On the surface the To Do list is a simple thing and hardly needs a whole blog written about it, right? Actually, while simple in nature the To Do list is worth examining.
Good To Dos
A To Do needs to be concrete, easy to determine if it complete or not, and supporting the resolution of an Issue, move forward a Rock or some specific and important matter. A To Do of “contact three printers and get quotes for the Fall catalogue” is a good To Do. “Think about why shipping is late” is not.
Keep Track and Analyze
Don’t think of the To Do list like a list of chores. Chores get put on the list, completed, marked and forgotten; To Dos should not be. Keep an archive of the To Dos and study it. Are To Dos consistently done on time and correctly? Are To Dos hanging around for weeks on end? If so, why? Are they good To Dos? Are the same To Dos appearing repeatedly? If they are, should they? The To Do list when studied week over week will reveal a lot of information about the function of your business.
The To Do archive isn’t looking good…
This is not an “oh no” moment, it is an “a ha” moment – an opportunity to get better. Understand the reasons why it isn’t looking good and correct them. Here is a sample of reasons why To Dos are going poorly:
Clarity: are the To Dos nebulous and poorly defined? Do they not have a single owner? A concise To Do with a clear owner is half of the solution to completing them.
Systems: a To Do that requires an answer that just can’t be found isn’t always an indictment in the To Do owner or the team that needs to work on it. If that critical data point can’t really be found or is just a SWAG then how can the To Do be resolved?
Load: If the To Do owner is starting their day an hour earlier than everyone else and they are online in the evenings and on the weekends can they really be expected to just drop everything to work on To Dos?
People Problem: this is often the first reason that we consider – it should be the last reason. We have to trust our colleagues; we have to believe that everyone in the boat wants to go to the same place and is rowing as a team. But if there is no other explanation for why things aren’t looking good then look at the person. Why are they consistently making the To Dos not look good? Use Right Person Right Seat and the People Evaluator as a guide. If it is a people problem it probably isn’t a malicious issue but whatever it is it needs focus and resolution.
The To Do Archive is looking great!
A healthy To Do archive with good To Dos and consistent successful completions is a sign of an efficient and healthy organization. This is something that should be called out and celebrated; it is a sign that culture and Core Values are aligned and that things are humming!
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