In early 2002, I was the general manager of Nelson Books, one of Thomas Nelson Publishers’ fourteen divisions. In eighteen months, we had gone from number 14—dead last—to number one in terms of revenue growth and profit margin. I felt great. I was proud of myself and my team for the results we’d achieved. That […]
delegation
How to Weigh the Benefits of In-Person and Remote Work
Many companies are struggling with the question of in-person vs. remote work. Here are the benefits of both, and a third way to consider.
How to Grow Your Business with 20% of the Work
Leaders should only be in the first and last 10% of any project. Here’s how to take back the middle 80%, so you can focus on high-leverage work.
The Key to Diagnosing and Solving Your Business Problems
Most leaders are born problem solvers. But if we’re not careful, we misdiagnose most problems. Here are 3 elements that help you solve any business issue.
3 Essential Tasks an EA Can Do for You
There’s probably no hire more essential than a great executive assistant. Why? Here are 3 key tasks a world-class EA can do for you.
4 Reasons Delegation Fails and How to Fix It in Your Business
If you want truly great results as a leader, you have to become a master delegator. Here are 4 struggle points and how to turn them around.
4 Strategies for Combatting Decision Fatigue
Decision fatigue is a real thing. To maximize the return on daily decision-making, follow these 4 simple strategies.
The First Task Your EA Should Tackle
Handing off email management to your EA frees you up for high-leverage work. Here are 2 tactics to make this a smooth and successful process.
How to Delegate Even If You Don’t Have a Team
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by everything on your plate? It’s possible to delegate tasks, even when you don’t have a team. Here are 3 ways.
The Easier Way to Delegate for Perfect Results
She said, “no,” and then I shared them with her. [smartads] I have always taken these for granted, but realized this was a brand new thought for Gail. … As a leader, whenever you delegate a task, you need to make it clear what level of authority you are conferring: Level 1: Do exactly what I have asked you to do.
When Delegation Becomes Abdication
Tell me you’ve had this experience. You assign a task but then forget about it. I sure have. As a leader, I am not a micromanager. That’s good news for my team. But I have to be intentional that delegation doesn’t drift into abdication. It’s not always disastrous when this happens. If we’ve hired well, […]
No, You Don’t Need to be Great at Everything—and Why You Shouldn’t Even Try
If you’re an entrepreneur at heart like me, it’s tempting to wear every hat in the business. This is especially true if you’re cursed with being halfway good at all those jobs. That’s not a compliment, by the way. I should emphasize the word cursed. Think of it this way: Would you intentionally hire someone […]
How to Defeat the Terrible Tyranny of Tiny Tasks
My wife, Gail, recently purchased a DVD set of The Jetsons. Remember that? The cartoon imagined what life would be like in the future: robots, flying cars, and other conveniences—like minimal work hours. But it hasn’t panned out like that, has it? Believe it or not, since the 1930s economists and others predicted a future […]
The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make With Executive Assistants
I’ve worked with several executive assistants over the years, and I have found it is a make-or-break relationship when it comes to my success. Think about it: None of us can do it all on our own. We need to bring others into our work to help us succeed in it. And the bigger the […]
4 Strategies for Cutting Your To-Do List in Half
Because it will take longer than two minutes to write the action down on your to-do list, organize it, get back up to speed later, and complete the task. … And it will keep your to-do lists much shorter. [smartads] Here are four ways to cut your to-do list in half: Understand the five basic decisions.
How to Do More of What You Love and Less of What You Don’t
Do you have a long-term delegation strategy? This is the secret to moving more into “the zone” and getting out of those activities you don’t enjoy or don’t do well. Recently, I recorded two podcasts on the subject of delegation. The first dealt with the principles of delegation. The second suggested how you might delegate […]
The 10 Most Common Objections to Hiring a Virtual Assistant
When I talk to other leaders about hiring a virtual assistant, they are often skeptical. Here are my answers to the most common objections.
My Experience Using a Virtual Assistant
I have been using a virtual assistant now for nine months. It has been a great solution for me. Here’s how it has worked.
How Do You Delegate If You Don’t Have a Staff?
Whenever I write or speak on the topic of delegation (as I did yesterday), I always get a question from someone who says, “But what if you don’t have a staff? How can you delegate?” This question typically comes from staff people, technicians, stand-alone professionals, or start-up entrepreneurs. It’s a great question. I recommend four strategies.
Finding More “Head Time”
Most of us don’t spend enough time thinking. We are so busy doing that we have, I fear, almost forgotten how to think. Yet it is our thinking, more than any other single activity, that influences our outcomes.