A Reality-Based Deadline is a self-imposed date for a decision to force yourself to deal with it.
A friend who owns a Chowking franchise vented out her concerns with the business. They operated the business for almost a decade but it is not doing very well now. First of all, I asked her about her commitment. She said she’s been involved in other projects while managing the business.
Problem one: Focus.
Next, I asked her if she is losing money. She replied that she’s negative for six months. I inquired if the losses are manageable, she said yes because the peak months are just about to arrive.
Problem two: Timing. Should she wait or close now?
I gave her an advice to set a deadline for her decision. Stay committed in that given time frame then give it your best. The time frame should take into consideration the amount of money that she could afford to lose if the business continues to decline. If she doesn’t achieve her goal in that period of time, she should close the business because it will only bleed to death slowly until her other resources get drained.
She set her reality-based deadline for 6 months, focusing all her efforts toward the business. Setting a deadline was like an ax she installed over her dream that if she didn’t act out her business will die in 6 months. This caused her to move and get things done.
We sat down again after the deadline. She proudly declared, I made my first positive net income three months ago and sales is going up.
Almost 2 years have passed, I saw her the other day and she told me that sales is up 35% from last year. She’s been positive ever since.
ROWE stands for Results Only Work Environment! In his groundbreaking book Drive, Daniel Pink shows where people’s motivation really lies. Well, that is a subject I will discuss in a future blog.
What’s interesting is his approach to schedules. Results-only work environment is the brainchild of two American consultants, a ROWE is a workplace in which employees don’t have schedules. They don’t have to be in the office at a certain time or any time. They just have to get their work done.
I am in no way implying that we should all work from home, this is something that applies to some companies’ setting. But not for most of us. What I am suggesting is that we all work with results in mind, not just our 9am-5pm schedule.
Heres my formula: Combine Charles Schwab’s tool of 3 important things and the ROWE model.
Make a list of the top 3 activities you need to do for the day and a weekly ROWE list, the 3 most important things you need done for the week.
The daily list is your Important-Urgent list. The weekly list is your Important list.
Manage your time, Manage your Life (part 1)
My Sample Schedule for the Week:
Daily Activities:
Tuesday
Staff Meeting, Plans for the week
Wednesday
Message Prep for Sunday/Wednesday preaching
Message Prep for Less is More Discipleship event
Preach at the Wednesday 7pm Service
Thursday
Message Prep for Sunday/Wednesday preaching
Message Prep for Less is More Discipleship event
Biblical Counseling
Friday
Pastors Meeting
Finalize Message Prep for Sunday/Wednesday preaching
Finalize Message Prep for Less is More Discipleship
Saturday
9am-3pm Less is More Discipleship event
Sunday
Preach at the 2pm and 4pm service
ROWE (Results Oriented Work Environment)
Top 3 things I need to finish this week:
Message Prep for Sunday
Message Prep for Less is More Discipleship
Finalize plans for Need to Succeed event.
In the early 1900s, Ivy lee, a management consultant once approached Charles Schwab, then president of Bethlehem Steel Company.
He claimed he had an idea that would help them do productive work. He said he won’t charge Schwab any fee - he simply wanted him to try the idea, and then pay him what he thought it was worth. After only three weeks Schwab sent Ivy Lee a cheque for $25,000. That’s worth more than $750,000 in today’s money.
This is what he told Schwab:
Before the day is over, make a list of all the things you need to work on the following day. Don’t leave anything out. The order does not matter. Then decide what are the first three things you need to work on, and write the numbers 1, 2, 3 beside them. Don’t go any further than that.
The Next day: Start on number one. Do not start on number two until you have finished number one!
It all seems so simple yet there is wisdom in applying numbers to tasks according to their importance. But in today’s world, work has changed drastically. It’s tough to carry out a to do list because we are faced with tasks that grows and grows.
Here’s a simple method I use that applies Schwab’s tool that fits our work setting today.
