In today’s challenging business environment, everyone struggles with how to get more done, work harder and longer hours, multi-tasking (multi-dumb!), working faster along with a full range of tricks and shortcuts. Yet despite everyone’s best intentions, the struggle continues every day at desks all around the world.
So, the solution may just be something simpler but challenging for those so set in their ways that they are unwilling to fully embrace the degree of personal change required. Here are the 4 steps – habits – you should consider adopting:
1. Start being selective about what you do and what you don’t do. Nowhere is it written that you must do everything! Yet, many of you feel compelled to do so—with no gain in productivity. Stop focusing on just the tasks. Focus only on the right tasks – i.e., those that achieve specific goals – that make money and or make you, your team and business better.
2. Start your approach to every challenge by looking for the simplest solution that involves fewer steps , fewer people and, of course, fewer meetings! Just because a problem may be complex doesn’t mean the solution has to be complex as well.
Related: How Clutter Can Be Devastating to You and Your Team
3. Focus on creating or delivering great work. Get past the clutter and emotion that we sometimes face and focus on how to solve the real pain points of the issue. This can be done when you set the right priorities instead of trying to work like a one-armed wallpaper hanger.
4. In your role, your primary objective is to create value and not just to find your way through the maze of endless “tasks” that exist in your business. Value is what will grow your business —not a pad with lines drawn through the tasks.