Focus.
Do you have a one-page document that spells out the big things that you'd like to accomplish this year? I'm not talking about your job description. Everything on your JD is important, but not everything on there is essential to you over the next 10-12 months. Not everything will satisfy you and those you lead when you have a chance to look back on the year.
So, what are the 4-5 things that, at the end of the year, you want to make sure happened? What would make for a great year? Put those things down. Make them simple and memorable. Then write out next to each one of those things a measurable goal that has a date attached to it. You want to know at the end of the year if you actually accomplished those things or not.
In the organization that I'm a part of (Cru), we call this document the Position Focus. It's brilliant, and helpful (something that's not always true). When an unexpected or challenging situation comes up that needs some attention and I'm able to give a hand... the Position Focus helps me get back to those things that I intended to do before we got sidetracked. The Position focus doesn't house everything that I do and there are other things on my job description that don't make it on there. It helps me to get back to the things that were important to me before the crazy hit. It's the big picture of what I want to see happen in the months ahead.
Try it. It doesn't have to be perfect your first time around. Just get something down and move ahead.
