Your success in business starts with ABCs

Central Penn Business Journal, Jul 25, 2008 by Blackman, Jeff

PEAK YOUR PROFITS

The strategy of "I must do some- thing!" will always solve more prob- lems than "Something must be done." Therefore, you have to know your ABCs.

You're A-level priorities are those activities and goals that deserve your time, attention, focus and energy. Now!

A influencers include:

* Is it important to a customer, client or prospect?

* Is it important to a member of your internal team?

* Does this have a significant bottom-line effect?

* Is there a deadline?

* What's the visibility?

* What's the effect on others, teammates, etc.?

* What's the best that can happ en as a result of this goal or act?

* What's the worst that could happen?

* What will happen if you don't commit to this goal or act?

* How does this A priority complement your other goals or acts?

List some of your A priorities. Next, when preparing your "to-do" list, here are five considerations:

1. Randomly list your things to do. (Before moving on to item 2, you must finish 1. Before moving on to item 3 finish 2. When you finish 1, 2 becomes your new number 1.)

2. Then, go back and rank or prioritize them.

3. Before you personally commit to doing any item, see if it can be delegated.

4. After your "musts" are completed, move on to the As, NOT the B's or C's. ("Musts" include stuff like meals, hygiene, travel time, exercise, etc.)

5. The B's are simply As or C's in waiting. Decide where they belong. Move 'em up or move 'em down.

So what's a C act, task or job?

* Something of such low value, you could avoid it or discontinue it. Meaning, you could remove it from your life and not miss it.

* Something that could be done by another

* Something that could easily be delayed without worry

* Something that could be combined with a lot of the same acts, tasks or jobs (like returning phone calls)

* Something that can easily be stored and saved for a later date, so when you need it, you have easy access to it

* Something that gets in the way of an A

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and starting on the first one.

Yet, when some people want to be everywhere at once ... they get nowhere. So to improve your performance and bottom line, remember, it's a lot easier to accomplish stuff through and with other people. Therefore, learn to delegate! Yet, like any other worthwhile process, it may not initially come easy. Or, you may not be satisfied with the results of delegation.

The following barriers might help youidentify what's wrong andhowto correct it.

Barriers in the delegator, i.e., YOU...

1. Prefer to do rather than manage or delegate

2. Demand that everyone knows all the details

3. Believe,"I can do it better myself!"

4. Lack experience in the position or in delegating

5. Are insecure

6. Fear being disliked

7. Won't allow for mistakes

8. Lack confidence in the doers

9. Are a perfectionist, "control freak" or micro-manager

10. Lack organizational skills to balance competing demands

11. D on't delegate authority commensurate with responsibility

12. Are uncertain about the activity to be done or goal pursued

13. Are a poor communicator, with an inability to explain

14. Don't desire to develop others, teammates or "doers"

15. Don't develop effective monitoring or feedback

Barriers in the delegatee or doer, i.e., he or she...

1. Lacks experience

2. Lacks competence

3. Avoids responsibility

4. Is overdependent on you

5. Is disorganized

6. Can't complete their workload

7. Is immersed in minutiae

8. Requires additional training

Barriers in the situation or environment:

1. One-person show

2. No toleration for mistakes

3. Critical questioning of others' decisions

4. Everything seems urgent (crisis management)

5. Confusion in responsibilities or authority

6. Insufficient staff

7. Bureaucratic culture

8. Poor communication within or between teams or departments

9. Everything has to go through the proper channels

For each member of your team, identify the barriers that may exist (as described in the previous three sections). Then, and most important, identify your strategy for how you'll eliminate the barrier(s).

In The Living Bible, Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12, it states: "Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better ... two can stand back-to-back and conquer, three is even better; for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

Here are six more success steps:

1. Assess what needs to be done.

2. Identify the steps and activities to get it done.

3. Decide who makes what happen. You or somebody else.

4. Determine deliverables, deadlines, benchmarks for progress.

5. Confirm the follow-up and completion process. Do you check on progress? Or do they report to you on progress?

6. Praise for a job well done!

Heed the advice of poet Carl Sandburg, "The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something."

And remember: Procrastination is your foe. Indecision is an assassin. Make every day count.

Jeff Blackman is an Illinois-based speaker, author, success coach, broadcaster and lawyer. E-mail Jeff at jb@jeffblack man.com or visit his Web site, www.jeff blackman.com.