Success in any area of business–however you choose to define it–is simply a function of our skill multiplied by our will multiplied by our systems.
Skill is how well we execute the elements of our role. It’s continuing to sharpen the saw and a humility to admit that I can always get better–I want to always be getting better. I think about professional athletes who win championships in their respective sport and the idea that even the best of the best choose to watch game film, look for areas to improve, and continuously practice, drill, and rehearse. We can too!
Will is our desire to stay consistent; to do the things we ought to do, regardless of how we feel in the moment. Will can be increased through self-talk and through clarity of vision. Lucky for us, will is not something only bestowed on some lucky few; however, we have to learn how to tap into that fuel source if we are going to be our best.
So give yourself a score in each category on a 1-10 scale; 10 being the best and a 1 being it couldn’t get much worse. Then multiply those three numbers together. For example, if you are an 8 in skill, a 10 in will, but a 3 in systems your score would be 240 out of a possible 1000, meaning 24%. I would submit to you, that percentage is OPPORTUNITY.
Systems are like a multiplier. Systems are how we get more fruit out of the same 24-hours than the next guy or gal. Systems are how efficiently we utilize our time, how we choose to delegate, and how we choose to prioritize the items in our day. Our CEO, Dustin Hillis, likes to say “your capacity is in direct proportion to your structure and your systems.”
The opportunity to get better in systems would be a multiplier on all the other areas of the above person’s business and life. Just getting systems shored up to a 6 (8 x 10 x 6 = 480, or 48%) would mean that individual would see double–DOUBLE!–their return on productivity (ROP).
Clients we coach often see their income double or they say they are able to get more done in less time, sometimes 2x and 3x what they felt like they were accomplishing before. So while I know the above calculation isn’t an exact science, go ahead and score yourself. Then score where you would like to be and just imagine the possibilities with an ROP like that!
Marjorie Dudley 