“Are we there yet?”
“Just around the corner.”
Who remembers these phrases from childhood car rides? You, anxious to get to your exciting destination. Your Mum, anxious to keep you calm and patient, just a little bit longer until you arrive.
Does anyone else feel like this is remarkably similar to our current economic situation?
Business – “Is it picking up yet?
Economists – “It’s just around the corner….”
One of the interesting statistics we’ve seen lately is the comparison between business confidence and economic results and there is some misalignment. We can all feel the change coming, we are impatient and also excited, we are almost ready – but it is still mostly out of sight and just around the corner.
So, what do most people do when they are eagerly waiting for something to move forward. They either do nothing and just wait or they start doing a lot of preparation for the day the wheel turns.
Either way, the key is to prioritise what you believe is required to be ready for the upturn.
Sitting on your hands isn’t an option and neither is chasing every possible idea. For both your business and your team, in slow times it is easy to keep adding to your to-do list, and to keep coming up with fresh ideas and new things to try. The impact of this can be to create activity without impact and a team that is focused on “busy work.”
Look around your business and ask yourself these questions
- What are the key outcomes that will drive you forward?
In times like this it is easy to jump at every opportunity. Time and energy can quietly ooze into areas which sit outside the core area of your business or won’t make a profit. Have clarity on the outcomes you need and the areas of critical focus that will help you gain momentum.
- Is your team clear on what is important?
What is the decision-making lens that they look through to decide where to spend their time and what actions are important? You may be crystal clear but if you don’t have a team that has a very clear steer on the priorities, they will be pulling in different directions.
- Is everything your team doing focused on the important areas?
How often have you sat in meetings with busy people who feel overworked, only to find out half of what they are doing seems to be irrelevant or of no value to the business. Teams with this feeling are not motivated and will not achieve goals.
While some compliance or administrative work exists in every job, it is possible for people to clear about 25% of their workload or action items just by linking all activity back to the impact their action will have on set goals. Anything not making a difference needs to be low prioritised or scrapped.
This leads to a team spending time on the right things.
Make it clear, Keep it focused, Start seeing results
Positive People has over 30 years’ experience helping businesses to optimise results from their teams. Contact us now to find out how we can help you.