How to be More Efficient and Effective.
How to be more efficient and effective
1. Before you do anything else, set clear, specific and measurable goals.
2. From then on, ensure that everything you do is related to the achievement of your goals.
3. Avoid doing anything that is NOT directly related to the achievement of your goal.
4. Recognise that NOT all tasks are of equal value. Some are more valuable than others.
5. Avoid the many trivial distractions and waste-of-time-conversations that would slow you down.
6. Recognise that every task contains an ideal sequence of activities; some things logically must precede other things.
7. Figure out the most logically efficient sequence.
8. Recognise that most things do NOT have to be perfect to be functionally effective,
9. Therefore, for most things, it is a mistake to delay action, because it is "not yet perfect".
10. Some things do have to be done perfectly.
11. Recognise that you cannot do everything yourself, therefore you should delegate as much work as possible, to the right people.
12. Recognise that you can and should, utilise the skills, enthusiasm and talents of other people.
13. Recognise that you must balance work with recuperation.
14. Remember you are NOT paid for how much work you do, but rather for how much VALUE you add.
1. Before you do anything else, set clear, specific and measurable goals.
Everything you do should be for a definite purpose.
Your purpose in life is to achieve your goals, and the first step to achieving goals is to specify them, in writing.
2. From then on, ensure that everything you do is related to the achievement of your goals.
Once you have your goals specified in writing, ensure that all your actions correspond to those goals.
You have only a limited amount of time, money and energy. Therefore, you should target your efforts.
3. Avoid doing anything that is NOT directly related to the achievement of your goals.
Don't waste your time, money and effort by engaging in activities that contribute nothing to your success.
Especially avoid those activities that are counterproductive to your success.
4. Recognise that NOT all tasks are of equal value. Some are more valuable than others.
Every task is composed of a multitude of smaller tasks. Some add more value than others. Some are major, some are minor. Do the major-tasks first.
5. Avoid the many trivial distractions and waste-of-time-conversations that would slow you down.
Everyone wants a piece of your brain. Everyone is vying for your attention.
Don't allow anybody to have your attention.
Give-up the "bitch, moan and winging sessions" with the gang by the coffee machine.
Instead, concentrate your attention into making the maximum progress, in the minimum time.
6. Recognise that every task contains an ideal sequence of activities; some things logically must precede other things.
You cannot do multiple things simultaneously. Therefore, you must prioritise.
One way to prioritise is by discovering the ideal logical sequence for a given set of tasks. For example, when dressing you always put your socks on before your shoes.
Doing the right things BUT in the wrong order is often the cause of problems.
7. Figure out the most logically efficient sequence.
For every task there is a CRITICAL PATH ANALYSIS, which is defined as "the sequence of stages determining the minimum time and effort, needed for the successful completion of a task".
Think about the critical path analysis and do things in their most efficient order.
8. To be functionally effective, most things do NOT have to be perfect.
Many people are perfectionists. They like everything to be "just so", but if taken to extremes, perfectionism becomes an error.
Please recognise that most things need NOT be perfect.
Most things need to be functionally effective, not perfect.
9. It is a mistake to delay action because it is "not yet perfect".
Many intellectual people become inefficient by indulging their irrational desire to be perfect.
Don't fall into this trap.
The question is, "How good is good enough, to be functionally effective?".
10. Some things DO have to be done perfectly.
In order to have time to do those things perfectly, you must be prepared to do other things imperfectly.
Only a very few things have to be perfect (eg a surgeon's scalpel must be perfectly sterile).
But in order to have some things perfect, you must abandon the attempt to have everything perfect.
11. Delegate as much work as possible, to the right people.
Recognise that you are not required to do everything yourself, therefore you should delegate as much work as possible, to the right people.
You are a limited resource facing an unlimited demand. You cannot do everything yourself and it is a mistake to try.
Instead of trying to do it all yourself, get help.
Trust others and train them to do elements of your job.
12. Utilise the skills, enthusiasm and talents of other people.
It is true that other people do things differently that you, and it is tempting to label their way as "wrong".
But maybe you are wrong. Maybe there is value to be gained, by asking other people to do the same job, in their way.
It might be that their way is MORE efficient than yours.
Try it and see.
13. Balance work with recuperation.
Working too hard, for too long, will inevitably lead to fatigue, faults, errors and eventually, meltdown.
It is an erroneous, but common belief that "more work is better than less".
But the truth is, "more work is NOT necessarily better". Only useful work is better.
If you are working too hard, or too long, you're probably doing something wrong.
Remember that its quality, not quantity, that counts.
14. Remember you are NOT paid for the volume of work you do.
Rather, you are judged (and paid) for how much VALUE you add to your colleagues and customers, or how much value you can induce OTHERS to add.
Most millionaires work less than poor people.
The rich have discovered multiple ways to harness the efforts of other people.
It is the ability to harness the productive power of other people that brings riches, ie rich people usually work smarter, not harder.
You could do the same.
About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years’ experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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