“A manager’s output = the output of his or her organization + the output of the neighboring organizations under his influence.”
Andy Grove
The first category of high-leverage activities enable you to do more with what you have: they’re things that you can do to increase the output of your organisation. Things like:
- Decision making (where to focus, what not to do);
- Creating specifications for work;
- Delegation of anything that can be done by someone else, which allows you to focus on higher-leverage activities;
- Delivering or arranging effective training that helps everyone in your team get better;
- Setting culture and making sure incentives are aligned with your goals;
- Well-organised meetings that allow you to multiply your time;
- Developing tools that you or other people will use: communication or PR materials; summaries of key information, workflows and procedures;
- Spending time with clients and customers in the field, which enables you to learn far more in a shorter amount of time;
- Things that you are uniquely effective at or qualified to do;
- Anything that helps you get better at what you do: reading, getting training; making sure you’re fresh and full of ideas.