And fewer WOMBATs.
By Mary Auestad Arnold
According to Michael Bungay Stanier, there are three kinds of work: bad, good and great. Needless to say, we should try to minimize bad work because it is unproductive, wasting money, bandwidth and time (WOMBAT). Senior Partner in Box of Crayons, Toronto, and author of Do More Great Work, Stanier advised his CEO/Executive Team Network audience to hunt down and eliminate WOMBATs. “Good work,” he continued, “is being productive, getting things done, helping reach your credit union's goals. But there are a couple flaws to good work. “The first is that when you're doing good work, your brain funnels into the unconscious part of your brain, keeping you stuck in a comfortable rut" rather than out pursuing great work. The other challenge with good work is that no matter how hard you try, you'll never get ahead of it. In fact, Stanier explained with great exaggeration, "You might say, 'If I could just get a little more efficient, if I could get on top of my good work,'" I could get to the great work. “But even if you get into work at 1 a.m., delete emails back to 1982, delegate tasks, put in a 72-hour day, see some surfaces in your office that haven't been seen in years, there's always 10 percent more good work than you can ever finish." Aha moment: It’s not just me! That feeling of responsibility for the good work is one reason we need courage, resilience and focus to move on to great work. We need courage, for example, to disappoint our teammates sometimes. “When you’re doing great work, it’s likely someone is a little frustrated or annoyed with you” because you’re lagging on the good work, Stanier noted. So what is great work? "Great work feels completely exciting, you're in the zone; it's why you signed up for this job in the first place. "At the same time, when you're doing great work, there's fear and uncertainty. You might feel like 'I'm just making stuff up at this stage."" And for leaders, the stakes are much higher: "You're not just pursuing great work on a personal level, but a strategic level," he reminded. "You must create a vision for what is great work for your organization." And you must help overcome the strategic tension staff will be feeling when you say, 'I also need you to get all your good work done even though there's already more than you can ever do.'" As you create your vision, visualize this comparison Stanier made between good and great: When you're doing good work, you're making your deadlines, improving a few things here and there. The result is like a well-mowed lawn with those alternating stripes of darker and lighter grass. Great work, on the other hand, looks like elephant topiaries, he said. What elephant are you working on? What elephants have you completed? Share your stories in the comments.
Mary Arnold is CUES' VP/publications and digital media. Read more coverage of CEO/Executive Team Network on this blog. Michael Bungay Stanier will present at CUES Symposium: A CEO/Chairman Exchange, Jan. 31-Feb. 4, 2016, at the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Wailea, Maui.
