17 Tactics that Get Things Done
1. Use the word “because” consistently in your emails, in your instant messages and in your meetings.
2. Set Deadlines
- Be Reasonable
- Be 100% Clear-Cut
- Always Set Deadlines
3. Assign Responsibility
- Use Direct Language
- Ask for Volunteers
- Assign to Individuals
4. Explain Tasks
- Know What You Want
- Be Direct in Your Description
5. When Delegating Tasks, Write Them Out
6. Trust = Reliability + Likeability
7. Increase Reliability Among Your Team
- Verify Skills
- Be Explicit
- Lead by Example
- Count on Others
8. Increase the Level of Likeability
- Get Personal
- Encourage Social Interactions
- Over-Communicate
- Meet Face to Face
- Be Positive
9. Six Steps to Ensure 100% Commitment
- Ask Them to Repeat It Back to You
- Get a Time Frame
- Develop an Obligation
- Stress Importance
- Confirm Action
- Show Appreciation
10. Know What Someone Is Really Thinking
- Isolate Them
- Ask Them One of Four Questions
- What would it take for you to love this task (or project)?
- How do you think I can make this better?
- What would it take for you to be really excited about this?
- What would you do differently?
11. Leave the Perfect Voice Message
- Say their name
- Give your info
- State the time and date
- Explain the objective
- Explain the action item
- Leave your number
- Leave your number a second time
12. Write Assertive Emails
- Keep Emails Short and Concise
- Highlight Your Calls to Action
13. What You Should Do Before Every Meeting
- Decide On a Need – “Just like wars, meetings should be a last resort.”
- Define the Objective
- Determine the Attendees
- Draft an Agenda
- Send the Invite, Agenda, and Reminders
14. What You Should Do During Every Meeting
- Appoint a Leader who is responsible for moderating the meeting
- Go Through the Agenda
- Remain on Topic (and Time)
- Capture Meeting Minutes
- Close with a Review
15. What You Should Do After Every Meeting
- Distribute Meeting Minutes
- Follow-Up With a Written Summary
One best practice is to send out an email with an action list and include the meeting minutes as an attachment
16. Use Your Voice to Your Advantage
- Tone
- Speed
- Enunciation
- Silence
A good tone of voice is one that has a good level of energy to it and reflects confidence:
the quality is clear, the volume is moderate, and the pitch has a nice vocal range to it.
Go slow and be forceful with each letter and number.
Silence is about injecting intentional pauses in your discussion.
17. Make Your Emails Stand Out Using The Subject Line
- Write Their Name
- Summarize the Email’s Topic
- Write Down a Deadline
Good Example: Justin – I need your input on this status update deck by tomorrow @ 6:00 p.m.