by Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Leadership Solutions, Inc.®

“When it comes to leaders, it’s not about time management; it’s about Priority Streaming.”

    If only we didn’t get consumed by our daily activities and routines? If only we could see what’s coming down the pike? If only we could get our people onto the same page, we’d all be better off? If only…?

These are some of the regular thoughts and refrains executives articulate, as they battle to handle their work loads, dilemmas and personal demands, and remain on track. Let’s take each point in turn:

» Consumed by Daily Activities – There’s not anything unusual about that, as we try our best to meet our own and others expectations. Trouble is; if it becomes a daily habit without any let up, we could find ourselves way off track after a week or two.

    It would be like walking out into semi-wilderness on a pitch black night without a compass. By the time early daylight arrives, it’s likely you would be way off course and wouldn’t know where you are.

The same follows with your work and personal life. Without a compass or strategic vision, you could be way-off-track before you know it.

» Seeing what’s coming Down the Pike – Of course, none of us are able to predict the future. We have to learn to adapt to life’s circumstances and take advantage of its opportunities as they come along.

    Having said that, if we can anticipate or project where we’d like our team to be this time next week or month, there’s a much greater chance we’ll make it happen.

In other words, if you can anticipate or project how you’d like things to evolve, there’s a much greater chance that you and your team will bring them to reality. So, with due thought as to where you’re going, you can have some impact on how your team’s future will unfold.

» Getting my Team onto the Same Page – So many executives and team leaders are challenged by getting their people on-board and having them arrive on the same page. But, unless there’s a clear field for your people to operate in or a page for them to settle on, it’s rather unrealistic to expect those same team members to join forces with you.

    It would be rather like letting loose a gaggle of kids into an empty field, throw a few balls in after them, and then expect them to operate like cohesive teams for the next two hours. Without some sort of framework, objectives, guidelines and human principles, they’ll probably wander around aimlessly for a while and maybe even do each other some harm over that two hour period. That’s what dysfunctional groups of work people do, too.

So what’s the likely remedy for these regular executive experiences and dilemmas? There are many schemes and plenty of advice out there; some more successful than others. Many of you have your own preferences today. Even so, there’s one approach you haven’t tried and that’s Priority Streaming. Why? Because it’s only more recently been discovered.

Its concept is simple and it projects an appropriate pathway for you and your team. Once you have it up and running, it doesn’t take a lot of time to comprehend and follow its intentions. So, let’s take a look at this approach:

» It consists of 9 easy steps: Starting out with the time you spend dealing with Today and Tomorrow’s issues and ending with how you Maintain this simple approach once started.

» You end up with a picture or pictogram, that you and others can quickly absorb, that displays what you will be Executing/Implementing in the near term, and Preparing/Thinking about going forward.

» Your intentions in each scenario will be simply bullet-pointed and your one-page picture is easy to recall.

» It will be a highly valuable tool to share with your colleagues, team members and own leader at any level.

Take a look at the example below….”It may sound or look a little complicated, but not really once you have more details. So contact us @ peter@ileadershipsolutions.com  for a more in-depth briefing.”  It’s an easy and powerful concept once you understand it, so feel free to reach out to us and then put it in place in your own organization.

By sustaining this rotation, you will always be somewhat ahead of your game and have some reasonable influence over you and your team/organization’s future. You will also have a pictogram for drawing your team onto the same page -literally one-page – from which they can readily contribute. Even better, once you’re comfortable with the approach, involve them in building your Priority Streaming vista.

Why is this approach so powerful?

» It nudges you into picturing your team or organization’s future – a picture says a thousand words and is much easier to recall and comprehend.

» It puts your road-map into a realistic time perspective; minimal reading required by everyone.

» It allows for cascading responsibilities to be shared within your organization.

» It permits your team members to more readily understand and follow – and participate in – your lead.

» It encapsulates and solidifies all the other four phases within the enlightened leadership cycle – Decision clarity, pathfinding, people motivation, and teamwork.

    With these key advantages, besides others, why don’t you give some preliminary thought to your team/organization’s Priority Streaming; in terms of Execution, Preparing and Thinking? Done right, it will become a seamless, ongoing cycle of events, rather than a knee-jerk reaction to most things going forward.

We can share much more detail about the nine steps if you contact the author at peter@ileadershipsolutions.com.

Your leadership life and competence could be upgraded forever by becoming an expert in Priority Streaming…which will not be so hard to do. Then you can encourage those around you to do the same.

To learn more about Priority Streaming, talk with: