Today’s Tip: Prep with Clarity

Especially at the beginning of the week, or month, or quarter, it can be easy to just want to jump in and start attacking the projects on your plate. But it is amazing how much more effective you will be if you start with time to get clear about what you really need to accomplish. That way, you aren’t wasting a lot of effort on low value work or being reactive to everything that pops up during the week. You don’t need more time, you need more intentionality and focus to maximize the time you do have.

Design Thinking shortcut for today:

Today’s Design Thinking shortcut:

Build prep time into your design processes. Just like an artist project such as painting means getting out all the tools, paints, canvas, easel, or whatever you need first, all your projects will benefit from preparation before you dive in.

Innovation shortcut for today:

Today’s Innovation shortcut:

Sometimes in innovation, we forget to ask the simplest questions: Are we clear about the problem we’re trying to solve? And is it the right problem—or is there a more valuable one?

Asking those questions early can save a lot of wasted effort. It’s easy to get so excited about a solution that we start chasing rabbits before we’re sure we’re solving the right problem.