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Making time for results

Making Time for Results
There are a number of business owners and executives that are not clear on what they are supposed to be doing. They are very technically competent but they have not answered some vital questions such as why are they on the payroll? What have they employed to produce? What results are they trying to achieve? Many of them have been running on the same track for years.

One thing is certain though results do take time and you need to ensure that the track you are running on is taking you in the right direction. Follow these guidelines to help you to get on the right track.

1. Know your key outputs These are the areas that produce the measurable results in your business day in and day out. What are you supposed to be doing? What have you been employed to produce? A good way to define an output is that upon completion it becomes an input for some one else. What are the key outputs that you should be working on each day? Your outputs should be measurable and time bounded. To define your key outputs examine the following areas: · Economics – What financial results are your trying to achieve? · Customers – Growth, retention & acquisition of new clients · Quality – What level of quality of products do you want to achieve? · People development – What level of output and development do you want from your team? · Productivity – Sales targets, budgets that you want achieve? · Organizational – planning and future growth of your organization? These are the key outputs areas that will determine the success of your business?

2. Get out of the box and become future oriented By becoming customer focused; you cannot be customer focused whilst in the box – Form the habit of thinking solely in your client’s best interest. This is a key to having goals other than money. One way to achieve this is by becoming future oriented with your customers, people, organisation and team. Get out the office and go and talk them about their future where they are going.

3. Set up your ideal day or week Once you know your outputs and become future oriented you can then ask the question what would your ideal day, week, or month look like if you were producing your key outputs? Know and understand your prime time and structure your day to produce the outputs required for your business. “ Anyone can succeed by working for half a day, five days a week. You just have to decide which half: the first 12 hours or the second 12 hours” Ben Feldman Every industry will have its prime time for conducting business, once you determine what your prime time is you must schedule activities and daily task so that you are delivering your key outputs during this time.

A lot has been written on time management results but here is one secret” you make your own rules don’t wait for someone else especially your competitors to tell you how”.

You are in the driver seat, define your outputs create your own lead and just go for it.

2004 Clifton Warren

Clifton Warren is the managing director of performance improvement international. He is speaker, coach and writer, with many published articles on productivity and performance in the workplace. You can contact him at www.perform-improvement.com and sign up for free how to articles.