Daily Leadership Thought #182 – Focus First on the “What” and “Why”
To achieve anything, you need to stay focused on the “what” and “why.”
It’s always intriguing to me how many self-proclaimed “perfectionists” exist in the workplace. One would think that with so many people so attuned to doing their jobs well, there would be minimal occurrences of error and consistently elevated levels of customer and employee satisfaction. However, we often see individuals using this attribute as a crutch for missing deadlines or not completing tasks at all. Ironically, the very people who claim to care the most end up accomplishing the least or acting as bottlenecks for others. Why is this, especially if you think, as I do, that most workers want to do well but need guidance and support? This is because they often become overwhelmed and focused on the wrong things.
Life is a constant balance between doing things well and getting something done. We need to be able to distinguish between what is truly important and what is not. If we can’t do this, we’ll run out of resources and miss opportunities that others handle better. Perfection is more of an ideal than a destination; you will never reach it. However, what you can do is improve incrementally each day in the areas that matter most in your business (and life). As referenced by Jim Collins in his groundbreaking book, Good to Great, positive momentum will only beget further positive momentum, and this will predictably accelerate with time. Have you ever noticed how successful people and organizations accomplish much more with their time and energy than their peer groups?
As I mentioned in an earlier post, it’s the results that matter, not activities. If you find yourself bogged down in the unimportant, mired in detail, or always rationalizing why things can’t happen or are behind schedule, then there is a problem. The problem is you and your inability to focus and prioritize the very things that will make you successful. Not all things are equally important – “get out of the weeds!” Get in the habit of asking yourself, “Why am I doing this?”
When it comes to building positive momentum, start with the high-priority needs of your clients and then your employees/colleagues. You would not be in business (or employed) without either group. Next, focus diligently on making wise economic decisions that only increase your capacity to invest in meeting these needs. Build quality win-win relationships, and the rewards will follow. It is this simple. True success in business and life is not about how great YOU are, but about how significant your impact is on those around you!
Never lose sight of the “what” and “why.”
Related articles
- What Are Your Priorities? (capacity-building.com)
- 5 Reasons Why Things Don’t Get Done (capacity-building.com)
- How to Build Momentum in Your Business (blogs.sitepoint.com)
- 6 Lessons From Jim Collins On Becoming Great (rohitbhargava.com)
- A Summary and Review of How The Mighty Fall, and Why Some Companies Never Give in by Jim Collins for Thinking Executives – and Those Who Want to be One (bookstove.com)
- Six Tips For Stress-Free Goal Setting & Performance Review Sessions (amsterdamprinting.com)
- How to boost productivity at work … really (lifeinc.today.com)
