Greg McKeown, in a Harvard Business Review article, wrote that the reason successful people and businesses fail to automatically become very successful is because of what he calls the “clarity paradox,” which can be summarized in four phases:
- Clarity of purpose leads to success.
- Success leads to more options and opportunities.
- Increased options and opportunities lead to diffused efforts.
- Diffused efforts weaken the clarity of purpose that had led to initial success.
In simple terms, people and businesses fail to become increasingly successful because of their inability to continue their disciplined pursuit of less.
Image courtesy of Giovanni Sades / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
In a different scenario …
Multitasking, they say, is a myth. Other people, however, disagree. They say multitasking is definitely not just a myth, but the bane of anything productivity-related.
This is because studies have proven that the brain cannot focus on two things at once, but sequentially – meaning, the brain must disentangle itself from its present activity before it can be allowed to focus on another.
Such being the premise, multitasking, e.g., checking your e-mail, text messages or browsing the Internet while listening to a presentation or engaged in a meeting, doesn’t do your brain any good.
As a matter of fact, multitasking is the culprit behind less-than-ideal productivity metrics despite the appearance of being able to accomplish several tasks at once.
Less is more, remember?
Workflow tracking software vs. clarity of purpose
A workflow tracking software that provides visibility and a clear picture of next-step tasks and end results is one way to ensure that everyone involved in a project has clarity of purpose. Knowing what comes next may not be some people’s idea of fun, but for an entity that has a business to run and a deadline to beat, preparation plus skillful execution equals results.
This encourages task specialization, more work done and a more reliable workforce.
Workflow tracking software vs. team focus
A laser-focused team is a credible team. If a team knows exactly what it’s doing, it’s just a matter of time before it gets to where it wants to be. Now, that’s not discounting the importance of tools needed for a team to stay in focus. As a matter of fact, people and tools are NOT mutually exclusive. They go hand in hand.
I have yet to see a successful business team without the right set of tools in place – tracking solutions, knowledge base, productivity software, etc.
An IT helpdesk system, as an example, is specifically designed to help a team stay focused on IT helpdesk incidents. The software simplifies management and processing of such incidents through the use of a reporting dashboard, templates, forms, and lists that are both ready to use and easily customizable.
This way, your team becomes equipped with a robust IT helpdesk solution that highlights clarity of purpose and team focus.
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