Pragmatic Consulting Club - Prioritization Over Efficiency

Just came across this excellent quote (unknown source):

"Productivity is often a distraction. Don’t aim for better ways to get through your tasks as quickly as possible, rather aim for better tasks that you never want to stop doing."

A big part of my work consists of helping consulting partners consistently generate more opportunities without burning themselves out. This requires, by definition, that they change their mindset and behaviors. In many ways, you can look at what we do more as change management than business development advisory.

The more consultants I worked with, the easier it was to recognize common patterns. Some findings were mere confirmations of how I expected high-performers to act. A few, however, were counter-intuitive.

One of those is the obsession with efficiency. Many people imagine that the most successful rainmakers are constantly looking for ways to perform their tasks faster or more efficiently. Scripts. Automation. Scale.

This couldn't be closer to the truth.

Rainmakers don't obsess about efficiency, but prioritization. Identifying and performing fewer, but the most impactful and growth-oriented activities for the business.

Sure, they use templates, frameworks, and scripts. They adopt digital and automated tools. But ONLY if it helps them to prioritize better.

You don't get paid based on how much you work but on the results you deliver. What you need to grow your consulting business is making better decisions, and then acting on those. Seeking efficiency for the sake of it will likely keep you busy with things you don't need to be doing yourself in the first place.