Tasks vs. Key Results

“Life favors the specific ask and punishes the vague wish.” - Tim Ferriss

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
Share

Excellent advice from the book Tribe of Mentors that is the culmination of hundreds of interviews over years with the highest performers from across multiple industries.  

Leadership Tools: Task vs Key Result.

This advice can be applied to the hiring and management process:  

  • Build very clear job descriptions around specific Key Results that you need to achieve instead of a list of vague tasks.  
  • Will you be able to tell if the team member is achieving the Key Results or not?  
  • Assuming the Key Results are achieved by the team member; will they have a quantifiably positive impact on the business? 
  • Build a detailed Interview Guide prepared for the position with specific questions defined for each of the Key Results so you can identify the best candidate for the position?  
  • Consider the impact if this specific use of language permeated your whole organization.  “Go to the second floor and install lights.” vs. “There are 3 conference rooms on the second floor.  Please have them all of them lit and ready for inspection by 2PM today. The inspector will meet you there at 2:30 and we need them signed off.”  Which Foreman would you rather have laying out your crews?   

Coaching construction teams to think and communicate with this level of clarity is something we love working on




Happy Labor Day 2021
Happy Labor Day 2021 | Celebrating 127 Hard-Won Years | Always Remember Why
The Truth About Business Development
There are way more potential customers than you think, and most don't even know who you are. That's your biggest challenge and your biggest opportunity.
Tax Deferral vs Tax Savings
Tax savings are very different than tax deferrals. Too often these are misunderstood by owners leading to negative surprises down the road with the most common being the switch from cash to accrual accounting in the earlier stages of growth.