As a small business leader we often have a lot on our plates. Unfortunately, as our businesses evolve we don’t evolve with them. Specifically, we don’t grow as most businesses grow, which means hiring key workers at key times. Nope, that’s not how the typical small business owner does it! Instead, they just take on more tasks and before they know it they are surrounded by tasks!
But How Do You Know Which Tasks Matter Most?
To help you quickly identify which tasks are worth keeping I created an exercise I call "Finding the 5’s". Through this exercise you can identify not only which tasks you do every day as the business leader but which ones matter most!
BTW, my definition of "best" is the activity that gets you to your goals the quickest, end of story. If an activity is less than a "5" it doesn’t mean it isn’t important, but it probably means it’s not the most important activity for YOU!
Because we are at the six month mark for the year now is the time to do this exercise with attention to your current daily process. Your short task this week is to:
1. List the activities you do as the leader of your company.
2. Rank these activities from 1 to 5 with 5 being best (i.e. gets you to your goals quicker).
3. For activities less than a "5" decide if there is a better way to get them done.
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Can another worker handle these tasks?
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Can you outsource these tasks?
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Can you eliminate these tasks altogether?
4. Once you complete your list and rank your activities make a plan to do something about it!
Take some time this week to reevaluate your role and see how you can spend the remainder of the year focusing on the "5% that matters most!" It can make a huge difference in your bank account six months from now!