Can You Be Strategically Reactive?

​Colleagues,
 
Urgent leaders react. In contrast, strategic leaders respond intentionally using five strategies. These strategies are arranged hierarchically with the most desirable first.
 
Give it up. 
If it is urgent but not important (quadrant 3) just let it go. 
 
Give it back. 
Some issues are important to others but not to you or the organization. These issues are like monkeys that someone else is trying to give you. Don’t accept them! Instead, do this:

1. Acknowledge the monkey owner’s concern
2. Rephrase the concern
3. Provide a task as a next step, for example:

                     i.Reflect on the underlying problem
                     ii.Develop a list of options
                     iii.Talk with others
                     iv.Do some research
These steps allow you to acknowledge and validate the monkey owner without spending substantial time. 
 
Give it away. 
You should spend most of your time doing what only you can do. If the task isn’t dependent on your unique talent or position, give it (delegate) to someone else. Tomorrow we’ll look how to help others successfully complete tasks you delegate.
 
Give it a C. 
If you have to be the one to do the task, give it your minimal effort and be done with it. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to anything that is mission critical, but do you really need to spend three hours preparing a 1-page weekly update? 
 
Give it a bounce. 
Take the minimal action that will allow you to bounce it to someone else for the next step. If it comes back to you later, that’s fine. Dealing with small tasks is easier than dealing with big ones and immediate minimal responses are often better than detailed delayed ones.
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick