Why It Is Important to Develop a Task Capture System
A few weeks ago, I discussed an issue in our organization with Bob who is one of the key operational leaders in our team. After briefly discussing the situation, he told me that he was on top of it and would come back to me in a few days with potential solutions.
As we parted ways, I put the issue out of my and moved off towards my next meeting. Why was I free to stop worrying about the problem and if Bob would return to me with excuses instead of results? Because Bob had earned my trust on several previous occasions. When Bob says he'll do something, he follows through on that commitment. I was sure that in this case, like other situations in the past, he would deliver.
Wouldn't it be great to develop the same level of trust that Bob has with me, with your manager and stakeholders?
For a great leader, when he or she says they will do something, they do it. There are no exceptions; it must be that way. They do not try to get something done. As Yoda from the movie franchise Star Wars says "Do or do not. There is no try.”
“For a great leader, when he or she says they will do something, they do it. There are no exceptions.”
People call this type of consistency of action many things, but in this context they are very similar:
- Being trustworthy
- Having integrity
- Being reliable
- Having a small "say vs. do" gap
- Being credible
No matter what we call it, having this type of trustworthiness is an important part of being a leader. A leader that is not trusted is a leader in name only.
Do you want to be trustable?
If possessing this type of trustworthiness is so important to leadership, how do you cultivate the critical skill of "following through" on your promises?
Well, you only need two things to ensure you have this type of consistency:
- Willingness to do what you say you'll do.
- An organizational system that supports that desire.
Most aspiring leaders have the desire to succeed and the willingness to deliver on their promises. They want to be seen as a credible, trustworthy partner to their boss and their peers.
Typically, when I see that a potential leader has the willingness but not the follow-through, they are lacking an organizational system that allows them to follow through on their promises.
Today, we are going to zero in on the front-end of organizational systems. How you put "stuff into them". Afterall, you cannot build your brand as a competent and trustworthy employee if your tasks get lost moments after you agree to take them.
What you do in the moment counts
Let's imagine that you are sitting in one of your regular meetings, and you just agreed to own an action point to resolve an important task. Think for a moment, what do you typically do next with that task?
You have many options, but you need to pick one because the meeting is continuing on and soon you will lose the discussion. If you look around at others in your organization, you will likely see them using several different methods for handling this type of action point or task:
- Write it on any piece of paper they have handy
- Write it down in their work notebook
- Send themselves a 'to-do' or 'reminder' email from their smartphone or laptop
- Type it into their smartphone's reminder list
- Just try to remember it until they get the opportunity to complete the action
The process of storing that action point is called "capture" and the methods and tools you use to capture things is called your "capture system". Capture systems work equally well for action points, "to-dos" and tasks, reminders, ideas and random thoughts. They are needed by everyone, including action-oriented people and purely creative types.
In fact, with the speed at which all of us move today, capture systems are critical because they allow us to:
- focus on the task at hand without being burdened by other thoughts popping into our minds distracting us.
- remember the vast number of things that modern adults need to manage.
- create a regularity around our task management. It turns into a predictable system and not an ad-hoc phenomenon.
Throughout my career, I have experimented with several types of capture systems, from none (not advisable) to low-tech post-it notes (hard to keep ordered), to sophisticated software systems (expensive and time consuming). Sometimes they worked well and sometimes they have failed me in my goal of being reliable.
As much as I would like to tell you otherwise, there is no perfect system for all people and situations.
Each distinct method offers pros and cons. However, there is a perfect system that fits your activity and lifestyle today. If you don't have a capture system, then you need to pick one and use only that one (no mixing and matching), and re-evaluate as your needs change.
Next time we'll talk more about the elements of a great capture system. Until then, take care, and I'll talk to you next time.
Question: What task capture system do you currently use? Let us know in the comment section below.