Get more done in less time – How effective leaders invest their time

By Jerry Bellune
April 7, 2014

How do highly successful people invest their time?
The key word here is invest.
Many of us talk about spending time.
Successful business leaders think of investing it.
Time is an asset just like cash, clients and inventory.

A study of 2,800 managers and sales people found:
• 20% achieve their goals three years in a row.
• 80% were inconsistent and unsuccessful.
What set the 20% peak performers apart?
They invested most of their time in:

•  Planning the steps needed to reach goals.
They set targets and their expectations of themselves.
They identified the skills that would be needed.
That might be their own or those from someone else.
They measured which actions led to success.
They clearly envisioned their final results.

• Coaching their star performers in the field.
They identified what each performer needed.
They picked the right person for each task.
They tracked performance and results.
That wasn’t micro-managing from the sidelines.
It meant adjusting game plans as needed.
It meant keeping an eye on the clock and the results.

• Assisting where and when needed.
Don’t be tempted to jump in to save deals or projects.
Understand where and how to insert yourself.
Let your people solve the problems themselves.
When that’s not possible, step in to assist.

What are the unsuccessful 80% doing?
Mostly paper work and time-wasting meetings.
They also felt they needed to do it all.
They did not trust their people to run with it.