Productivity Strategies Can Lead to More Powerful Results, Even in a Messy Garage

I walked into my garage last week and saw it for what it really was…a non-toxic wasteland.  Christmas decorations, sleeping bags, cardboard boxes, surfboards, etc.  Where would I start?  I picked up a box and a surfboard tumbled onto a case of half-used bottled water.

A small business person can have the same feeling about their business.  You try to manage the business, but the “fires” you have to put out keep you from moving a step forward.  For small businesses, here are some tips:

1. Do a strategic plan. In a nutshell, a strategic plan is :
   1. A vision, maybe 20 years.  This vision is the horizon you want to achieve.
   2. Create a strategy which is how you generally want to achieve your vision.
2. Take stock of what you have to work with.  How good is the condition of your accounting records?  Can you look at them and see a reasonably accurate history?  Look at  your strengths, weaknesses, obstacles, and your competition.  A small business owner must be honest in accessing what their current status.  To miscalculate will start you on the wrong level.
3. Lay out the actions you need to implement your strategies.  These actions should be disciplined and realistic.  Small business owners must not set up tasks that they cannot achieve.  Try delegating as much as you can.
4. Measure your progress in lieu of your strategy.  Again, I ask the small business owner, how good is the condition of your accounting records?  Can you use them to to establish a basis to measure your progress?  Most small business owners I meet don’t think in those terms.

So, what does this have to do with my garage?  Well, my vision is to get both cars into the garage, but well before a 20 year horizon.  Taking stock in what I have, I see that I can lift most of the objects, but will need one of my three strong boys to help me lift the heavy stuff into the attic. My action plan is to do a little each weekend without putting more stuff into the garage.  Lastly, by measure will be how much of the garage floor I can see each week.

Just like in small business management, small task management can be manageable.