– Lisa Martin
How adept are you at choosing how to invest your time? Return on effort (ROE) is a simple equation that ensures that you’re allotting your time and energy to get the biggest bang possible.
It’s about focusing on the most valuable task at any given time.
Here’s the formula:
Let’s break it down.
You are of most value to your company if you focus on tasks that feed your energy, propelling you ever forward. With every task you must consider, will it give you energy or drain it? If it gives you energy, it’s a high-energy task.
Next you must consider, are you truly the right person to do the task? Is it the best use of your talents? For example, you may have mad PowerPoint skills, but so do 10 other people on your team. Personally designing a presentation wouldn’t be the best use of your time. It wouldn’t be a high-skill task.
A high-priority task means there’s a darn good reason you’re doing a task right now. It is in alignment with your project timelines.
[Tweet “A task has high ROE if it’s high energy, high skill and high priority. “]
If a task fails to meet the grade in all three areas, you have some thinking to do before you personally take it on.
If it’s low in all areas – no brainer. Delegate it or postpone it until it becomes higher priority.
If it’s a low-energy and/or a low-skill task, it’s another no-brainer. Delegate. There’s sure to be someone on your team (or someone you can contract) who is more appropriate to take it on.
If a task is low-priority, but high in the other two areas, schedule it for a time when you can really sink into it and enjoy it. It shouldn’t be first on your list if there are high priority items awaiting your attention.
I think you get the gist of the formula now. There are subtleties, of course. Some things will be a medium priority or a medium-skill level. You’ll need to use your judgment to weigh the investment of your time based on the tasks at hand.
Leadership Development: ROE is about using your personal time and your team effectively. At the end of the day it’s about knowing when a task is yours to do and when it’s best to pass it down the line.
If you liked this blog post, you’ll love my book Lead Advanced: 6 Skills to Be The Ultimate Executive.
Lisa Martin has made it her mission to help companies keep and cultivate leaders. She’s the creator of the Lead + Live Better leadership programs, author of five books, including the bestselling Briefcase Moms, and she is a seasoned speaker, facilitator and executive coach.