Say More by Saying Less

The No. 1 advantage of a common language is speed. Increasing speed means completing tasks faster, but it also minimizes time spent on unnecessary tasks. You’ll naturally reduce downtime if you don’t have to fully explain a concept to get your point across.

The jargon and expressions within a common language do something called “chunking,” or compartmentalizing information. You communicate using terms or phrases that denote more complex concepts or collections of information, and you save precious time in the process.

Improve Camaraderie

Without a clearly defined language, you leave room for interpretation–and consequently, misinterpretation–among co-workers. Simple misunderstandings can create discord or lead employees to complete tasks incorrectly. When everyone can communicate with complete clarity, it will minimize confusion, ease tension and uncertainty, strengthen ties, and promote a more unified, supportive team.

Definitions

Rocks

Rocks are simply a  word for a specific type of concrete, attainable goals. They are a subset of SMART goals — those goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Instead of setting a goal like “increase sales this year,” you set a smaller, more specific goal. Rocks are the three to seven very specific strategic initiatives that you have identified as priorities for your team, your department or your company. By choosing specific smaller goals and holding people accountable, you can better ensure that your company will continue to grow.

At a smaller entrepreneurial company, there are always things that need to be done. There are things that you think would be great to put in place, but that you never have time to do. Rocks make it possible for these beneficial projects to find their way to the actual to-do lists.

Rocks allow you to set clear goals for all team members. Each person knows what he or she is accountable for. Everyone gets their own Rocks, including team leaders. These goals are set with a 90-day deadline. The 90-day length is short enough that the required actions do not land on the back burner, but long enough that there is time to do a thorough and effective job.

The team’s Rocks are checked up on a weekly basis so that you can see where you are either “On Track”, where you need to be, or if you are “Off track” and can then vector resources to get it back “On track”. At the end of the 90 days, the goals are either achieved or they are not. There is no sliding timeline, no wishy washy idea that these are things that need to be done “eventually” or “soon.” They are time limited so that they become strong priorities.

Every Rock is assigned to one specific person as their owner. This is because, when something is assigned to multiple people, it is essentially assigned to no one. When multiple people are in charge, no one feels like the person who is on the hook to get the job done. By assigning each Rock to one person, you know exactly who is responsible.

The person in charge of a Rock may or may not do every task associated with it. They are, however, the sole person held accountable for that Rock and its completion. The owner of that Rock has the responsibility to ensure that progress is made, achievements are regularly reported, and that any impediments in the way are dealt with accordingly. With weekly reports, you are better able to handle any surprises and get people the resources that they need.

responsibilities

Responsibility means you do the things you are supposed to do and accept the results of your actions. A responsibility: something you are expected to do. Being responsible: doing the things you are supposed to do. Accepting responsibility: taking the praise or the blame for something you have done.

hungry

Hungry people are always looking for more. They are intrinsically motivated, diligent, and have a strong desire to do more by going above and beyond. Hungry people do not have to be pushed by their managers to perform; they are constantly looking for more responsibility, and thinking about the next step and the next opportunity (for the team).

Note: Some people can be ‘hungry’ in a selfish way, and that is extremely detrimental to team health. Hunger driven by selfishness results in mercenary behavior, where individual goals always trump collective team goals.

Humble

This is by far the most obvious and easiest to understand. Humility in a team member shows up as a lack of excessive ego, or concerns about status. They are quick to share credit, praise others freely, and sometimes even forego credit due to them in the interest of celebrating the team’s collective win. They demonstrate strong alignment towards the team’s goals, and prioritize collective wins over individual ones. Humble team players are self-confident, but not arrogant. A memorable quote that summarizes this indispensable attribute is:

“Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

deadline

Deadlines Keep You Accountable for Goals

Very few things have the attention-grabbing power of deadlines when it comes to setting a purpose and defining the timeline for anything important that needs to be done. Whether a deadline has been set by a customer, manager or yourself, it places all stakeholders on the same page, working towards a common objective.

If you give yourself a personal deadline, you create a critical metric by which your action (or inaction) may be deemed a failure or a success. In these situations, only you have the sole responsibility for the outcome. 

quota

A sales quota is a sales goal, sales target, or minimum sales level that a sales entity – team or individual – aims to achieve. Sales quotas are typically time-sensitive – set to be reached monthly, quarterly, or yearly – and can be measured in dollar amounts or units sold, or even as specific as number of new customers, or through activities like product demonstrations.

milestone

A milestone is a specific point in time within a project lifecycle used to measure the progress of a project toward its ultimate goal. … Simply put, it’s a reference point that marks a major event or a branching decision point within a project.

communication

First, we have internal business communication.

Internal business communication can be:

• Upward communication: any communication that comes from a subordinate to a manager. Or from another person up the organizational hierarchy.
• Downward communication/Managerial communication: anything that comes from a superior to a subordinate.
• Lateral communication/Technical communication: internal or cross-departmental communication between coworkers

Then, there is external business communication.

External business communication is any messaging that leaves your office and internal staff. It involves dealing with customers, vendors, or anything that impacts your brand.

You can sort all communication in this spectrum into four types of business communication.

1. Getting and receiving instructions and assignments both upward and downward. This includes an effective delegation from one person to another. Most problems in business begin with unclear communications in this area.
2. Sharing and discussing information, including information sharing that goes on in meetings. When communication fails in this area, it causes tasks to be done improperly or not at all.
3. Giving feedback, correction, and discipline to people who report to you so that they can have the knowledge and the tools that they need to do their jobs better. Giving great, actionable feedback is a key skill for anyone in a leadership position. Non-verbal communication and body language also play a role here.
4. Problem-solving and decision-making meetings and discussions. These are considered among the most important discussions for any organization. This involves higher critical thinking and better communication technology.

wefm

Whats Expected From Me

Setting expectations for your employees is an essential responsibility that many business owners gloss over. Clear employee expectations benefit not only your staff, but your business as a whole.

Steps to set expectations:

1. Determine what your expectations are.

2. Minimize confusion by making expectations clear.

3. Let staff members know why your expectations are important.

4. Provide examples of why expectations are important.

5. Get an agreement and commitment.

dashboard/metrics

An effectivebusiness dashboard is a type of business intelligence tool. A dashboard is a type of graphical representation of the KPIs or metrics that impact whether you achieve your digital marketing strategy’s goals. The business dashboard is also an information management tool to analyze data and pinpoint potential problems, as well as detect actions we can take to solve them. 

integrity

On a personal level, people of integrity have a strong moral compass. They keep their word, take full responsibility for their actions and hold fast to their moral codes, even if it sometimes means winding up in uncomfortable situations or having to make tough decisions.

Five Dimensions of Integrity in Business

1. TRUST
2. CONSISTENCY
3. OWNERSHIP
4. COLLECTIVITY
5. EVOLUTION

accountability

Being responsible for one’s own work and answering for the repercussions of one’s own actions.