As we established last week, your time is a limited resource, so you have to wisely invest it into the tasks that matter the most. Returning to David Allen’s Getting Things Done workflow, let’s take a look at the “Is it actionable?” step to see what we should do when the answer is yes to the question, is this worthy of your time right now?
The first decision you have to make is whether this is a multi-step project, or whether this is just a single action. Ultimately, you’ll still evaluate the different actions you need to take the same way, but understanding whether this is a one-and-done scenario, or whether this is a larger project is about organizing yourself properly.
Multi-Step Projects
In our previous blog, we mentioned a scenario where a radio-ad salesperson has approached you about advertising your business on his station. Let’s say this is something you want to get right on, so now is the time to consider what steps are needed to see this come to fruition—this will encompass additional meetings with the salesperson, deciding on a budget, considering what product or service to spotlight, approving the ad copy, etc., etc. In other words, this is obviously something that’ll take multiple actions.
For simplicity’s sake, think of multi-step projects as taking a goal and breaking it down into smaller but logical milestones. As you consider each milestone, you’ll want to evaluate what actions need to be taken at each step. However, don’t forget what the end goal is, and make sure each step along the way builds towards its successful conclusion.
Regardless of whether we’re talking about a multi-step project or a one-and-done, you should always ask yourself, “What’s the next action?” Whether your task is multi-faceted, like our radio-ad example, or it’s a simple one-and-done, like answering a question for an employee about his full-time benefits, you have three choices: do it, delegate it, or defer it for later. Let’s take a brief look at each:
Do it
As the chart says, if the task will take less than 2 minutes, just do it. Fundamentally, this time constraint is there because anything that takes only a few moments to complete would take just as long to delegate or schedule. You might as well finish the task so you have one fewer item on your list of things to do. Anything longer could derail you from your productivity. Remember, this is the time of day we’re triaging what to do with all of the things in your inbox.
Delegate It
Never forget that you have employees for a couple of important reasons: first, you don’t have time to do everything yourself; second, you might not have the same skills as your employees, which is why you hired them to do those jobs. (CEOs at software companies leave the programming to the programmers, for example.) If you have a full schedule and the item is time sensitive, or the task would be better suited to someone with more knowledge or skill, then you shouldn’t hesitate to delegate it away.
However, once you’ve done that, you’ll want to make sure you have a way to keep an eye on the task to ensure its completion. There is a myriad of ways to do this with modern computer calendars and smartphones, so choose whatever you’re most comfortable with, so long as it consistently works. (Post-It notes, for example, might not be a great idea. These are easily lost or accidentally discarded.)
Defer It
While deferring something might sound like procrastinating, this is an essential option as there are many tasks you’ll want to do yourself (i.e. not delegate) but you know they can’t be done quickly. Perhaps you need to run your business’s bank deposit to your local branch; you can drop everything to do that, but it would be far wiser to schedule a time every day, week, or month for that errand. This applies to your personal life, too: if your spouse asks you to pick up milk from the store, you should do that while you’re on the way home, not while you’re reading through your email at 8:00 AM. For tasks like these, assign those to the appropriate day or time.
Otherwise, add that task to your list of things to do today. For those windows of time when you’re not reviewing your email/messages/etc., not in meetings, not completing scheduled errands, and so on, you should have blocks of time for fulfilling your function as the owner or manager of your business. Have an organized checklist and stick to it. If you run out of time, defer tasks for another day.
While we’ve said that deferring is not the same as procrastinating, there’s an actionable item we don’t think you should delay, and that’s seizing control of your productivity. This level of organization may seem complex—you might even wonder if it would be too much work to learn—but don’t forget that maintaining this control over your inbox and to-do list will relieve so much stress that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try this sooner. In the end, managing your productivity is about making your life easier, not harder.
The Brandt Group can help you identify where the sore points in your business are through our mystery shopping and dining services. The information we uncover will help you decide on how best to split your attention among the various challenges your business faces. To make educated decisions about how to divide your time, you need as much data as possible. Contact us today and we’ll help you get on the path towards maximum productivity—for yourself, for your staff, and for your business.
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