Result orientation is essential for developing
optimism and outstanding personal
performance. Successful people think constantly about the
results that are expected of them. They are constantly writing and planning and
setting
priorities on their most important tasks.
In result orientation, you make a list of
everything you have to do before you begin. You organize your list by priority
and value. You select the most important thing you could possibly do and then
you concentrate single-mindedly on accomplishing that one task. You persevere
without diversion or distraction until it is complete.
Intense result orientation goes hand in hand with high productivity, Solutions, and high output. Result orientation is based on your asking and
answering the following four questions, over and over, every minute and hour of
every day:
What are my highest-value activities?
What are the things you do that contribute the greatest value to your work? If
you are not sure, make a list of all of your tasks and responsibilities and take
them to your boss (if you have one). Discuss them with your colleagues and
coworkers. You must be absolutely clear about the most important results that
are expected of you. Remember, the very worst use of time is to do very well
what needs not be done at all.
2. What are my key result areas? What are the results that you absolutely
positively have to get in an excellent fashion to fulfill your responsibilities
and do your job well? There are seldom more than five to seven key result areas
in any job. Your first responsibility is to identify these key results, to set
standards of performance for each result area. You then dedicate yourself to
working every day to meet those standards. What gets measured gets done. If you
can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.
3. What can I and only I do that, if done well, will make a real difference
to my organization? There is only one answer to this question at any given time.
This is a job that you and only you can do. If you don’t do it, it won’t get
done. No one else can do it for you. But if you do it, and do it well, it can
make a significant contribution to your company and your career. What is it?
4. What is the most valuable use of my time? This is the most important
question in time management. You should ask and answer this question every hour
of every day. What is the most valuable use of your time right now? Asking and
answering this question is the key to optimum performance. Whatever your answer
to this question, be sure that you are working on this particular task every
minute of every hour. Compared with this task, everything else is a relative
waste of time.
In the final analysis, getting results is everything. The quality and
quantity of your results determine the quality and quantity of your rewards.
For the four
keys to career success, send an email to bs@futurevisions.org
with "MWS Career Success" in the subject and nothing in the body
