The top 3 most impactful topics on your list
This post was written by Matt Douglas, Founder & CEO
These days, with information overload and endless lists of things to do, it’s really easy to lose track of the most important topics on your to-do list. Those who work at Punchbowl have heard me repeat this phrase a lot recently: “There are always lots of things to do, but what are the top 3 impactful topics you are working on today?”
I think this is an important concept for any job — whether you work at a small company or a large company. In fact, I wish someone had introduced this concept to me when I was a young Product Manager at Adobe (a large company). I remember drowning in to-do lists and email after only a few weeks on the job. Everything seemed important. So I did what any ambitious, 22 year old would do: I worked 18 hour days for weeks on end. And as you might have guessed, I still wasn’t able to keep up with the volume of things to do.
In my position as CEO of Punchbowl Software, it’s not any easier. My inbox fills up daily, and there are endless lists of things to do and areas that need to be addressed. The good news is that I can now delegate some of the things on my to-do list, but yet I still don’t catch up. There are still too many things to do, and not enough hours in the day.
I believe there is a better way: focus on the top 3 most impactful topics on your list. Make a list of *only* 3 topics. The 3 topics should be followed by a very specific list of tasks that can be accomplished within a few days. Avoid items that don’t have specific action items. Steer clear of items that don’t have clear deliverables. Write them on your whiteboard or on a sticky note attached to your computer monitor. Start and end your day with a close examination of your topic list. Are you spending time working on the top 3 most impactful topics or are you filling your time with other tasks?
You may be asking yourself: how can I figure out the top 3 most impactful topics to work on? Perhaps a top 3 list would be useful. Here are the 3 most impactful people to ask:
- Ask your customers: What most matters to them? Make a list based on the top 3 topics that your customers talk about frequently (I’ve literally asked customers on the phone: what are the top 3 things you would improve about MyPunchbowl?)
- Ask your peer: pick a colleague that you work with closely. Ask him/her to have lunch with you and then help each other make a top 3 list. (Bonus: how can each of you help each other achieve your top 3 list more effectively?)
- Ask your boss: Sit down with your boss and ask him/her to help you come up with a list of the top 3 impactful topics that you should be addressing (it’s very telling if your boss can’t help you narrow down your list to 3 topics)
Does this methodology work for you? Why or why not? I look forward to hearing from you.
