The difference between hugely successful people and the ones who want to be successful is focused execution – on the right priorities. After all, I’ve never met a person or business who sets out to fail. Have you?
Hugely successful people fully understand the concept of “TPV.” Let’s face it: In a fast-paced world, there is never enough TIME to complete everything, therefore you have to PRIORITIZE your work in a way that creates the greatest VALUE to you, your life or your company. TPV. It is the concept of knowing which road to take when faced with a fork in the road.
I developed this framework of TPV while running a nationally recognized, high-growth company that grew fourfold in two years from $7MM to $30MM. When you are always running from behind, you quickly hone the skill of prioritization – or you quickly fail. Ingraining this framework into myself and my team allowed us to outperform the marketplace.
TPV helps determine the productive path
TPV isn’t just about working hard and at pace – although that is part of it. Success is about about intentionally spending your time – on the right stuff – because time is your most valuable resource. You will get more of the right shit done if you have prioritized, focused, intentional execution. TPV is all about productive productivity. PS – And, you’ll feel good about your work if you complete it while acting in concert with your values.
So, you have to prioritize, but in the whirlwind of a day, it is easy to fall prey and slink into the easy, mundane tasks and away from the important, harder projects that move the needle of creating value. So, you need to be keyed into, ‘How do I prioritize – or rather, what should I do first?’
Start with:
- What creates the greatest benefit? You should always thinking long-term then short-term. Obviously, we can’t close out just the “big” projects and neglect the smaller projects. I can’t just chase new business without tending to the current customers.
- What limits liability? This could be actual liability, cost, timeliness, safety, looking stupid to your Customer, or angering your Customer. When I look at liability-driven situations, I am always thinking, “Fix the issue (what do I have to do right now in this minute to fix this problem), then solve the problem (what are the long-term systems, process or people changes that need to happen).” This thinking provides for immediate relief and then longer-term success.
You should be thinking about these ideas simultaneously: benefit and liability. No company can succeed focusing on just one or the other – other than maybe lawyers and insurance brokers who live to limit liability. Using the thought, “It take a lifetime to build a relationship, but only one misstep to ruin the trust,” I would choose liability over benefit in a competing scenario. When faced with a tie, always think long-term according to your values. (Side note: Have you done the work to know your values, so you can live by them and unlock your happiest state?)
From there, head towards:
- Owning, performing and executing your day-to-day responsibilities and interactions. If you are following good process, setting up others for success, thinking and not just processing, and being proactive instead of reactive, then you will flow and have less of the liability questions and more economic benefit questions. 🙂 In a fast-paced world, you are rushed and sometimes tempted to take shortcuts. Shortcuts are fool’s gold: they always cost you more time over the long haul. Know the process, trust the process and work the process; if the process can be better or more efficient, then speak up.
There are no better investments than the ones you make in yourself.
Behind the day-to-day:
- Non-urgent, special projects: Unless this is prioritized by your Board or your Manager, these should happen in balance, but behind, your day-to-day responsibilities.
- What is your plan for growth? There are no better investments than the ones you make in yourself. You simply cannot solve new problems at the same level of thinking that created them. Thinking about the your skills and exercise your brain through reflective thought, reading and vigorously conversing or debating. Growth doesn’t just happen between the working hours of 9-5. Be willing to stretch. You are capable of amazing things. I promise.
I sincerely believe you can unlock your potential for productive productivity by using TPV. Don’t be a minion simply processing your day away because it is what’s “next.” Instead, think about your role in the supply chain and explode your value by spending time on the right stuff for productive productivity (Hint: This is how you get raises and promotions).
What do you think? How are you approaching your priorities? Are you spending your time on the right priorities?
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