By !Joe Urbanski, 6 minute read (+ a challenge)
When something is Really Most Important™, it’s the true focus or impact that if you achieve it and nothing else, you have accomplished everything. If it is not achieved, it renders everything else we do meaningless.
You know that you do important work—and also that you have some things on your list that are simply not relevant or compelling. Perhaps you’re in need of some True Clarity™. So how do you know what is Really Most Important™?
Let’s do some math. (Yay!)
Start with your number of weekly meetings, unscheduled requests, emergencies, emails, phone calls, family needs. Also add the meetings you have about all of your meetings, emergencies, emails, phone calls, and family needs. What is that number?
Multiple that number by the number of people on your team or department that you work directly with and have these meetings, requests, emergencies, emails, and calls with or about.
Multiple that by the number of the people in your location/organization that your work impacts.
What number did you come up with?
It’s 4,837. But for the sake of simplicity, let’s round it to 100 for the sake of easy math.
You have 100 to-do’s, and that’s why we have such trouble with Aligned Accountability™...because everyone else also has 100 to-do’s, and you wonder why when you’re with these people, a meeting focused on two simple things never amounts to anything...because there’s actually 200 things happening in the brain space in that room.
Now filter that number through this RMI Process (Really Most Important).
We’re not successful because of the things we say “Yes” to, we’re successful because of the things we say “No” to. Simplification, focus, and fulfillment are about saying “Yes” to a few things and “No” to a lot more things. When we say “Yes” to marry our significant other, we simultaneously said “No” to all 7 billion other people on the planet! That’s the power of filtering your focus.
So let’s imagine that you have 100 plans, projects, events, and tasks on your To Do List. Of the 100, how many are actually Important?
We’re sure there are some tasks you can delegate, some meetings that aren’t relevant to you, and some emails that you can delete. And let’s be honest, you have emails saved in folders inside of other folders that you swear you need from eight years ago. (This works in your personal life, too.)
Let’s say we cut 50 things, and now you have 50 remaining.
Of the 50 Important plans, projects, events, and tasks, how many are Most Important?
Sure, many of these are nice to do, but which ones actually make the biggest difference. Think of the Pareto Principle where 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.
Let’s say we chop the list down again and now we have 20 (of the 100).
Of the 20 Most Important plans, projects, events, and tasks, how many are REALLY Most Important?
These are the ones that are game changers, they are industry-shattering, they are things that if you don’t do them, you won’t be fulfilled and you might even be asked to “retire early.”
What are the REALLY Most Important plans, projects, events, and tasks to help you accomplish your daily objectives to meet your goals and to move towards the vision of the organization?
Of the 20 remaining, we will cut the list to probably three to five things that are Really Most Important.
Anything that doesn’t make it to your RMI List gets added to the Really Almost Most Important List. ;) You know, the things that you’re going to do “someday.”
When something is RMI, it’s the true focus or impact that if you achieve it and nothing else, you have accomplished everything. If it is not achieved, it renders everything else we do meaningless.
Now, your assignment.
Make a list of everything that happens daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly in your organizational culture. You know, those “100” things. Our intention is to filter through to make sure they are in alignment with your organization’s top strategic priorities. (Or if you’re doing this personally, that’s excellent as well!)
Add to this list all of the things that are not yet happening, but you believe they will make a difference as we rethink, rebuild, and reinforce your culture, strategy, and capability.
But what about those other 90+ items on your list that aren’t Really Most Important™? Look at those 90+ other things that we said “No” to and do one of two things. [1] Either connect those to-do’s to your top 3‒5 RMI goals/tasks or [2] leverage and entrust those plans, projects, or events to another person or another time.
Your challenge is to filter each day, week, month, and year through the RMI Process so that you can have Purposeful Execution™.
Which of these from that list are actually Important to transforming your results?
Which of these are Most Important?
What is Really Most Important™ that when acted upon, either simplifies, optimizes, or eliminates the rest of the list?
That’s how you know what’s Really Most Important™ and perhaps why you’re really on the payroll…or in that relationship…or raising those kids…and so on.
Still feeling guilty about having such a short list?
We use our Core Standards as a proactive tool to evaluate and validate what’s Really Most Important™ in order to drive your transformation. Our standards are your quality assurance for how we operate in order to move your organization forward with precision and agility to be successful and fulfilled internally and externally.
For each of your top 3‒5 RMI goals/tasks, use these Core Standards as a diagnostics filter to ensure that you’re doing what you want and need to get done in alignment with what the organization or team or partnership or family wants and needs to get done.
Relevant: The right work at the right time with the right people towards the bigger purpose and impact.
Compelling: Where people feel they must be a part of this.
Sustainable: Where people will adopt now and for the long-term.
Replicable: Reproducing similar—if not better—results at every stage and evolution of implementation.
Scalable: Where you can leverage your results and improvements efficiently as you grow and meet industry demand.