MOVEMENT IS NOT ACHIEVEMENT
People feel important when their calendars are filled, meetings are waitlisted, and their time goes in running from pillar to post. This is what we call the ‘movement syndrome’. There is a lot of movement, and activity, but not achievement.Peter Drucker observed many decades ago that the secret of getting things done was to do one thing at a time till it is completed.
FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT
How many times each day are you interrupted at work?Interrupted by a boss?
Interrupted by a colleague?
Interrupted by mails?
Interrupted by Breaking News?
Interrupted by social media?
Interrupted by apps?
You may feel that you’re so cool at juggling everything. Here’s the hard truth about people who claim to be excellent multitaskers - they don’t know how to say no.In all probability they are the infallible ‘Yes Men’.THE MULTITASKER PROFILE
The boss loves him.He says yes to every task and every meeting.Has lots on his plate.Doesn’t do anything excellent by himself. Can’t anymore. Relies on others always.Guarded and unsecured. Thats the reason for the ‘Yeses’.The ‘core job’ that this person is responsible for is usually messed up.Hardly respected.Usually used, which the multitasker misinterprets for respect.
GETTING GREAT THINGS DONE
Excellence is a habit. This means to become excellent at anything, it takes a great deal of practice. Practice is time. If you’re doing multiple things during the day, how do you become excellent at anything? It isn’t logical or possible.
People Who Accomplish GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS (Not Movements):
Have enormous amount of concentration power.Are able to almost always produce excellent work: from a presentation to a strategy.Have learnt to say ‘NO’.Are confident about their work, and not dependant for their careers.Do one thing at a time.Are known for the depth in their work.Hugely respected by the inner circle.Are purpose driven.
Multitasking is a myth. It’s a mask. It’s a mask to cover incompetence. It’s a cover-up to feel important. It has a lot of action, lots of meetings, and lots of conversations. It has even more work in progress than in completion. Sadly it has very shallow achievements, if any at all.If you want to accomplish great things, then do what all greatest accomplishers have done - STICK WITH IT.Chetan Walia
