High performing people have one thing in common: they are extremely focussed in what they do and how they do it.
One of the biggest issues that prevents effective performance is busyness, flitting here and there trying to achieve too many things but accomplishing little.
Many believe that by firing enough bullets toward the target, the likelihood of a direct hit is increased.
The problem with this shotgun method is that it squanders precious limited resources and it assumes the shooter has the correct target in their sights. In most practical situations neither assumption is true.
What IS true, however, is that levels of performance are directly related to first, being clear on what you are trying to achieve, and second, concentrating on the FEW critical tasks or objectives that will get you 80% there.
Also, Check: You will Never have a career if you don’t get a Job
Find three things that will deliver 80% of what is expected and the brass ring is yours!
How can you achieve focus?
1. Clearly, understand what you are trying to achieve. Not in general terms – “Getting promoted” – but in granular detail – “within the next 12 months I will land a marketing manager role in my organization.”
Unless your crosshairs are pinpointed on your target, any action you take will be diluted; any focus you impose will be unproductive. There’s nothing worse than being amazing but focused on the WRONG thing, right?
2. Choose not more than three strategic objectives that you believe you can contribute to. If you’re in sales, for example, pick those requiring product sales emphasis or relationship building.
3. Build an action plan for each objective you have decided to pursue. Make it detailed with specific actions and accompanying target dates. Be disciplined about this. An “airy-fairy” plan with general intent is useless and results in no effective progress.
4. Communicate your plan to your boss and ask for feedback to ensure you are on the right track from their perspective. Fine tune (or completely rewrite) your action plan based on their review and input. They will, by the way, be impressed with the amount of rigour you are applying to your work and you will standout in their eyes amount your peers.
5. Once you are executing your action plan, beware of over-the-transom “yummy incoming” requests of your time that take you off your plan. Stay focused on what YOU intend to achieve; avoid if at all possible responding to what OTHERS want you to do.In some cases this proves very difficult to do, but stay in the awareness. While you are chasing stuff your primary objectives are in the sleep mode; nothing happens.
6. Question changes in priorities that impact your plan; this could be disguised “yummy”. If a new priority is declared, reassess your action plan quickly and make appropriate adjustments. Then get going!
High performing young professionals stay focussed on what NEEDS to be done; chasing POSSIBILITIES achieves little – don’t run with the herd.
Roy Osing (@royosing) is a former President of TELUS and Current president and CEO of the consulting firm Brilliance for Business, with over 33 years of leadership experience covering all the major business functions including business strategy, marketing, sales, customer service and people development. He is a blogger, content marketer, educator, coach, adviser and the author of the book series Be Different or Be Dead.
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