Do You Know This Important Key To Output?
“Why didn’t you tell me?”“I should have know about this!”“If you’d have told me earlier, I would have had all of this ready!”Okay, I’ve said all this before—but it wasn’t until I heard a colleague say it that I realized something important.Sometimes, having information ahead of time really helps.A lot of the time, though, it doesn’t add any value!I find myself getting frustrated about this and then pausing to ask “what would I have actually been able to do differently, and would I have??”
A lot of the time, the answer is simply: nothing.
You don’t always need to know.This goes for your career and personal projects, too.You don’t always need to know what the outcome will be.You don’t always need to know what all the variables are.You don’t always need to know the steps involved, or the rules of the game, or the potential risks.Even more important, even more than knowing, is action.And even more important is learning.
And even more important is reiterating.
And again and again and again in a relentless, unforgiving circle of continuous improvement.You don’t always need to know everything.In fact, you usually don’t.
2 Minute Action:
Whats something you’re trying to learn a lot about before you start right now?What could happen if you just started doing instead of learning?Are you sure about that?How long would it take you to take the first step?I bet you could do the first step in two minutes.Its up to you.Another fun fact:People are a lot less likely to get in your way once you’re already moving.
A Surefire Way To Never Achieve A Goal
I recently heard someone report on a project they were working on."Today, I'm working on this," they said. "I'm getting there."This is the kiss of death in the Agile framework.It's not specific, it doesn't give you any new information, and it doesn't tell you when it will be done.It's easy to see that it's a pretty useless sentence.So why do so many managers accept this from their teams?There are probably a lot of reasons. There's a lot going on, it's a long process and takes time, there are many variables in the way, it's not something tangible we can just measure or chart.The truth is that these are all excuses for lazy project management.
The truth is that this is usually the cause of one of two things:
- A conscious or non-conscious desire to avoid accountability. OR
- A vaguely defined goal or objective.
Let's break this down for a second.A vague goal would sound like "losing weight" or "speaking better Spanish."A clearly defined goal would sound like "losing 10 pounds by March" or "having a 30-minute conversation with a native speaker."
So where's the breakdown?
The secret is in the "-ing."It's the tell-tale symptom.There's no clear beginning or end. You can't check off the box.You're not sure where it starts or stops.It's the trouble with all gerunds.They used to be verbs, but now they're nouns.They used to be actionable, but now they're just there.This means that goals, progress reports, and project plans should all paranoically scan for "-ing" before finalizing.If you have one, it will likely end in an uncomfortable or unhappy failure.
2 Minute Action:
Here are the 3 questions I ask my team every, single day.Take 2 minutes and ask yourself:What did you accomplish yesterday?What will you accomplish today?Do you have any dependencies (things you're waiting on) to get these done?What are the impediments that will stop you from checking off these boxes?By focusing on what boxes are checked and which ones aren't you can avoid falling into the trap of eternally "working toward" something that may never have a finish line.Pro-tip: if your impediments are "not enough hours in the day" or "not enough coffee," you need to step back and look at your process/goals/expectations/standards. You might have a disaster right in front of you.
The Hotel Room Trick
You paid for the hotel room.It includes a lot of stuff.A bed, sheets, towels, new soaps every day.It also includes the man/hrs required to clean your room every time to leave.Have you ever met someone who insists on cleaning up after themselves in a hotel room?The point I'm making here is that you've already ensured that the room will end up clean and tidy at the end of the day. It's wasteful to try and clean it.This goes for other projects in your life, too.Sometimes, we have already done the work or paid the price--but still insist on doubling our efforts or focusing on side projects that don't matter.It's not about the hotel room, it's about focusing on what's important.Don't leave a mess--but don't do extra work.This is something that's totally in your control.
2 Minute Action:
Think about the thing you most don't want to do today.Take the next two minutes and start on that.You'll feel better after you get through it and the rest of your day will be a memory of success that helps you build the trust (in yourself) required to take on seriously monumental goals.