Trying to Solve Partial Problems

Don’t get involved trying to solve partial problems – you know, when you stick your nose in for a few minutes and start barking out orders without understanding the full problem.  I have made the wrong call and been embarrassed by making dumb calls this way.

Going upstream and getting to the roots of a problem to grasp its full scope takes time, but that what has to be done to take the action that will prevent this problem from reoccuring.

Don’t try to solve a part of a problem.  Pick a problem worthy of your time, and invest the time it takes to get it right.

When do you declare "it's not working"?

This is a question asked recently.  First, define what “it” is.  If I sell hot dogs on the corner from a cart, who says that that is “it”.  Should I sell hamburgers from the cart?  Salads? Should I move to another corner?  Should I sell from a store?  Should I sell any food?  Should I be open only for breakfast?  Lunch?  

You’re getting feedback from the marketplace on how they value what you are doing and HOW you are doing it.  There is no failure, only feedback.  In the end, it’s up to you to decide what you are providing and who you are being to whom.  What you really want is to do something you love and make money at it – right?

So what is “it”?

The Classroom at Work

Well trained people perform better, are more confident, and happier.  

What if you said to your people this week, “I am going to teach you something every hour”.  And then you deliver an email, text, or live bit of training on something that will be useful in doing their jobs every hour.

Have fun with it.  Maybe it’s an easel lesson at the front door everyday.  Maybe a 15-minute huddle at 7:30 every day.  Whatever, however.  Prepare your people to get great results.

Results Multiplication

Can you teach others on your team to get better results?  

Invest in people and multiply results.

Who?  When?

The ONE thing

Until you accomplish the most important thing that needs to be done to improve or grow your business and accomplish your goals, EVERYTHING ELSE IS A DISTRACTION.

Don’t be distracted.

You can buy time

It takes two hours to mow my lawn.  When I hire someone for $____ to do it for me, I am buying two hours. If my time is worth more than what the lawn guy charges, I have made a great purchase. (If I don’t think my time is worth what the lawn guy charges, then I should switch careers and be a lawn guy).

The same when I take my shirts to the cleaners, go to the car wash, or hire someone to paint my house.  

What are you occupying your time doing, where you should be buying that time to work on more valuable activities?

Feeling Stuck?

Maybe you are looking in the wrong places, asking the wrong questions, and talking to the wrong people.

What can you do differently?

Results Rule

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all” – Peter Drucker

Are you focused on how many tasks you can get done in a day?  

Or are you focused on results?

Tempus Fugit

If your days drag by, you are not doing what you are made to do.

Do your days drag by or fly by?

Get more time tomorrow

If I can work today to make things easier, faster, and get better results tomorrow, I am investing my time so that I may have more time tomorrow.  

When tomorrow comes, I have shortened the time it takes to complete tasks or removed the need to do those tasks altogether because of what I did yesterday.  

I can get the results I want in less time now, and use the time I saved to invest in new results (or to enjoy).

How can you get the results you are getting now in less time tomorrow?