Your 60+ hour weeks are keeping your business from growing

 There is a common misconception amongst entrepreneurs that working “Hard” will get you ahead. If that were the case, there would be lots of millionaire landscapers running around in Bentley’s and Lambo’s!

The fact is, there is no correlation between a work ethic and a fat pocket book, much less business success. There are a few cardinal sins that are foundational causes of the 60 hours week.

One of the primary cardinal sins is this false concept of multi tasking, or the ability to switch quickly between tasks. Let me ask you, when was the last times you effectively multi tasked?

Have you been able to attend an opera and cut the grass?  

How about clean your home while skydiving?

You see, what Next Generation CEOs have figured out is there is a secret to the way that high performers act and conduct their day. Amongst other high performance habits, the WAY we work is as important as what we work on.

Instead of multi tasking, consider task stacking to conduct the highest value or complex activity. Instead of trying to do multiple things (all not well, might I add) try doing something with very high value

For instance, if I have to be on a conference call, what else can I do that makes this task more complex and of a higher value? A great example for me would be to go for a walk while on the call so that I am working on my health as well as my wealth.

(A Terrible example would be to work on a proposal at the same time!)

How do you value stack revenue producing activities that turn your week into a productivity machine?

World’s worst close (and the microphone with the line on it)

Busted!  

“Are you sending an e-mail while you are trying to have a conversation with me?”

If only I had never heard this statement, or worse yet, heard it multiple times!

How many times did I actually need to re-learn the lesson that by trying to DO MORE I was actually killing any chance at accomplishing what I was setting out to do. The first time I heard this it was just a business friend, and it was only really a bit in jest.

Truth be told, I had no clue what he was saying because I was trying to finish up an e-mail with an offer. The bad news is that not only was my e-mail terrible, but so was my conversation with my friend.

The real problem was the NEXT time I heard it...

I was on a sales call and getting ready to close the customer when an e-mail popped up from an existing client. While my prospect was talking (actual outlining the objections), I thought it would be ok to send a quick response to the client. So I clicked mute and began to type the quick response. Only problem was, I didn’t actually click mute!

Boom! Say goodbye to any rapport that I had gained. Not only did I lose rapport, but I also had no clue what the objection was.

There was a cost associated with this, I didn’t close the sale.  

As a matter of principle, it was a pretty heavy price to pay for what I got no return on. High Performers have figured out there are some very specific habits that garner incredible results. One of those habits is our ability to focus and show up authentically, and thus to increase our productivity, and in turn increase our profitability!

 Got a productivity problem?  These three tricks will solve it

Multi Tasking is OUT!  Gone!

It’s been completely debunked and the whole concept it a thing of the past. When embattled entrepreneurs are in the trenches they think attention dividing multi tasking activities are the key to productivity.

Then, after they learn habits that are native to high performers, it’s like a like light switch getting turned on that can’t ever get turned off. One key component to high performance is INTENTIONALITY.

Remember…where intention goes, attention follows… where attention goes, energy flows (Gospel according to Tony Robbins: Chapter 1).

When truly setting your intention upon high productivity here are three critical steps:

1. Set your intention upon each activity having the highest value

2. Stack valuable activities

3. Set specific start and end times

Let’s take physical fitness for example.  Next Generation CEOs know that a healthy mind, body and spirit are integral to high performance.

Ask any true high performer and you will find a fitness regimen that allows for as much development of the mind as the body, but let’s not follow that yellow brick road too far. We only get one body- so how do we preserve it?

First, have you ever seen someone get fat from one donut, or one pizza?

How about getting skinny from running one mile?

The key to success of any regiment is most simply…consistency. So how do high performers set attention, value stack, and remain consistent? Simple. Instead of thinking through what you can multitask, think through the most complex activity with the greatest value

At one point in my life, talking on radios, moving the throttle and navigating equated to a very complex task of flying a fighter jet. In my life today, a great example of a highly complex and value adding task is to conduct a workout while listening to a podcast or business program. Instead of filling my mind with garbage, I can exercise my muscles and brain at the same time.