Doing the Right Things Right

About the Author

Laura Stack is an award-winning keynote speaker, best-selling author, and leading expert in the field of human performance and workplace issues. She is the president of The Productivity Pro, Inc., which specializes in productivity improvement in high-stress organizations. Stack has dedicated her career to helping individuals and organizations achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness, and her insights have been widely recognized and implemented across various industries.

Main Idea

Inspired by Peter Drucker's groundbreaking book The Effective Executive, Laura Stack's Doing the Right Things Right details precisely how 21st-century leaders and managers can obtain profitable, productive results by managing the intersection of two critical values: effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness, Stack says, is identifying and achieving the best objectives for your organization—doing the right things. Efficiency is accomplishing them with the least amount of time, effort, and cost—doing things right. This book outlines the 12 practices that enable executives to be both effective and efficient, grouped into three areas where leaders spend their time: Strategic Thinking, Team Focus, and Tactical Work.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Strategic Thinking
• Goals
• Change
• Communication
• Decision-Making
3. Team Focus
• Environment
• Performance
• Motivation
• Growth
4. Tactical Work
• Value
• Technology
• Agility
• Balance

Introduction

In The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker provides a definitive guide to getting the right things done, complete with all the essential tasks an effective executive must perform. However, Drucker’s work, while comprehensive, does not delve deeply into the “how” of modern executive duties. Laura Stack's Doing the Right Things Right fills this gap by detailing how today’s leaders can blend effectiveness and efficiency to achieve outstanding results. As Drucker stated, "There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."

Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking boils down to one simple question: What is the desired outcome? This question drives organizational strategy through maximizing results, maintaining a bird's-eye view of the big picture, and ensuring team goals align with organizational objectives. Effective leaders make the best decisions quickly, boosting innovation and flexibility while communicating these decisions clearly.

Goals

Aligning strategy and objectives involves setting clear, reasonable goals that tie together all team members and strategies. Effective leaders help their teams set personal and professional goals that align with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.

• Start with individual team members: Understand their personal goals and integrate them with team goals.
• Set reasonable goals: Provide achievable objectives with clear milestones.
• Ensure a supportive environment: Foster open discussion and resource sharing.
• Clear the way to the target: Facilitate goal achievement by removing obstacles.
• Track productivity: Use KPIs and feedback systems to monitor progress.

"Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement." - Brian Tracy

Change

Modern leadership demands embracing innovation and adaptability. Change is essential for growth and development, preventing complacency and fostering creativity. Leaders must handle innovation carefully, avoiding overwhelming their teams while promoting flexibility and calculated risk-taking.