Being Productive vs. Being Fruitful

Getting Things Done - The Problem

As managers and supervisors our focus is on getting things done. We all have long to-do lists and our focus is on checking off every item on the list. We often fail to ask whether the items on our list are adding value and getting us closer to meeting the organization's mission or drawing us further away from this goal.

Likewise, I was recently going through my daily routine of checking off the boxes on my list. As a result, I was thinking how mundane and boring my days had become. I also began to question what the value was of all these many productive tasks.

As a result, I came to the realization that I can be very productive, but not very fruitful.

What do I mean by being fruitful?

Just Another Day

Well, consider your normal day. You probably do a lot of tasks that are very menial and could be done by anybody - they don't require any special skills. And these rote tasks, while needing to be done, do not offer much value to you, the organization, or your team.

Therefore, fruitfulness lies in those actions that drive our team and organization forward in a meaningful way.

Often, our tasks do not perform the purpose of achieving an end that would get us closer to meeting the organization's mission. Instead, our actions are merely busy for the sake of doing things. Sometimes we engage in non-value-added task to simply avoid dealing with issues or problems. At other times we perform these tasks because they are easy and give us a quick sense of accomplishment.

Strategies to Help Focus on Mission (The Fruit)

However, there are some strategies you can use to break this cycle of being productive without being fruitful.

First, perform a daily review of your organization's mission statement and the goals you have established to help your team meet that mission.

Second, get the little tasks out of the way as soon as possible. If a task will take you less than a minute to complete, then get it done and move on.

Third, prioritize your tasks by value. Put the most important items - the ones that move you, your team, and the organization forward toward your goals - on top of the list. Those are the things you want to spend the bulk of your time on.

Next, prioritize by things that need to get done, but do not offer value toward the overarching goals. And Finally, put those things that can wait until you have free time to accomplish and are not essential to the mission of the organization at the bottom of your list.

Fourth, don't allow yourself to get distracted by the little unimportant things. This is tough, but foundational. Delegate as much of the non-essential tasks as you can. You will feel more fulfilled at the end of the day getting a few important jobs completed than doing a whole bunch of unimportant things.

Be Fruitful

In conclusion, it is easy to get caught up in the spinning wheels of busy activity, but if your actions don't offer value - to you, your team, and the organization - then they aren't worth your time. Keep focused on what is important and clear your schedule of those items that are not goal focused. Refresh yourself daily on what your organization's mission is and what the main goals are that support that mission. This attention to mission will help you stay concentrated on the right activities that will help you feel fruitful and avoid just being productive.