Inspiration: The way to get things done...

The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit of doing them.—Benjamin Jowett, University of Oxford.

Robin just wants to do the work. She is interested in it for the learning experience. She isn’t the slightest bit worried about getting the credit. Just that the work will be fun, it will be challenging, and it will be good for the company.

In the Invasion of Normandy during World War II, there were three days when the conditions were right: fair weather with the right moon for a nighttime invasion. (Fun fact: In preparation, the BBC appealed for holiday pictures and snapshots of France. Those of the Normandy beaches were singled out to create detailed geological maps of the area.) By the time 6 June 1944 arrived, the 160,000 troops had been on standby for three days. Imagine the stress of waiting and waiting and waiting for a decision.

One of the reasons that agile methods are so effective is they focus on getting stuff done. Do a little work, show your results, and then move to the next step. Avoid analysis paralysis.

One of the problems with transparency is that your team sees your vision, buys into it, and is ready to go. But then there’s often the tedious waiting for a decision to do what everyone already agrees is a good idea.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when people enjoy doing the work. Not just talking about it, planning for it, defining its parameters. Just. Do. The. Work.

Need help planning the work? See my Under 10 Planning Canvas.