When people ask us to do things, we usually respond unthinkingly with “yes,” “no,” or silence. That’s because we are unsure about what else we have on our plates to do. If we are unsure and optimistic or unsure and not wanting to displease, we habitually say, “Yes.” If we are unsure and not wanting to over-commit or over-burden ourselves, we say, “No.” And if we are overwhelmed, we may choose silence; we don’t respond in hopes that the request will just go away.
Though each of these approaches can work, in the short term, we all want to be much more proactive and productive. Enter our Effectiveness System (and here).
When we have an effectiveness system that we really trust, we have 99+ percent of everything we could do, might do, or want to do in a central, easy to access place. It is up-to-date (within 24-hours or so). And we can celebrate knowing we don’t have to track all those things in our heads.
When we have an effectiveness system that we really trust, we can make an informed call whether to accept, reject, or renegotiate each request others make of us. That’s another reason to celebrate.
In your corner,
Mike