How to Stay on Track

In my experience, the riskiest distractions come from the most well-intentioned sources.

“It would help our customers if we…”

“We could reduce how much time that takes if we…”

“Conversions would increase if we…”

These suggestions may be true in isolation, but they can carry a hidden cost—taking the team’s focus away from its current execution.

There’s a time to develop options and a time to execute the plan.

Here are some tips to help you keep your team focused on the task at hand:

💪 Have a clear plan.
Team members will seek to fill the void without one.

💪 Publicize your progress.
Team members deserve to feel a sense of accomplishment and the hope that comes with continuous improvement.

💪 Create a backlog.
Capture great ideas without feeling that you need to act on them immediately.

💪 Attach names to ideas.
Reward your creatives by giving credit when their suggestions take center stage.

💪 Ship, ship, ship.
Develop a reputation for delivery and not merely activity.

In dynamic situations, you may need to shorten your execution windows.

When you’re in one, stay in it and drive your work to completion before moving on to the next great idea.