By: Bruce Rector, President of The Rector Group (www.therectorgroup.com)
To contact Bruce Rector, email brector@therectorgroup.com
It can be very easy to confuse “busyness” with “achievement.” I often hear people ask each other “are you busy?” without any reference to what “busy” is supposed to accomplish.
While there can be some value to being “busy,” unfocused busyness is generally unproductive. There needs to be a more pointed approach to how we invest our time. After all, the goal is not only to be “busy,” but to be “busy and paid.”
In order to achieve this during tough economic times, such as we are currently experiencing, it is more important than ever to concentrate efforts on things that bring the greatest ROI.
If we want to maintain focus in our business life, here are a few questions that we should all be asking ourselves:
- Am I maximizing my networking and sales meetings?
It is all too easy to invest time and money to meet with people who are not going to be able to be of any assistance to you just because you are comfortable with them. While I appreciate social interaction as much as anyone, during times like these, our focus needs to be on getting in front of those people who can either benefit from our products or services, or who have visibility to companies that can. It is absolutely key that you make an assessment of those meetings and ensure that any that take place meet this very basic criteria: Either they are people who are decision makers, or else they know decision makers in your space.
- If my responsibility is internal and operational, am I spending my time analyzing what should be done, instead of doing it?
Perhaps your area is centered on your company’s operations, rather than being sales or externally oriented. You may pride yourself on being careful and thoughtful in your approach to issues that present themselves to you (both laudable characteristics). While it’s great to have a to-do list and reams of financial analyses, at some point, you simply have to make a decision and move on it to make things happen. If your company is facing tough times right now – and many are – you simply don’t have the luxury of analyzing your situation ad infinitum. You have to demonstrate leadership and execute.
- Am I seeking counsel from my peers?
One of the best CEOs that I have ever known is also one of the most open to hearing alternative opinions and input from respected peers and advisors. Once he gets input from several qualified people, he is completely comfortable to make a better-informed decision, and to act on it.
While key decisions must ultimately be made by management in a timely fashion – and successfully executed upon – spending a day or two soliciting input and counsel from a peer group on critical decisions could be one of the most fruitful things a manager can do. These peers and advisers often will provide invaluable, pointed feedback about the matters at hand, and their guidance can help keep management appropriately focused on critical issues.
By concentrating on the essentials, and bringing disciplined focus to bear on their daily activities, senior management can ensure that they are in a better position to weather the current economic storm and come out stronger on the other side. Remember, being “busy” can be helpful, but being “busy and paid” is what we all ultimately must achieve. The key is to orient our daily activities appropriately to achieve that goal.
To contact Bruce Rector, email brector@therectorgroup.com
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Date: Monday, February 16, 2009
