20 Essential-Actions That Inspire Outstanding Performance

20 Essential-Actions That Inspire Outstanding Performance
By Barbara Brown, PhD

If your employees are busy doing the right things, then the things they are doing should have the greatest impact on your organization’s goals. This means everyone is engaged in activities that primarily produce, not just support, outcomes. Use these 15-minute strategies to keep the focus on what’s “most essential.”

1. Determine the “most-essential” tasks each of your employees must perform. Consider “most-essential” tasks as those that directly lead to an outcome; for instance, processing a customer’s order.

2. Rank the percentage of time each employee devotes to these “most- essential” tasks. Divide allocations according to 20%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. Establish a goal of 80% time spent on “most-essential” tasks.

3. Determine the “least-essential” tasks each employee must perform. Consider “least-essential” tasks as those that support the outcome; for instance, creating a weekly tally of all customer’s orders.

4. Rank the percentage of time each employee devotes to these “non- essential” tasks. Divide allocations according to 20%, 60%, 80%, and 100%. Establish a goal of 20% time spent on “least-essential” tasks.

5. Each week, have a 15-minute “working smarter” meeting with your employees. During that meeting, brainstorm answers to one of the 5W + 1H questions listed in numbers 6 through 11. Add as many of your own questions as possible. Your goal is twofold: one to identify as many streamlining approaches as possible; and two to spark creativity among your employees.

6. During week one, use WHY questions and brainstorm answers: For example, WHY is this task important?

7. During week two, use WHO questions and brainstorm answers: For example, WHO else might do this task?

8. During week three, use WHEN questions and brainstorm answers. For example, WHEN else might this task be done?

9. During week four, use WHERE questions and brainstorm answers. For example, WHERE else is this information/action duplicated?

10. During week five, use WHAT questions and brainstorm answers: For example, WHAT other approaches might we use?

11. During week six, use HOW questions and brainstorm answers: For example, HOW else might this task be done?

12. At the beginning of each month, discuss with employees any obstacles that prevent devoting 80% of their time to “most-essential” tasks. Brainstorm ways to minimize or eliminate these obstacles.

13. When individual employees or teams discuss projects, always emphasize the time spent performing “most-essential” versus “least-essential” tasks.

14. Identify how two “most-essential” tasks are linked to your organization’s goals.

15. Identify how two “most-essential” tasks are linked to the goals for your immediate office.

16. Designate 5 minutes of each regularly scheduled staff meeting to discuss how one “most-essential” task is linked to a major organizational or office goal.

17. Identify how five “most-essential” tasks are linked to the services your organization provides.

18. Identify how five “most-essential” tasks are linked to the products your organization offers.

19. Each month, have a 15-minute staff meeting and discuss how all of your “most-essential” tasks are linked to your organization’s services and products.

20. Each month have a “working smarter” party where everyone shares and celebrates streamlining ideas over pizza, cake, or popcorn.

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