Black Belt Productivity

Jason Womack of the Jason Womack Company is one of the most respected names in personal productivity. Jason, as most of you know, is also a champion of Getting Things Done. He was a presenter for the David Allen Company for several years. These days, he coaches individuals and companies in enhancing workplace performance by implementing best practices in the workplace.

Jason also is a triathlete with a passion for helping others achieve their fitness goals.

Today, we publish Jason’s thoughts on GTD and metrics.

The original question that kicked off this discussion was submitted by Mayra.

Hi! My name is Mayra. I work as a Black Belt in a Mexican company. I want to know the best way to measure the performance of a BB. I mean, Which metrics are the most appropriate way to prove that a BB is reaching his/her objectives in the company (# of projects, savings, etc)? Thanks for your help!

Jason responds below…

Do other people know what your “objective” definition of Black Belt is? When you explain what you’re doing that proves you are Black Belt, do they experience that as subjective evidence of self-management and personal organization? For example, if as a Black Belt you have a certain work area set up as your “Productivity Center,” and it works for you…is there anyone on your team that doesn’t do it “your way” yet manages their own commitments, projects and tasks in an effective manner?

Is your performance management objective or subjective? Objective management includes numbers, weights, measures. How many e-mails do you get a day? How many hours between weekly reviews? How many files did you make last week? How many inches of paper piles did you process last week? How many hours of sleep did you get each night? How many minutes of exercise did you get last week? How much water did you drink? (Oh, if you’re going to be Black Belt, you can’t “just” do it at work! It’s an “All-Around Endeavor.”

Nathan Womack, the Founder of The New Long Term, has a great quote about Measurement

WHY MEASURE?
•MEASURING LEADS TO REPORTING
•REPORTING LEADS TO VISIBILITY
•VISIBILITY LEADS TO FOCUS
•FOCUS LEADS TO CHANGE

Metrics appropriate to “prove” a BB is reaching her objectives: Take your outcomes list, and sit down with your boss, and your boss’ boss. Go through each one, line by line. Go through last year’s performance appraisal. Go through the goals that you and your supervisor outlined at the beginning of this year. Identify the projects that are going to get you closer to where you want to be, and add the ones that you need to add in light of those discussions. (Oh, by the way, I would personally do that discussion process iteratively. I would not try to do it all in one meeting…)

Repetition is the mother of skills…however, it is also the foundation of our habits. Spend a day and CAREFULLY track your habits. Even the ones you can justify such as, “I always get up and brush my teeth before I shower.” By identifying ALL the habits, you can then begin to see which ones are helping you get to where you want to be, and which ones are distracting you from where you’re going…