, effectiveness is beyond just executing tasks.

If this expanded view of being effective is to be realized, then what’s needed in order for this new version to occur?
Consider the following:
1.    Broader knowledge of the players involved in key situations, their roles, their strengths and weaknesses.
2.    A clear understanding of the core needs of the company.
3.    Identification and laser focus on the core needs of internal and external customers and how your role (and that of your team or department) addresses and impacts those core needs.
4.    How does the specifics of your job description contribute to the above.

Compiling the information to the above will craft a bigger picture from which to work to develop and increase your effectiveness. In fact, you may need to volunteer to tweak your job description.  There are a lot of job descriptions out there that are not “value based” job descriptions (meaning they are more about being busy than get high-impact results).

From this big picture access how you go about your work week, what you do with your time and how the tangible results of the day impact this big picture.  If you’re a manager, do the same with your team.

Then ask yourself this question, “Am I getting things done or am I getting things done that also impact the bigger picture.”   Getting things done that impact the greater picture are high impact results.

The irony of productivity is we can go a full work week, get things done and yet have little to no activity that significantly address the big picture.

Coaching Tip: Plan and work with the big picture in mind. Make sure to track and language your performance with this in mind. This is a beneficial strategy in performance reviews.  You can communicate and show how you’ve demonstrated results with more value.

Career Management Bonus Tip: This is also a great strategy for how to communicate your experience in a job interview.