Getting Results the Agile Way Checklist

10 Strategies for Improving Results

1. Monthly Improvement Sprints.
2. Balance your time across your Hot Spots.
3. Build a library of reference examples.
4. Diversify your results.
5. Establish a rhythm of results.
6. Find a way to flow value.
7. Improve your network.
8. Make it a project.
9. Stay flexible in your approach.
10. Periodically sweep up the mess.

Guidelines for Getting Results

Action

• Ask yourself, “What actions have I taken?”
• Chunk it down.
• Decide and go.
• Do a dry run.
• Do it, review it, and improve it.
• Get the ball out of your court.
• Just start.
• Put in your hours.
• Set a quantity limit.
• Set a time limit.
• Start with something simple.
• Scrimmage against results.

Efficiency and Effectiveness

• Ask, “Is it effective?”
• Do it daily.
• Expand your toolset.
• Pair up.
• Reduce friction.
• Reduce your context switching.
• Script your success.

Energy Management

• Have a compelling “Why.”
• Increase your power hours.
• Leverage your power hours.
• Manage energy for results.
• Play to your strengths.

Expectations Guidelines|Expectations

• Know your capacity.
• Set and reset expectations.
• Set expectations.
• Under-promise, Over-deliver.

Focus

• Apply concentrated effort.
• Batch and focus.
• Narrow your focus.

Goals and Objectives

• Check your ladder.
• Create SMART goals.
• Have a compelling "What."
• Know the tests for success.
• Know the “Why” behind the goal.
• Use vision and feeling.
• Work backwards with the end in mind.

Information Management

• Factor reference from action.
• Identify what you know, don’t know, and need to know next.
• Improve your filters.
• Organize your actions.
• Use checklists.

Learning

• Build a system of profound knowledge.
• Build feedback loops.
• Identify three things going well and three things to improve.
• Fail fast.
• Find a mentor.
• Model the best.
• Pair up.
• Turn insights into action.

Motivation

• Adopt a growth mindset over a fixed mindset.
• Drive or be driven.
• Adopt high-value self-talk.
• Make it a game.
• Pace yourself.
• Use SWAT mode.
• Use empowering metaphors.

Planning

• Iterate more, plan less.
• Plan, then execute.
• Stay agile.

Prioritizing

• Ask, “What’s the next best thing to do?”
• Hit windows of opportunity.
• Use MUST, SHOULD, and COULD.
• Worst things first.

Self-Awareness

• Know your strengths.
• Know your weaknesses.
• Know yourself.

Self-Discipline

• Ask yourself, “What’s the right thing to do?”
• Choose to over have to.
• Decide up front.
• Link it to good feelings.
• Reward your behaviors.
• Treat motivation as input.

Task Management

• Bite off what you can chew.
• Fix time, flex scope.
• Focus on outcomes over activities.
• Let things slough off.
• Reduce open work.

Time Management

• Baseline your schedule.
• Carve out time for what’s important.
• Have a buffer.
• Know your most effective hours.
• Manage energy, not time.
• Schedule it.
• Set boundaries.
• Take weekends off.