The 2nd “S” in the 3 S’s of a “One thing at a time” mentality is Step Back. Step back means that we step back from the task that we are working on and see the task in light of larger team goals or business goals. We can discover that this task is best served by another staff member – or we may find that this task, though we enjoy it – will not significantly increase revenue or lead to new business. Step back also refers to stepping back from the “this is the way we’ve always done it” mentality and see if there is another way that we can get the same result by a more streamlined method. Is there a way that this function can be automated? With technology, the way we used to do things is drastically improved. Are we making effective use of our human resources? Is every person in our team adding value by the tasks they are doing? Perhaps this task is a perfect growth opportunity for a team member. I may need to invest some time on the front end, but what a gift for me and the team if this person could get this function accomplished AND expand their skill set at the same time? I say this is a win-win!
Step back from your task – look at the activity in light of your team’s larger mission or goals and think about other ways this task can be accomplished. Perhaps other people? Perhaps using technology? Or perhaps this task doesn’t need to be done!
My next Blog posting will focus on the 3rd S – Simplify!
