How to: Be Action Oriented

What does this look like?

An action oriented leader:

• readily tackles challenges without unnecessary planning and delays
• identifies and seizes new opportunities
• displays a can-do attitude in good and bad times
• steps up to handle tough issues.

How can I do this?

1.    Set priorities and goals

• Of all the things you need to do, work out what’s truly critical and what’s less critical. Think in terms of outcomes.
• Try to identify five things that are less critical.
• Pick a few mission critical things and resolve to get them done. Don’t let the trivial distract you.
• Ask yourself what you should spend half your time on.
• Set yourself goals, milestones and deliverables.

2.    Start early and break it down

• Consider doing 10% of a task as soon as it’s assigned.
• Break big jobs into smaller tasks. Work on smaller tasks each day.
• Break big decisions into a set of smaller decisions.
• Look for small wins you can achieve quickly.

3.    Engage others

• You often need to engage others in order to get things done. Work on your influencing skills.
• Think about how to get people on board.
• Learn how to negotiate. Consider what you can do for others in return for their action.

4.    Learn to live with imperfection

• Don’t let perfectionism stand in the way of action. As the saying goes ‘done is better than perfect’.
• Successful managers are right about ²/₃ of the time, but not all of the time. Treat mistakes as an opportunity to learn.
• Sometimes you need to make decisions without all of the data. Focus on what you absolutely need to know.
• Delegate so you don’t become a bottleneck and stop things getting done efficiently.
• Remember that it’s not a perfect world and you’re only human. Also, your work is just one part of your life. Invest in other interests and relationships outside of work.

5.    Build your confidence

• Focus on your strengths.
• When you find yourself worrying, write down your worries, then write an upside for each, or a pro for each con.
• Ask for feedback and suggestions.
• Consider getting a mentor or coach.

6.    Focus on your interests

• Make a list of what you like and don’t like to do at work.
• Include a few ‘liked’ activities in each day.
• Do your least preferred tasks first.
• Take time to appreciate what you accomplish.

You may find this challenging if you…

• are slow to act on opportunities and miss out
• are too methodical, a perfectionist or risk averse
• tend to procrastinate
• set easy goals and avoid a challenge
• lack confidence in your decisions
• know what to do but hesitate
• are unmotivated to act.

Being action oriented is ineffective when…

• you’re a workaholic
• you act without enough analysis
• you’re doing a lot but you’re not being strategic
• you’re micro-managing
• you focus on the urgent and neglect the important