What is not getting done in your life, in your business, in your work, in your department that really needs to get done?
That question is the key to the new organization that can take you from where you are to the next level of effectiveness.
In Acts 6 the Apostles had the people choose seven men to take over a task that was not getting done. Some widows were not being properly cared for in the church. If the Apostles had been like many of us, they would have tried to do it themselves and they would have done it poorly and other things would have been neglected. But they did it right. They reorganized to keep themselves on their most important work, which was spiritual leadership, and they got other people on the other things that needed done. Voila, they created Deacons. They created a new organizational structure to spread the work and stay on their highest work.
The whole issue came up because of a complaint. It wasn't getting done.
There is a parallel story in Exodus 18. Moses was trying to judge all the people's disputes by himself. He had a back-up of frustrated people like a Motor Vehicle Department. It was killing them and him. People were not being served in a timely manner.
Moses' father-in-law saw it and told Moses to wise up and reorganize to get it done. Moses listened and chose men who could judge people at different levels; thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. Voila, he created the first civil government of Israel.
Okay, so what's not getting done in your life or work? Name the top three things that are not getting done and make a decision for each one. If it is something only you can do, then block the time out in your schedule to do it. That probably means you will have to drop something else that is not as important. If it is something someone else can do 70% as well as you, ask someone else to do it.
It is amazing how much does not get done properly because we spread ourselves so thin on everything and we master nothing. In our own control freak messiah-hood we think we are saving the world and in fact we are only keeping the world from our best and keeping others from joining in with their good work.
So, make your list. What is not getting done. In my own life I wrote these down:
1. My books are not getting written.
2. I am not exercising.
3. My investments are not being managed.
The first two are mine. I have to do these myself. My third one is one that needs to go into the hands of someone who specializes in investment management. So, my next level of organization is to block out time in my schedule for writing and exercise and to turn my investment account over to someone who does that for a living.
I did that a couple of years ago with my taxes. I have been such a control freak on doing my own taxes because I didn't want to pay the professional fees. However, since I have been using a good CPA to do my taxes I have received more tax advantages that have more than paid for my professional fees, plus it has freed up more of my time to do what I do best.
Most of us are a little bit of reorganization away from our next level of success. The place to start is to name the most important things that are not getting done.
