Do the right things right

There's a pretty simple matrix that I first discovered some years ago, used it often during consulting interviews and still use it today.  It's helpful for understanding why some people, businesses and brands are successful, and planning your own. 

See, I like studying successful people (inspiring change agents, captains of industry, true entrepreneurs, dream chasers, etc) and figuring out what differentiates them from others who aren't successful, fall away or fail.  After all, generally speaking we're all not that much different (physiologically at least) and yet there are wide gaps between the really successful and the not-so.

Why?  I believe it's because they do the right things right.

Two of the four quadrants on the matrix (wrong things wrong and right things wrong) are simple themes and need no time wasted on them.

Doing the wrong things right is a bit more interesting though and bears further consideration.

There are plenty of busy people around. You’ve seen them. You work with them. Maybe you’re one of them (and if you are and don’t fit into the former categories, there’s hope).

They move from one thing to another, buzzing like a honey bee, barely stopping. They get things done (or appear to). They run from meeting to meeting. They’re bleak, they’re negative and they just never seem to have time.

They start with a full to do list and probably finish it before the end of the day or if not, just keep adding to it.

But are they moving forward, advancing or are they stuck? Do they complain that they can never get ahead, saying things like “I’m the busiest in here, in the office way past ‘them’, so why don’t I get ahead?”

It may be because they're doing the wrong things right.

That can mean many things.  A couple of examples are doing the same thing the same way over again, despite the struggles and inefficiencies that are clear, or doing everything yourself, because you don’t trust anyone else to do it your way.

This all leads, of course, to doing the wrong things, but you can still do them well, which serves no purpose at all.

Contrast that with the person that could be perceived as not busy. Maybe they seem unusually calm. Or they start late and finish early.  They network, chat, rarely drive the desk, wear tracks in the office carpet and yet they’re recognised.  Praised even.  They succeed.

In my view those people are doing the right things right. They’re cutting through the noise, the clutter and accurately figuring out what’s actually important to advancing their cause and doing those things.

Well.

What those things are change with every situation and it’s for you to analyse and identify what they are. Signposts abound (eg. things that have been done the same way forever) so uncovering and plotting against them simply takes a little time and commitment.

Delegate, out-source, focus, sacrifice and saying no are themes that should be at the heart of any thought or action if you’re ambitious to succeed and make a difference.