At Your Clear Next Step, we've found that making sure you're focused on what matters goes a long way to being effective! The planning you do now to dedicate your time will save you the hassle later on. You don’t want to be trudging through the mud of planning when, had it already been done, you could be walking over the bridge you built. If you focus on the right things, you remove roadblocks and clearly mark your path to avoid detours.
This can be a daunting task, and that’s why we don’t want to do it! But, it doesn’t have to require fighting tooth and nail, because there are ways to make it easier! Enjoy this week's bite-sized tips in some of our favorite areas of focus:
This first tip teaches us to modify our thinking. The "80/20 rule" or the "Pareto Principle" tells us to focus on the valuable few. What areas do you foresee as issue-inducing, and feel need the most attention? Most business problems today find their origins in one of the following three areas.
Reflect for a moment to see if you need to focus your attention on one of these areas:
People - Are the right people in the right roles, focusing on what matters for the organization, and for them? Do they know what should be at the forefront of their attention and why?
Process - Are processes clearly documented, consistently followed, and continuously reviewed for improvement? Are the right people properly equipped to complete priority projects?
Tools - Does the environment allow the unfettered flow of information and delivery of work? Is there adequate communication?
Start with the usual suspects! The leading causes of project failure include communication deficiencies, role & responsibility mismatch, and inadequate risk management. Take a moment to ask yourself these three questions:
Are communications consistently flowing to the right people at the right time, in a way that is best for them?
Are the right people in the right roles, and are expectations consistently communicated and met?
Have you thought about what could go wrong and what you're doing to actively manage risks or potential obstacles?
Make time to plan for 2023. Leaving planning undone leaves your success in 2023 to chance.
Making time to plan is harder than most of us care to admit, but it's a vital part of our success! Many business leaders don't have time to give planning all the attention it requires. However, you can break your planning down into more digestible areas and narrow your focus.
These three things should be given priority:
Clearly defining where your team, department, or business needs to be at the end of 2023,
Homing in on where to focus limited time and resources in 2023, and
Creating a simple, actionable plan to guide you in 2023.
Following these tips can help turn your ideas into actionable plans. Learn to focus on what matters, and watch how much more effective your business practices become!