Think About It… the e-book version

by Todd Youngblood

Everything that you do (or your company does) can be categorized as Critical, Important or Necessary.

Think of it as your “Hierarchy of Tasks”. By definition, Necessary things need to be done by all firms in all industries, but they offer little or nothing in terms of differentiation or competitive advantage. Accounts Payable, Custodial Services and Expense Management are good examples. A full 60% of what you do falls into this category.

Important tasks represent 30% of your TODOs. These are the functions that distinguish one industry from another. For example, distributors manage inventory, staffing companies recruit talent, and insurance companies underwrite risk.

It’s the Critical tasks that really count. This 10% of what you do differentiates you and your company from the rest of the herd in your industry. They are the core of your success (or failure).

Sound simple-minded? Humor me… Take a half-hour and list the tasks you perform in any given month. Then sort them top to bottom from most critical to least necessary. Break it down into a “C” list, “I” list and “N” list. Discipline yourself to spend 60% of your time on the critical 10% of your tasks. What will be harder is limiting yourself to only 10% of your time for all those “N”s.

Send me an e-mail next month to let me know how much more effective you become.

by Todd Youngblood

Who am I to argue with General Dwight D. Eisenhower?

Dwight Eisenhower made this comment regarding the Normandy invasion. He was reflecting upon how little the actual battle resembled the D-Day? plan; a plan that resulted from a truly stupendous effort on the part of the Allies.

What makes the quotation profound is the fact that one of history’s great leaders, while he insisted on painfully detailed, documented plans, expected things to NOT go according to plan. In fact, he believed that the plan itself was almost superfluous. The real value, he felt, came from the rigorous, vigorous discussion of ideas, challenging of assumptions and exploration of alternatives among the smartest people he could find.

It was the General’s way of avoiding surprises. By forcing a disciplined planning process, he forced critical thinking and over time, created a team that could anticipate and successfully react to a vast array of complex situations.

Sales leaders take heed! Insist that your reps develop a written plan for every sales campaign and every sales call. It’s so simple …and powerful. It will prepare them to deal with whatever the customer or the competition can dish out.

Plan every sales call! No exceptions!