10 Rules for getting things done

The Tuesday Reading this week is “10 Rules for getting things done” by Jacques Horovitz, Professor Emeritus of Service Strategy, Marketing, and Management at IMD.

Professor Horovitz writes “Successful execution at an organizational level depends almost entirely on each individual manager executing his or her part promptly and efficiently.”  Here are ten rules that he has found help keep the team on track and task:

1.  If it’s not on the calendar, it won’t happen.  What about a shared calendar with projects/tasks, owners, and their respective milestones?

2.  Focus on the follow-through.  

3.  No project owner means no progress.  And, if everyone is the owner, you get the same result, no progress.

4.  Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.  There is never enough time for everything.  So, everyone needs to know what has priority. 

5.  Initiate:  it gains time.  If it is a priority, get it started.  Use the resources available now to begin the work.

6.  Skip the boasting.  You can boast when the results are in hand.

7.  Question everything.  Few of us ask enough questions.  So, don’t make assumptions, ask.

8.  When in doubt, decide.  Decisiveness is better than procrastination.  It brings learning, which in turn sharpens the decisions.

9.  Create new routines.  Habits can prevent us from moving away from the past.  New approaches get us out of the “ruts.”

10.  Know your second-best solution.  This is another way of saying keep your options open.

In the coming week think about how Horovitz’s ten rules might change the way you lead for the better.  I think that there is some good wisdom there for all of us.

.  .  .  .  .    jim