A Quality Product

I was visiting a local organic farm this morning and was struck again at how unquestionably great food tastes when it is fresh, and untainted by preservatives and chemicals (not to mention the mental "comfort" that comes from knowing its local & socially responsible).

It comes back to the idea of doing something really really well. How often we try to do so many different things at once and are never really completely happy with the results we deliver. Have a think over the last week; how many things did you deliver that you were entirely happy with?

What one thing will you do next week without compromising on quality? Who will you surprise by reminding them what great looks like?

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

GTD and Beyond - Making Ideas Happen

I have often blogged about GTD and ways to keep focussed on the right activities.  I have also spoken numerous times with colleagues about the opportunities which it presents to be more productive and feel more in control.

However, it is still only a system which requires actioning to generate actual achievement.  Other authors such as Seth Godin seem to approach from the other end and start with the execution first (See, 'Ship It').

What is often missing is the middle piece, the practical advice on what happens day to day in between the system and the shipping.

I've been reading a book by Scott Belsky called Making Ideas Happen.  It suggests a focus on creative types that struggle to deliver beyond the idea, but really,  the concepts within are completely transferrable to everyone.

What I like is that it covers the process as a whole with real world advice which complements systems and approaches which I current use.  It's split into 3 distinct areas:

1. Organisation and Execution - The GTD bit
2. The Forces of Community - How to engage others to make your things happen
3. Leadership Capability - The steps you need to take to actually see it through

I really couldn't put this one down.  Would recommend this to anyone struggling with seeing it all through to the moment of achievement and success.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

When is enough, enough and what does enough look like?

I had a couple of isolated discussions on different topics this week which, in reflection, I've realised are intertwined.

One was on the topic of doing everything with purpose (brought up in my yoga class) and the other was on delivering perfection (with a new member of the team).

I argued at the time that you shouldn't try and deliver perfection because it invoked the law of diminishing returns and that the Pareto 80/20 rule should be our guiding principle in order to deliver the ever increasing workload effectively. This didn't seem to go down too well with the new employee.

However what I realise now was that the real core value they were trying to express was delivering with purpose. To deliver something knowing that they had given their absolute best shot without compromise (not just ticking the box to move the task on).

The trick is:

1: Deliver everything with purpose and give your fullest attention to it so that you can walk away with integrity.  Don't just tick the box.
2: Knowing when to stop and being comfortable with your credibility from the thing you delivered.

I realise this is a fine line and a tough one to judge but don't assume one or the other is acceptable on its own, its not.

Ask yourself if you have met the intent of both of these during the next piece of work you deliver.  Practice makes perfect.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Getting More Focussed - Pick Four

Regular readers will know I try and adopt the GTD system in the way I organise myself and my work.  The hardest part I have always found is prioritising (the part that GTD won't do for you).

I recently picked up on a concept publicised here by Seth Godin and based on Zig Zigler's Performance Planner Methodology called Pick Four.  Its all about accepting that you can't deliver everything and instead to focus on those critical few that give the greatest personal benefit.

By committing entirely to these four goals daily over 12 weeks, it gives a turbo boost to these particular commitments (providing you actually do the work).  But you cannot just forget about your other commitments.  This is how it fits into my workflow/thinking.

Might this method of focusing on the vital few give you some big success over the near future.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

Give a Due Date for everything

This is one of the simplest techniques I think I have every learned in management.  When assigning a task or discussing it, make sure you assign a due date to it right then and there.

Now it might need reviewing or modifying later but that will be a conscious decision.  Not setting one on the other hand leaves things open to interpretation and inevitably to slipages and missed expectations.

It also has two additional benefits:

1. It reinforces that it is important.  By giving a due date you are implying that it is important enough for you to set a follow up date up front.  Don't underestimate these unspoken messages.

2. It simply makes it very easy for you to plan your follow up and takes it off your mind.  You don't need to put any more thought into how and when to revisit the topic.  Just put a reminder in your diary, and forget about it.  Not doing this will mean that it is always on your mind worrying about when the right time is to follow up.  That's not time well spent in my opinion.

These are such simple (almost insultingly obvious) things yet we fail to do them and make our lives harder time and time again.

Do yourself a favour and try and remember this one thing this week.  I guarantee you'll see some results immediately.

Please see my website at www.managingforthefirsttime.com for more techniques, tips and advice on this topic and others.

(Photo by Claude via flickr used under a creative Commons Licence)

Will you take the Trust Yourself (#Trust30) Writing Challenge?

I started his blog because I wanted to share my learning and ideas; the ones I had gathered and analysed and made decisions upon for myself.

Its fun to be creative in this way and actually not as difficult as you fear it will be.  And I think that is why many people do hide from their creative side - fear.  Usually fear of failure.

I try and follow Seth Godin having read his excellent book, Linchpin.  His most recent project is The Domino Project which in itself has provided me with 3 more thought provoking kindle reads (all for free, check out how this is possible at their Web site).

Today they launched a 30 day initiative entitled Trust Yourself (#Trust30) based on the spirit within their last ebook launch, Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Using their words: "It’s an opportunity to reflect on your now and create direction for your future."

That kind of sounds like why I started doing this a few months ago.  I needed reminding of that and this challenge has given me back that focus.  I've pledged on their Web site.  I might fail, hey, I might succeed but at very least I will have acted and that might well take me somewhere new.

Where will the next 30 days take you?