We just got back from a Wyoming dude ranch vacation.
We rode. We shot. We two-stepped.
Check out my wife, daughters, and their boyfriend & girlfriend in front of a ranch house concert one night.
What a blast!
And boy, I needed the break.
The ranch has spotty wireless and nearly nonexistent cell coverage.
It was glorious.
Listen, I love my work. Seriously, I LOVE it!
We're making such a big impact at BIG: every day, every week.
But we all need breaks.
Time away gives us a broader perspective. Insights.
Mine?
Think through how I'll make decisions in our opening-up world.
Doing this right now -- as the world opens back up -- is critical.
We have SO many more options coming.
The Groundhog Days are about over.
So...
What are you going to say Yes to? No to?
Here's what I came up with.
It covers the three biggest decisions I need to make to invest time:
- What delivery work should I personally lead vs. others on the team?
My rubric: I have to be providing something measurably different than others on our team. That's very rare. Our team is so good. I should lead very involved in the design, setup, oversight, etc. - What things should I personally travel for?
My rubric: Has to be > $X of future potential revenue: X = the general level of our largest contracts.
Traveling has friction. One trip means several other things can't move forward. - What marketing/BD activities should we focus on?
My rubric: We're nearly 100% virtual/digital now. Only travel for marketing/BD events with potential > $X, with the same X as above. That's a high bar. Digital marketing BD has been SO effective for us in the last year; we're doubling down. Digital events scale broadly and last forever.
That's it. Simple.
The world is opening back up.
We now have so many more choices coming up.
A lot of in-person meetings make sense. But now, more than ever, we each need a strategy for determining which ones to pursue.
What do we say Yes and No to?
Ask yourself:
- What are the top three decisions you often have to make to invest time?
- What would have to be true for each decision that would make it worth saying Yes to?
Write those down.
Do the things that meet those criteria.
Say no to the rest.
Say Yes to less.
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My weakness is saying Yes to things that are "OK" and far off in the future. The simple rubrics I described above will help me with that, helping me determine what's a Yes and what's a No. That's gold. I had so many other things I realized on vacation too. I could cover them now... But I'm going to Say Yes To Less.
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