How to Get Your Team Focused on What Matters Most

When I look back on my career at Verizon at the times my teams truly knocked it out the park–the times we increased results exponentially and led the Nation in results or had a major turnaround pulling a team out of the abyss, there is one common characteristic. We had the team laser-focused on the one or two critical behaviors that mattered most at the frontline– and they were doing them consistently.

Seems so basic and easy? Right? And yet it’s so easy to get distracted–focusing on the 27 other “critical” metrics on your scorecard, or the merger, or some special project.

4 QUESTIONS TO KEEP YOUR TEAM FOCUSED ON WHAT MATTERS MOST #MINDTHEMIT

If you’re looking to get your team FOCUSED on what matters most… it starts by IDENTIFYING what matters most. And then, consistently reinforcing those behaviors (as my teams would describe “Like a maniac”) through every means possible.

What Matters most?

What do our customers really need from us–consistently? (Not 37 things. Pick one or two.)

What values have we committed to?

When we walk away from our work, what will we be proud to have accomplished

Win or lose, how will we know we’ve done our very best?

Which actions have the most Impact?

What are the critical behaviors that drive your results?

If we could only do one thing, which behavior would have the greatest impact?

What invisible behaviors might we forget? (eg: sleep, time with others, fun)

Where Do I / we need to say No?

What are we choosing to do instead of our MIT?

How can we make a different choice?

What are silly, creative, impossible ways to do things differently?

Where do we need to have tough conversations?

How Will I/we stay Disciplined?

What are my/our biggest distractions?

How can we ensure they don’t derail us?

How will we keep the MIT in front of us all the time?

How will we hold ourselves accountable for maintaining focus on the MIT?