Some of my farm clients tell me they’re always going in 50 different directions and never seem to get things done.
That’s common in many businesses. Producers and business managers become overwhelmed by all you have to do. That often leads to procrastinating on projects, not following through or falling short of your goals. It’s amazing how inefficiency prevents us from accomplishing what we set out to do.
Unfinished projects distract us and keep us from moving on. Avoiding those loose ends seems like common sense, but, in fact, it’s not common practice.
DO MORE, STRESS LESS
Still, I’ve seen clients who complete their day-to-day tasks as well as their big projects. How do they do it?
They understand the importance of execution. They’ve learned what it takes to carry the torch across the finish line. They complete what they set out to do. They’re not willing to take on something new unless the goal and its execution are well defined and specific. Here are some execution strategies they follow to make sure they succeed:
Clarify responsibility for who, what and when. Successful execution starts with crystal clear objectives, time frames and who’s responsible for what. From identifying who will spray a field on a particular day or who will be in charge of buying a new semi, be clear about accountability and timing.
Explain to your team what has to be done and who will do it. Write it down on a white board or take notes to share later. That keeps you from missing assignments, responsibilities or deadlines.
- Get clear on what success looks like. Explain your goals to the team. Set the priorities. What are the time frames, deliverables, outcomes? Everyone should know exactly what these are. They should understand and share your goals and expectations.
- Set sprint goals. Tracking your progress in 12-week chunks or “sprints” is a popular time management strategy.
Ambitious plans, multiple tasks and long-term goals can be daunting. It’s easy to lose focus if you’re not frequently measuring progress or you’re assessing only once a year. You think you have plenty of time to finish but, before you know it, weeks or months have gone by. By focusing on shorter time frames, you maintain better control.
This process helps your projects become more manageable. A quarterly check-in allows you to review what’s been carried out — or not. You can respond more quickly to issues that might have appeared.
Monitoring your plan frequently brings a certain urgency, motivating people to meet deadlines and get things done.
Whether you want to make better headway with crop management, an expansion, a sustainability program, a risk management strategy or succession planning, set yourself up for success by building a good action plan and successfully executing it.
