When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the GI Joe cartoon and toys. After school, I’d come home every day and plant myself in front of the tv. My prized possession was my collection of the 3.75 inch action figures. I had an equal share of both the hero Joes and the evil Cobras. Shipwreck. Gung Ho. Snake Eyes. Zartan. Storm Shadow. Cobra Commander. And Duke. Can’t forget Duke.
I don’t think I realized it at the time, but hours of watching the show and playing with the toys taught me a great deal about productivity. I don’t think the Joes ever had a productivity specialist but if they did, his codename might be Autopilot.
Try these strategies for ensuring that you are more productive this year:
- Knowing is half the battle. At the end of every episode, the cartoon would feature a short PSA with the Joes teaching kids life lessons about safety, health and social behaviors. The phrase “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!” was uttered each day by a different character. Knowing is only half the battle. Let’s apply this to the productivity realm. While knowing is great, the other half is certainly execution. Systems are successful every time over intentions. It’s nice to say that you need to visit classrooms every day, but it’s much better if you have systems in place to ensure that you visit classrooms each day. Build those systems, and you are halfway there.
- Find your specialists. The action figures were amazingly detailed and each character had a different specialty. Dialtone was the communications specialist. Snake Eyes was the stealth specialist. If Autopilot had existed when I was a kid, he would have been the logistics specialist. Stop trying to be a one-person army and find others who can help. Strategic delegation not only helps you to take things off of your plate, but also helps to empower other leaders in your setting. Delegate and elevate. Find your specialists.
- Have the right gear. Each action figure came with several accessories needed for their specialization. Alpine was a mountain trooper who came with climbing gear accessories. Action figures didn’t have any extra gear every piece served a specific purpose. Your productivity should work the same way. Your actions and routines should serve a specific purpose. Boil down to the essentials. Find the right strategy to achieve a particular task. The batching strategy works best for organizing communication with families. Having the right method can make you more efficient in your operations.
- Don’t let the enemy distract you. It seems like Cobra Commander never had a straightforward plan for defeating the Joes and achieving global domination. There were always a lot of smoke screens, false alarms, and chaos intended to throw the Joes off of their game. Your day is just like this, lots of distractions that can completely derail you from your goals. Establishing specific work blocks on your calendar, or time-blocking daily disaster downtime periods (scheduling for the fires) can help you to focus on your goals without facing those distractions and fires. Make sure you build a shield around your most valuable time blocks.
- Look out for the impostors. Many of the Cobra schemes involved impostors. They were always trying to trick the Joes into divulging something. Zartan was the master of disguise, and his action figure actually changed color. Your day might include one big impostor, and that is fake productivity. It might feel great to check off your to-do list but if it’s made up of everyone else’s priorities, then it’s really just a productivity impostor. Busywork often looks like real work, but make sure you focus on work that actually moves the needle for teachers and students.
Leadership often feels like a high-stakes mission every single day but you don’t have to fight the battle empty-handed. Equip yourself with the right strategies, trust your team, and put your routines on Autopilot.
Now you know, and as Duke would say, “Knowing is Half the Battle! Yo Joe!”
Rich
For more systems and strategies, Pick up a copy of Autopilot: Practical Productivity for School Leaders.
