Using the 4 Ds to Increase Your Efficiency and Effectiveness

Saying D's are great usually garners strange looks from my clients.  Then, I explain how to use the 4 D method to increase  individual effectiveness and efficiency. The system will sound simple, but if you follow the system the results can be phenomenal for you and your team.

• Delete: Delete tasks that no longer fit the mission of the company, or are no longer worth your ROI. Don't waste your time on projects, or anything else, that no longer produce a competitive edge for your organization. Times change and you must also change; focus on the tasks and projects that set you apart and benefit your bottom line. 
• Delay: Do not confuse delay for procrastination. Just because a new project is suddenly dropped on your desk does not necessarily mean you stop everything, change gears, and start to complete the latest task. First, learn to work smarter, not harder. Look at what you have to complete and then schedule everything for a "smart time" when you can give it your full attention. Concentrate on what you need to accomplish right now. Everything will be accomplished at the appropriate time that leads to your success.
• Delegate: You do not  have to do everything yourself. Look at at everything that needs to be accomplished and determine if you are absolutely the only person who can get the task completed. Look at what your team is capable of and determine if one of your team members is better suited to handle the task. Chances are, one third of your projects can be given to others who can do just as well as you.  Give items to someone better, faster, or competent enough to do the job successfully. This will free up your time for you to excel on the tasks that you are truly the only that can handle. Delegating provides opportunities for you team to learn and grow and accomplish more with less time.
• Diminish: It may sound simple, but you don't have to reinvent the wheel with every new client. Use what you already have and create short cuts that make your life easier. Once you have templates created that cover the forms, brochures, or presentations you normally use them as master templates you can tweak for each need. You can then reuse the master template, which saves time, for you to concentrate on your core tasks rather than spending time doing redundant paperwork. If you are determine to have a new template for each customer simply add or subtract a few lines and you have created a "tailor made" product. By creating master templates, and diminishing the time you waste on meaningless tasks, you free up an extraordinary amount of time and  create a competitive advantage for yourself and your team.

This is just an overview, but use the 4 D's and see how you start to make real headway every workday. See how you and your team become successful and together you create a bigger Splash on the Matrix.