Stop ‘crazy busy’!

There was a huge response to last week’s post including the following comment from Lynda McDonald :

“I've always observed that 'crazy busy' means you (or your manager!) are unclear on what your actual contribution, and therefore objectives, are… I found the LNO framework to be super helpful: L = leverage tasks, you'll get 10x back. N = Neutral tasks, you'll probably break even. O = Overhead tasks and the effort to do them will probably cost you. The goal of the LNO framework isn't to eliminate all the tasks, but to really plainly see where all your effort in a day is going. If it's all O and N tasks . . . you're probably in a spot :)”

And Derren Powell commented, “ ‘Good busy’ is ok. I often get irked however when you ask people how they are and their first response is ‘busy’.”

I have noticed many of us are feeling very energized at present, as spring feels in the air. Longer days, daffodils and birth and growth everywhere from nature.

Whilst reflecting on where to head next in my own career, I realised the key pivotal moments of accelerated career progress have come when I have reduced my self-doubt, distraction and over-reliance on needing to please the social norms. So how do we ‘get out of our own way’?

I recall a fascinating conversation on a Sunday morning with a very bright company owner, who was at a loss to explain how one of his team had delivered the most successful commercial week in over four years.

Naturally, my curiosity went into overdrive trying to understand the context. He explained that stellar sales operators in his complex business:

“need the brain of a mathematics graduate combined with the imagination of an artist.”

He described further that this particular team member always stayed on process, using frameworks that were his daily operating model. The difference that week was that his confidence and self-belief were sky-high. He tried things that he had never attempted before and trusted his own instincts with clients, rather than constantly deferring to his line manager. The company owner asked my opinion as an executive coach - What did I think was the difference that made the difference?

I said, “He got out of his own way.”

It struck me that his team member’s recent high performance was the result of the individual tapping into his intuitive/unconscious and imaginative mind, rather than his processes and rational critical thinking. Intuitive thinking is often dismissed in our hyper-rational business world, yet I believe many commercial opportunities are being missed. I have observed first-hand, leaders making intuitive hiring and retention decisions that work out very well, simply based on a hunch.

By definition, if we do what we have always done, we will get what we always have. To experience growth, we have to enter an uncertain place, a place we have not been before. Stellar author Clyde Brolin brings this to life in his book In the Zone which was the result of a seven-year quest, studying the mindset of elite sports people in the world. His conclusion was that,

“No one has a straight line to success; the elite Conceive, Believe and Achieve.”

One of the UK’s most successful Olympians, Sir Chris Hoy says,

“In general, we all underestimate what we’re capable of… A lot of people look at Olympic or world champions and think they are born to be a champion, a different breed… I didn’t stand out from the crowd… Everyone can surprise themselves with what they’re capable of doing.”

I recommend using both your intuitive imagination and critical thinking skills, as solely relying on one is sub-optimal in career decision-making and enterprise sales alike.

Acquiring and retaining vital talent is top of every leader’s agenda for high performance. How talent is engaged, motivated/de-motivated and how high performance is achieved, has been a mild obsession of mine over the last thirty years.

My observation is that top talent always has multiple career options, regardless of market conditions. Even in the direst of jobs markets, such as I observed and operated post 9/11 or the Credit Crunch, game-changing professionals and talent were regularly approached to be enticed to pastures new. Interesting to note that the deciding factor if people chose to move or stay, was the calibre of relationship and trust with their line manager and senior leaders. Job market dynamics change - human nature does not.

How do leaders attract and retain high performers in their organisations?

This quote from former De Beers CEO Varda Shine, is a stellar directional guide:

"The best employees are those who have other options but choose to stay working with you."

Thank you to Keith Douglas for the book, The Leader's Secret Code by Ian Mills, Mark Ridley, Ben Laker and Adam Pacifico, where this quote came from.

My challenge to you this week is:

How do you tap into the hidden resources of your intuitive mind and then follow it with smart critical thinking? How do you ‘get out of your own way’?

Our purpose at Accelerated Career Results is to transform Payments leaders’ mindsets, confidence, and results. For them to achieve their potential through the power of life-enhancing connections, shared experiences, and collaborative learning.

We achieve this by unlocking the ‘latent ability’ within talented individuals and teams. If you have found this article valuable, please like, re-share and pass it on to a colleague or to your trusted network whom it could help at this stage of their leadership career.

If you are a decency led leader, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a challenge and want to work with a trusted partner, to [email protected]