Debate what you want to do and make a decision how to proceed...

Recently I wrote a blog outlining the three steps for getting things done and wanted to take some time exploring the steps a little deeper — what will make this even more fun is my friend Renée Cormier is writing a complementary series of blogs to help with the exploration (see her latest blog). I should point out that in writing my last post I discovered that there are really four steps for getting things done, and so far we’ve worked through the first two steps:

✔ Establish your goals and objectives

✔ Propose what you want to do

I will admit the discovery of missing a crucial step was slightly embarrassing but it’s a nice example of the third step to get things done “in action” (as well as one of the reasons I like collaborative blogging and the comments they generate).

Step number three:

✔Debate what you want to do and make a decision how to proceed

Simply put, this is where you pressure test your proposal, get feedback, make it better, and increase the chances that step four will be successful (can you say foreshadowing). Arguably, I would suggest this is the most important step because it will offer strong insight into what the outside world thinks of your proposal (it’s always a perfect proposal in our head). If you scratch a little deeper the real message is you need an advisory group — it may be something that is part of your everyday operating mechanisms, a loose team you’ve established to help you make better decisions, or simply a trusted confidant. No matter how you do it, you need a mechanism (and people) to challenge what you propose honestly and constructively.

After reading Renée’s last two blogs I don’t think she’s addressed this step, although there could be numerous reasons — she may not believe it’s important, maybe I didn’t comprehended what she wrote correctly, maybe she hasn’t gotten around to addressing it yet, or it could be I’m just wrong. I look forward to her thoughts and insights on this. As I mentioned, this is one of the reasons I like these collaborative blogs, and I suppose also a nice way to illustrate the reason I think step three is so important. Step three also allows you to develop the language you will use to communicate your proposal (idea) to effectively get people to listen, get their buy-in, their support, and get their approval (both internally and externally). And although it can sometimes be painful, it also helps you understand that sometimes what you are proposing is “stupid”.

And this brings us to the step we’ll be discussing next —

✔Execute on what you want to get done, and do it

iamgpe

Propose what you want to do...

Recently I wrote a blog outlining the three steps for getting things done and wanted to take some time exploring the steps a little deeper — what will make this even more fun is my friend Renée Cormier is writing a complementary series of blogs to help with the exploration (see her blog).

I thought I’d start with the first step in the process of getting things done, because unlike a Quentin Tarantino* film, it is important to start at the beginning:

Propose what you want to do

The operative word in this step is “propose” and is important for two reasons. Firstly it’s a verb so it represents action and that’s what getting things done is all about, and secondly, the word represents what needs to be done:

pro·pose [prəˈpōz] VERB — put forward (an idea or plan) for consideration or discussion by others.

At the heart of this is the need to put forward an idea — you need to articulate and illustrate what you want to do. You need this to be done in a way that it’s easy to understand and speaks to how you will measure success with respect to your goal; It is also important to remember your proposal (idea or plan) needs to either solve a problem or take advantage of an opportunity. Proposing what you want to do needs to be as tangible as possible (in a figurative sense for sure, or better yet, literally — everyone likes to play with a prototype).

As part of my thought process (and before I started writing) I read Renée’s first blog and she had outlined five points for consideration:

• Too much change is counter-productive.

• Making a decision is still better than never making a decision.

• Choosing to make the best of your circumstances is a great way to make sure you are successful.

• Do what makes your heart sing.

• Do what scares you a little

At first I couldn’t help but think these weren’t really points that help you get things done but rather considerations for establishing goals; that’s when I took a deep breath of recognition that I’d forgotten one of the most important steps regarding getting things done — establish your goals and objectives. In my own defence, I did bury the important of goals (and their alignment) as I expanded on the step, but Renée had reminded me that establishing goals and objectives should be the first step (it seems I didn’t really start at the beginning after all).

With some quick revisions, I am now suggesting there are four steps to getting things done —

✔ Establish your goals and objectives

✔ Propose what you want to do

Debate what you want to do and make a decision how to proceed

Execute on what you want to get done, and do it

I always appreciate Renée’s thinking and blogging — it has helped me develop my own thinking and ultimately some of the blogs I write. I am better for it. This is a nice segue into my next blog on step three don’t you think? I can’t wait to read what Renée has to say because I know it will be thought provoking.

iamgpe

*If you are not familiar with Quentin Tarantino, he is a great writer and director who seems to start many of his films in the middle of the story.

Moments — I'm behind with my blogging

What the reasons are I’m not really sure —

Maybe the long winter has gotten to me and I’m just waiting to the first day of spring before I start up again.

Maybe the busy days have me too tired to blog at the end of the day.

Or maybe, the last three weeks has had me dealing with some sort of gremlin* and I’ve been afraid to put “pen to paper”. I will admit the growing evidence has me thinking this is the only plausible explanation.

• I showed up for my morning flight only to find out I’d booked an evening flight.

• The plane was delayed due to a faulty lavatory light.

• I have a cavity — I never get cavities.

• I forgot a work thing that I never forget.

• I went downtown for a meeting only to discover I’d forgotten my power cord and the battery was at 7%. And of course there was not a Mac person to be found.

• Had to buy 500 sheets of legal sized paper because there are still some people who insist on using it.

• I lost my favourite watch — truth be told I left it in a gym locker.

• I’ve discovered there’s a scratch on my phone.

• Sure enough, as it started to rain, I realized I had forgotten my umbrella at the last place I visited.

Although I will admit if I look in the mirror… maybe… just maybe the reason I’m behind with my blogging is I’ve been too busy whining and not concentrating on what I’m doing.

In fairness, it has been a long winter.

iamgpe

* grem·lin [ˈɡremlən] NOUN — an imaginary mischievous sprite regarded as responsible for an unexplained problem or fault, especially a mechanical or electronic one.