Successful people all have two things in common: they work with a sense of urgency and they understand the power of efficiency.
Working with a sense of urgency doesn’t always mean working in a panic mode. It’s not about cranking out massive amounts of work. A sense of urgency stems from the desire to deliver value to those who are looking to you for results – your boss – your coworkers – your customers – your friends and, of course, your family.
Urgency is usually coupled with a sense of pride: pride in being able to provide good information, pride in being able to deliver on time, and pride in getting it right – the first time. Interestingly, working with this kind of urgency is actually energizing to those you work with. I don’t know about you, but I like working with people who want to get the job done quickly and correctly.
In addition to having a keen sense of urgency, being able to work efficiently is critical to success and achievement. The urgent is seldom important, it’s just urgent. To the extent you can, focus on those important things that move you or your organization forward. Make the important your highest priority and…do the important things first.
Urgency and efficiency go hand in hand. Here a few suggestions on how you can be more efficient and effective:
1. ORGANIZE…
Keep your desk and your files organized so you don’t have to waste time shuffling through files of paper.
2. WORK FROM A LIST…
Always work from a list. It doesn’t matter whether you call it a “to do” list or a “get it done list,” the important thing is that you have a list of those things that must be done today, this week and this month.
3. FINISH ONE TASK…
Finish one task before you go on to the next. Nothing destroys productivity more that jumping from one task to the next – and usually finishing neither.
4. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.
Let those you work for and those you work with know your schedule for the day. Let your boss know the priority of your projects and the time you’ll need to get them accomplished.
5. TAKE BREAKS.
Study after study shows the value of taking a break every couple of hours just to clear your head and re-focus on your priorities. Just a short walk around the office or stepping outside to get a little fresh air will do wonders for improving performance and productivity.
Getting Better, at whatever we do, isn’t particularly difficult, but it will require doing certain things, certain ways on a consistent basis. Learning to develop a sense of urgency, coupled with efficient work habits, is a good place to start.
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