Tasks vs. Key Results

“Life favors the specific ask and punishes the vague wish.” - Tim Ferriss

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

Excellent advice from the book Tribe of Mentors that is the culmination of hundreds of interviews over years with the highest performers from across multiple industries.  

Leadership Tools: Task vs Key Result.

This advice can be applied to the hiring and management process:  

  • Build very clear job descriptions around specific Key Results that you need to achieve instead of a list of vague tasks.  
  • Will you be able to tell if the team member is achieving the Key Results or not?  
  • Assuming the Key Results are achieved by the team member; will they have a quantifiably positive impact on the business? 
  • Build a detailed Interview Guide prepared for the position with specific questions defined for each of the Key Results so you can identify the best candidate for the position?  
  • Consider the impact if this specific use of language permeated your whole organization.  “Go to the second floor and install lights.” vs. “There are 3 conference rooms on the second floor.  Please have them all of them lit and ready for inspection by 2PM today. The inspector will meet you there at 2:30 and we need them signed off.”  Which Foreman would you rather have laying out your crews?   

Coaching construction teams to think and communicate with this level of clarity is something we love working on




Urgent vs Important
Every person on the planet has the same 24 hours in a day - it’s how we use those 24 hours that differentiates us. What’s truly important that you can do today, this week and this month that will move your life forward in a meaningful way.
Taking 100 Percent of Responsibility
Imagine having 100% control over everything. It starts by assuming 100% responsibility for everything.
Cash Flow and the 5Cs of Credit - Conditions
The 5th of the 5Cs of Credit are the conditions for the loan, which is primarily what the funds will be used for. These conditions are here to protect the contractor as much as they are there to protect the bank.