Define valuable work

- One of my favorite techniques for separating valuable tasks from busy work requires only a pen and a sheet of paper. Grab those now if you need to and draw a line down the center of the sheet, dividing it into two columns. Now, considering the unique capabilities you bring to your role, as well as the goals of the company think about the projects or tasks that are a productive use of your time. In the left column, make a list of these activities, entitle it valuable work. From here, ask yourself what current tasks occupy the majority of my time? Open last month's calendar and review recent to-do lists to jog your memory. Also, be sure to list specific tasks, not general projects and your role on that task. For example, write lead weekly staff meetings instead of just meetings. Write all your answers in the right column and title it current tasks. Compare your two columns, which one is longer? Just kidding, I can see that list from here. I want you to circle every item in your current task column that adds value to the business. Then look at anything you didn't circle and ask yourself which of these tasks can I eliminate, outsource or streamline to make more time for things In the valuable column. Identify your targets by looking at your list of current tasks and honestly answering these questions. Which of my current tasks don't bring value to the org? In other words, would anyone miss this task if I stop doing it? Sidebar, if the answer is nobody, give yourself permission to pause that task until someone asks about it. Next, is anyone else doing that task and could that person take ownership of it? Here's another one. If I had to hand off two of my responsibilities what would I give away and to whom? Next up, which of my daily tasks could become weekly? Which weekly tasks could become monthly? And finally, what steps could be eliminated from this task? As a leader, you're likely able to eliminate, outsource or streamline your own work immediately. When you share this exercise with your teams consider downstream effects of eliminating a task but be open to sidelining it for a few weeks or months to see if anyone actually misses it. And if someone does, that's okay. It's a sign that the task might be more valuable than it seemed. Urge your teams to use the valuable work versus current tasks exercise whenever they're feeling overwhelmed or unsure about priorities. You might even consider making it a monthly or quarterly exercise. For now, frame that sheet of paper/artwork but keep some paper handy for the next video. Spoiler alert, you're about to discover where you land on the complexity spectrum.