Whether you are an entrepreneur, a small business owner or a corporate leader, you have likely felt overwhelmed and anxious when you have too much to do. As a one-person show or a leader of a small business, it may be easy to feel like we have to do “all the things” because we wear all or most of the hats in our business.
It may seem counterintuitive, but research has proven that focusing on less — but focusing on the most important tasks — will allow you to get further, faster. That is not to say that you abandon activities within your purview, it is just that you prioritize your activities to keep you in your “Zone of Genius” and delegate or offload other activities to someone who is best qualified to take over these activities.
Ready to get more focused in your business? Start with these three steps:
Create your business vision. Your most important role as a leader is to have a crystal-clear vision of where you are taking your business in the next three to five years. Do you want to increase the number of clients you serve and your revenue? Do you want to emphasize a profitable area of your business and strip away the parts of the business that are underperforming? Do you want to serve a new geographic area? In addition to articulating your vision, it is important to have one or more metrics in mind so that your “destination” is even more clearly defined.
Next, get clear on what you, personally, need to focus on in order to meet that vision. According to the Pareto Principle, 20% of your efforts will result in 80% of your outcomes. What activities should you be exclusively focused on to move toward your vision? With limited hours in a workday, how can you spend your time doing work that lights you up, utilizes your unique abilities and moves you toward your vision?
For activities that don’t drive you toward your vision (your 80%), take a critical eye and decide whether the task continues to get done and, if so, to whom you can delegate it so that you remain focused on your 20%. For example, in my business, I’ve identified my 20% to be developing “thought leadership” articles as well as serving my consulting and coaching clients. I’ve chosen to offload scheduling tasks, podcast production and social media content planning and execution. I’ve also decided on the type of client I’ll work with exclusively and the minimum contract amount that I’ll accept. These decisions weren’t easy, but I know I’ll be a better writer and my business will be more successful in the long run.
If you need help deciding where to focus on your business, give me a call. I offer VIP Strategy Days for corporate clients as well as small business owners. Until then, remember “Less is More!”
Jennifer Drago is an award-winning strategist, author, speaker and certified business coach. She helps senior living, healthcare and nonprofit organizations get clear on their vision and strategy so they can identify — and execute on — opportunities for growth, revenue and operational efficiencies.
Drago worked as a strategy and operations executive in the healthcare and senior living industries for 30 years, facilitating strategic plans and developing new programs and service lines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance, a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in health services administration from Arizona State University. She is a Life Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a certified Mastery Method coach.
