Setting priorities.\u00a0 That\u2019s something many entrepreneurs struggle with.\u00a0 In fact, entrepreneurs are sometimes likened to crows who get distracted by every new shiny thing that comes along.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this creates confusion as employees try to keep up with ever-shifting priorities.\u00a0 In other cases, instead of setting priorities vertically with the most important at the top and the least important at the bottom, some entrepreneurs set them horizontally so that everything has equal importance.\u00a0 Or said another way, these entrepreneurs are deep into instant gratification . . . everything becomes a \u201ctop priority.\u201d\u00a0 This also causes a lot of confusion as employees try to figure which \u201ctop priority\u201d to attack first.\u00a0 So what\u2019s a priority-challenged entrepreneur to do?\u00a0 For some thoughts on this, please continue reading below.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrioritizing causes us to do things that are, at the least, uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ~ John Maxwell, author and speaker<\/p>\n Prioritizing is hard work.\u00a0 It forces us to choose what\u2019s most important among many important things, to decide which of these very important things will have the greatest impact on getting us where we want to go.\u00a0 Worse, according to John Maxwell, if we\u2019re honest about it, some of the things that should<\/u><\/em> be among our top priorities are things that may be a bit scary . . . things that will take us way outside of our comfort zone.<\/p>\n John Maxwell recommends a few things that may make prioritizing easier . . . although not necessarily more comfortable.<\/p>\n First, he says, ask yourself, \u201cWhat must I do that nobody can or should do for me?\u201d\u00a0 If you\u2019re doing something that is not necessary, you should eliminate it.\u00a0 He further advises that if you\u2019re doing something that is necessary, but could be competently done by someone further down on the food chain, you should delegate it.\u00a0 You might ask, \u201cWhy would I be doing something that isn\u2019t necessary or something that someone else could do?\u201d\u00a0 Several reasons.<\/p>\n The idea here is to remove from your plate those things that are either unnecessary or that could be done by someone else.\u00a0 Although you still have to prioritize the remaining stuff on your plate, at least the list is now a little smaller.<\/p>\n Second, your top priorities should be a reflection of your unique gifts and talents.\u00a0 In his book, \u201cNow, Discover Your Strengths,\u201d researcher and author Marcus Buckingham makes a powerful argument against wasting time pursuing activities for which you have no natural strength or ability.\u00a0 He suggests shedding such activities in favor of those that truly are a good fit for your talents.\u00a0 Done correctly, you get a double bump out of this.<\/p>\n Third, as you ponder your priorities, consider Pareto\u2019s Law that advises you to focus your attention on areas of the business where you can achieve 80 percent of your results from 20 percent of your efforts.\u00a0 That\u2019s counter-intuitive, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Our natural instinct is to work on those areas of the business that aren\u2019t performing well, but Pareto\u2019s Law suggests instead that we identify the people and processes in our business that are responsible for the majority of our success, and work with them to make them even better. In practice, that means if you want to reinforce your sales effort, you should spend the bulk of your available time with the 20 percent of your sales force that produce 80 percent of your sales.<\/p>\n John Wooden, legendary basketball coach at UCLA, was a master at setting priorities.\u00a0\u00a0 In his 40 seasons of coaching at UCLA, his only losing season was his first, yet his priorities did not include winning basketball games.\u00a0 He led his team to four undefeated seasons and a record ten NCAA championships, yet winning championships was not one of his priorities.\u00a0 His priorities were entirely about getting the most from his players, getting them to play to their potential, and putting the best possible team on the court.\u00a0 The winning seasons and the championships were byproducts of those priorities, but not the priorities themselves.<\/p>\n Strong leaders like John Wooden recognize the value of prioritizing.\u00a0 They see it as an effective and efficient way to get the most out of the resources available to them.\u00a0 Successful leaders in all walks of life . . . business people, coaches, pastors, lawyers, soldiers . . . all owe their success to establishing, and keeping their organization focused on, a clear set of priorities.\u00a0 Be that kind of leader.<\/p>\n Be like John Wooden.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Setting priorities.\u00a0 That\u2019s something many entrepreneurs struggle with.\u00a0 In fact, entrepreneurs are sometimes likened to crows who get distracted by every new shiny thing that comes along.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this creates confusion as employees try to keep up with ever-shifting priorities.\u00a0 In other cases, instead of setting priorities vertically with the most important at the top<\/p>\n\n
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