Stop Majoring in Minors

At times getting things done seems almost impossible. Particularly when you’re wearing multiple hats. Your “To Do” lists keep growing and there’s never enough time to get it done. If you want to break the cycle and achieve extraordinary results, below are the top ten things you must do!

1. Focus on accomplishing the vital few rather than the important many. Discipline yourself to complete the most critical tasks first, even if they are not the most enjoyable. Sometimes this will mean prioritizing and saying no to requests, but if the vital few aren’t conquered, then the important many won’t matter anyway!

2. Limit interruptions. Whether your interruptions come from others or your own lack of discipline, remember that time is your most precious commodity so be selfish with it! Spend your workday accomplishing the vital few, allowing time to think and plan, not doing the work of others.

3. Make your requests specific. When your requests are direct and specific, you eliminate the chance of misinterpretation and miscommunication, which saves time and reduces rework. Your employees are not mind readers so tell them what you expect without ambiguity. Don’t confuse being direct and to the point with a lack of caring or dislike; they are not the same.

4. Set due dates. Exact due dates ensures ownership and helps establish priorities. Without them, things simply don’t get done.

5. Delegate, don’t abdicate. Effective delegation allows you to multiply yourself through others and includes verifying work in progress. It also requires a belief that someone else can accomplish the task as well, or better, than you. Don’t confuse delegation with abdication of responsibilities; never abandon or relinquish your accountability!

6. Insist on less talk and more action. It is important to reward results not busyness. Require people to get to the point and eliminate storytelling, and unproductive meetings. Doing so is guaranteed to save precious time.

7. Hire smart or work hard. Hire people who are accountable and can get things done with minimal assistance. Smart people continually generate new ways to increase performance and profit, so surround yourself with people who know more about their area of responsibility than you. When you do this, you shift your focus from managing people to leading them.

8. Ask for help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of wisdom that allows you to get more done and enjoy a healthy work-life balance. So go on, ask for help! People appreciate being able to help, and it will reduce your stress.

9. Adopt a low tolerance for missed commitments. Making and meeting commitments build’s trust with customers, employees and peers. Inform your team and partners how important trust is to your relationship. Always notify people in advance when you realize commitments can’t be kept.

10. Never give up! When you believe in your cause, find a way to make it happen, and press on even when it seems impossible. The world’s best leaders never give up, so what will be your legacy? Will you persevere and be one of the best or settle for just good enough?

Bob Prosen is President/CEO of The Prosen Center for Business Advancement and author of Kiss Theory Good Bye. To download a free copy of The Leader’s Daily Checklist and The Leader’s Role, visit his website at KissTheoryGoodBye.