Are you a purpose-driven entrepreneur feeling overwhelmed by endless to-do lists? Do you find yourself checking off tasks but not seeing the needle move on your business goals? It’s time to shift your focus from being task-oriented to becoming results-focused.
Welcome to the latest podcast episode of Business Brain Rewire, where I delve into a transformative approach that can elevate you from a floundering founder to a high-impact, low-stress CEO. In this episode, we explore:
1. What is Task Orientation?
2. Why it’s Unhelpful to Entrepreneurs?
3. What is Results-Focused Thinking?
4. How to shift to a Results-Focused Approach?
Understanding Task Orientation
Task orientation is a mindset where entrepreneurs focus on completing tasks and checking off items on their to-do lists. While this might provide a temporary dopamine boost and a sense of accomplishment, it often leads to a cycle where the entrepreneur feels busy but isn’t making significant progress. This approach can be particularly detrimental in the long run because it emphasizes activity over actual results.
Many founders think they have a results-focused approach because they have goals. But having goals doesn’t make you results-focused. You know if you are stuck in task orientation if you feel busy and behind on your goals.
Busy Work vs. Impactful Work
As an entrepreneur, getting caught in the trap of task orientation can be counterproductive. Here’s why:
Task orientation tends to prioritize immediate tasks over strategic, long-term goals. This can lead you to miss the true needle movers and stunt progress on critical projects that drive growth.
You might feel productive as you tick off tasks, but these tasks may not contribute to your business’s core objectives.
Constantly managing a never-ending to-do list can lead to stress and burnout, detracting from your creativity and decision-making abilities.
Embracing Results-Focused Thinking
In contrast, a results-focused approach prioritizes outcomes over activities. Here’s how it differs:
Needle Movers: Results-focused founders concentrate on tasks that drive significant business outcomes. They understand that not all tasks are equal and prioritize those that have the most impact.
While a results-focused founder still has a long list of tasks, they are adept at putting non-essential tasks aside to focus on what’s crucial for achieving their goals.
This means that you let a lot fall away. You leave emails unanswered, projects on hold, people waiting. You are really good at postponing many of your great ideas, and saying no to many things.
However, this approach balances short-term needs with long-term objectives, ensuring that immediate cash flow needs are met without sacrificing future growth.
Real-Life Example: The Results-Focused Founder vs. The Task-Oriented Founder
Imagine two founders:
**The Task-Oriented Founder:** This founder diligently works through their to-do list, getting a dopamine hit from each checked box. They focus on being visible, posting on social media, sending newsletters, and keeping up with their calendar, but often feel like they are spinning their wheels.
**The Results-Focused Founder:** This founder, on the other hand, has a massive list of potential actions but zeroes in on tasks that move the needle. They plan strategically, focusing on critical actions that drive results. For example, they might delay a new marketing campaign and instead improve one step in their current sales funnel, knowing that this will have a greater long-term impact.
Key Areas to Avoid Task Orientation
One critical area where task orientation can be particularly damaging is in sales and marketing. Instead of mindlessly sending newsletters or posting on social media, a results-focused entrepreneur integrates these tasks into a well-thought-out sales funnel. Every action is part of a larger strategy aimed at moving prospects through the stages of Know-Like-Trust-Buy.
Steps to Become More Results-Oriented
1. **Map Out Your Primary Sales Funnels:** This helps you visualize the entire customer journey and identify key points where you need to focus your efforts.
2. **Understand Funnel Interactions:** If you have multiple funnels, understand how they interact and the purpose of each.
3. **Plan and Execute Tests:** Develop a timeline, budget, and data-based goals. Use tasks as steps to set up and refine these tests.
4. **Data-Driven Decisions:** Shift your dopamine boost from checking off tasks to creating data from those actions. Data helps you make solid decisions, and navigate well. This builds self-trust, confidence, and momentum.
The Path to High-Impact, Low-Stress Leadership
Transitioning to a results-focused mindset is about stepping into your CEO shoes. It’s about moving from a floundering founder to a confident, strategic leader. This approach not only increases sales but also reduces stress, creating a sustainable business model.
If you’re ready to dive deeper and transform your approach, join Simply Sustainable, our coaching program that teaches a structure and repeatable process to boost sales while lowering stress. This program focuses on three foundational CEO skill sets, tailored for any industry and business type.
Don’t miss out on this transformative episode. Tune in now and start your journey towards becoming a high-impact, low-stress CEO.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
– The key differences between task-oriented and results-focused mindsets.
– How being results-focused is crucial for moving the needle in your business.
– Real-life examples of results-focused founders versus task-oriented founders.
– Steps to become more results-oriented, including mapping out primary sales funnels and planning data-driven tests.
– How shifting to a results-focused mindset builds self-trust, confidence, and momentum, transforming you from a floundering founder to a high-impact, low-stress CEO.
Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Increase sales and lower stress using our proven CEO System by learning more about the Simply Sustainable coaching program for purpose-driven founders.
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