Leadership tools and planning methods are wide-ranging, but one rule has the power to exponentially increase your team’s productivity and efficiency while giving team members greater ownership in the process.
The 1/3 — 2/3 Rule
The rule states that leaders should spend no more than 1/3 of the time allocated for a mission or project on the planning phase. The other 2/3 is devoted to individuals and teams working in their strongest areas.
Leaders work with tight schedules and complex situations. We likely do not have the detailed expertise to accomplish every sub-task on our own. The team is what makes us successful, but the leader must provide motivation and direction.
Develop your plan and communicate your goal/or end-state to your team.
Set clear expectations, guidelines, deadlines, and assign responsibility for specific tasks.
Answer questions from the team and make sure they understand the desired result.
The second two-thirds:
Give your team space to work and time to take action. This is their chance to creatively solve problems and demonstrate their expertise.
Trust your team. They are more capable than you think, so give them a chance to prove it!
This rule is fairly simple and allows you to do your job as a leader: supervise.
Results
Greater freedom: Who likes having their boss hover over them micromanaging every step? You guessed it. No one. Team members will cherish having the freedom to work on each project in the ways they know best.
Higher quality: Assigning individual tasks also assigns responsibility for completing the task. With responsibility comes accountability and higher quality products. People do their best work when they are given clear expectations and a chance to prove themselves.
Ownership: Each team member should understand how their task fits in with the overall goal. They should feel they are contributing to something bigger than themselves. This rule gives them an opportunity to learn and try new methods to solve problems. Let your team members bring their unique skill-set to the table and share their talents.
“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” — General George Patton, US Army
The 1/3 — 2/3 rule allows you to define project limits. Provide a basic outline and timeline, then let your people do their best work.
You will have the freedom to supervise and focus your energy on the one or two elements that need your attention most.
Morning Peak - Usually before lunch, this is the best time to handle analytical tasks that require logical, focused, disciplined attention. Afternoon Trough - The slump (and it's not always about lunch), where it's better to have mindless, busy-work.
Some will be productive, some will not. It depends on you are how you are wired. For example, if you are a morning person, you may get in a high-performance flow earlier in the day like 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. – and then see your productivity petering out at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.
On a work day, 39.9% of employees say they get the most done between 9:00 am and 11:00 am. This comes as no surprise as many people tend to be the most productive when their energy levels are high and their minds are fresh.
The team of researchers found that employees really are less active and more prone to mistakes on afternoons and Fridays, with Friday afternoon representing the lowest point of worker productivity.
Employees self-reported Monday as the most productive day, with 29 percent of respondents citing it as the day they get the most work done. Tuesday was a close second, with 27 percent of respondents claiming it's their most productive day of the week. A survey from Redbooth found similar results.
Researchers looked at project management software data to see when most tasks got done. They uncovered that most of the 28 million tasks were completed between 9 and 11 a.m. But take note: While the majority of us are most productive between 9 and 11 am, this isn't the case for everyone.
Seventy-one percent of workers agree the late afternoon is the worst time for work, with productivity plummeting between 3 and 6 p.m., according to the survey of more than 10,000 desk workers and executives.
Your hormones are optimized for maximum physical and mental productivity in the morning. It may not feel that way as you clamber out of bed to the tune of the alarm clock, but it is. This out-of-it feeling you experience is your body and mind “boot-up”.
Address: 747 Lubowitz Run, Sidmouth, HI 90646-5543
Phone: +99513241752844
Job: Design Supervisor
Hobby: Digital arts, Lacemaking, Air sports, Running, Scouting, Shooting, Puzzles
Introduction: My name is Delena Feil, I am a clean, splendid, calm, fancy, jolly, bright, faithful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
