Guidelines Archive 2

From Getting Results | The Book

- J.D. Meier

Note - You can browse the guidelines quickly using the Index of Guidelines for Getting Results

Objectives

• Learn effective strategies for making impact.
• Learn a frame that helps you organize principles, patterns, and practices for achieving results.
• Explore guidelines for improving your results.

Overview

This is a collection of guidelines for improving your results and productivity. Guidelines are organized as a set of hot topics, so that you can quickly find and scan relevant items. Guidelines are expressed as tickler list items, so that they are easy to learn. Each guideline explains what to do, why, and how.

As you pursue results, you’ll likely face many challenges. Even small things can gradually wear you down. Your environment and the people you surround yourself with can work against you. Even your own motivation or energy can work against you. The chapter presents high-level strategies to help you maximize success, establish a rhythm of results, and combat many common productivity challenges.

How the Guidelines are Organized

The guidelines are organized by the following categories:

Action Efficiency and Effectiveness Energy Management Expectations Focus Goals and Objectives Information Management Learning

Motivation Planning Prioritizing Self-Awareness Self-Discipline Task Management Time Management

For an explanation of the categories, see the Results Frame ("Heat Map").

10 Strategies for Improving Results

1. Monthly Improvement Sprints.
2. Balance your time across your Hot Spots.
3. Build a library of reference examples.
4. Diversify your results.
5. Establish a rhythm of results.
6. Find a way to flow value.
7. Improve your network.
8. Make it a project.
9. Stay flexible in your approach.
10. Periodically sweep up the mess.

Guidelines for Getting Results

Action

• Ask yourself, “What actions have I taken?”
• Chunk it down.
• Decide and go.
• Do a dry run.
• Do it, review it, and improve it.
• Get the ball out of your court.
• Just start.
• Put in your hours.
• Set a quantity limit.
• Set a time limit.
• Start with something simple.
• Scrimmage against results.

Efficiency and Effectiveness

• Ask, “Is it effective?”
• Do it daily.
• Expand your toolset.
• Pair up.
• Reduce friction.
• Reduce your context switching.
• Script your success.

Energy Management

• Have a compelling “Why.”
• Increase your power hours.
• Leverage your power hours.
• Manage energy for results.
• Play to your strengths.

Expectations

• Know your capacity.
• Set and reset expectations.
• Set expectations.
• Under-promise, Over-deliver.

Focus

• Apply concentrated effort.
• Batch and focus.
• Narrow your focus.

Goals and Objectives

• Check your ladder.
• Create SMART goals.
• Have a compelling "What."
• Know the tests for success.
• Know the “Why” behind the goal.
• Use vision and feeling.
• Work backwards with the end in mind.

Information Management

• Factor reference from action.
• Identify what you know, don’t know, and need to know next.
• Improve your filters.
• Organize your actions.
• Use checklists.

Learning

• Build a system of profound knowledge.
• Build feedback loops.
• Identify three things going well and three things to improve.
• Fail fast.
• Find a mentor.
• Model the best.
• Pair up.
• Turn insights into action.

Motivation

• Adopt a growth mindset over a fixed mindset.
• Drive or be driven.
• Adopt high-value self-talk.
• Make it a game.
• Pace yourself.
• Use SWAT mode.
• Use empowering metaphors.

Planning

• Iterate more, plan less.
• Plan, then execute.
• Stay agile.

Prioritizing

• Ask, “What’s the next best thing to do?”
• Hit windows of opportunity.
• Use MUST, SHOULD, and COULD.
• Worst things first.

Self-Awareness

• Know your strengths.
• Know your weaknesses.
• Know yourself.

Self-Discipline

• Ask yourself, “What’s the right thing to do?”
• Choose to over have to.
• Decide up front.
• Link it to good feelings.
• Reward your behaviors.
• Treat motivation as input.

Task Management

• Bite off what you can chew.
• Fix time, flex scope.
• Focus on outcomes over activities.
• Let things slough off.
• Reduce open work.

Time Management

• Baseline your schedule.
• Carve out time for what’s important.
• Have a buffer.
• Know your most effective hours.
• Manage energy, not time.
• Schedule it.
• Set boundaries.
• Take weekends off.

Contributors / Reviewers

Adam Grocholski, Alik Levin, Andrew Kazyrevich, Andy Eunson, Andrea Fox, Anutthara Bharadwaj, Brian Maslowski, Chaitanya Bijwe, Chenelle Bremont, Daniel Rubiolo Mendoza, David K. Stewart, David Wright, David Zinger, Dennis Groves, Don Willits, Donald Latumahina, Dr. Rick Kirschner, Eduardo Jezierski, Eileen Meier, Erin M. Karp, Ethan Zaghmut, Gloria Campbell, Gordon Meier, Janine de Nysschen, Jason Taylor, Jeremy Bostron, Jill Heron, Jimmy May, John Allen, John deVadoss, Julian Gonzalez, Juliet du Preez, Kevin Lam, Larry Brader, Loren Kohnfelder, Mark Curphey, Michael Kropp, Michael Stiefel, Mike de Libero, Mike Torres, Mohammad Al-Sabt, Molly Clark, Olivier Fontana, Patrick Lanfear, Paul Enfield, Per Vonge Nielsen, Peter Larsson, Phil Huang, Prashant Bansode, Praveen Rangarajan, Richard Diver, Rob Boucher Jr., Rohit Sharma, Rudolph Araujo, Samantha Sieverling, Sameer Tarey, Scott Hanselman, Scott Stabbert, Scott Young, Sean Platt, Srinath Vasireddy, Tom Draper, Vidya Vrat Agarwal, Wade Mascia

Guidelines Archive