Is it bleeding? Defining your critical tasks.

If you’re like most small-business owners, you don’t get much sleep, you lost your sense of humor about the same time you lost Schedule C tax forms, and you only barely remember the days when you just did one thing at a time.

Take a deep breath. I hate to be the one to have to tell you this, but you’re in danger being pronounced “boring” by a tribunal of your family and friends. The good news is, you can nip this problem in the bud — and become a more effective business owner — in just a few easy steps. Yes, really.

Yesterday, I talked a little bit about Robert Kapalan’s Reaching Your Potential. I wanted to take this opportunity to elaborate on one of Kaplan’s metrics for strong self-management … Excelling at Critical Tasks.

The first piece of excelling at critical tasks is, naturally, defining the critical tasks. Yes, this sounds like a no-brainer, but — honestly now — how often do you find yourself licking the stamps for four individual invoices (and watching The Smurfs on YouTube) when you could be revamping your invoicing system to incorporate scalablity? (Surely it’s not just me.)

There are three components to defining critical tasks:
1.) Take a step back. Now, barring a freak accident with a pair of roller blades and a Greyhound, you are going to be in business for a long time. Could be ten, twenty, even fifty years. What do you want your business to look like after those fifty years? How will your business model have to change to support that vision? What are the long-term factors key to your success? Are you taking steps right now towards gaining the long-term skills that you don’t have?

2.) Follow the money. Do you know what actions you’re taking that are really bringing you more income? Can you spend more time doing these things? Can you take a class to learn how to do these things more effectively? Do these things match your long-term vision? If not, what can you start learning now that can ultimately be substituted for the things that bring you revenue, but don’t match your vision?

3.) Follow the fun. There are going to be elements of your business that don’t bring you that much money right now, but that are part of your long-term vision and are things that you enjoy doing. Bringing an element of passion to your business is a wonderful attribute — don’t stop doing these things. But do take a good look at how they fit into your long-term vision … and take some steps towards gaining ever-greater proficiency.