Working Smarter

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Sometimes the simplest of techniques gives a greater result. Most of us struggle to manage time and this tried and tested technique may be of use to you. You can try this today wherever you are and if it does work, pass it on to others.

Charles Schwab, when he was president of Bethlehem Steel many years ago, called in Ivy Lee, a consultant, and said to him, ‘Show me a way to get more things done with my time, and I’ll pay you any fee within reason.’ Lee replied, ‘Fine. I’ll give you something in 20 minutes that will step up your output at least 50%.'

With that, Lee handed Schwab a blank piece of paper and said, ‘Write down the six most important things you have to do tomorrow and number them in order of importance. Now put the piece of paper in your pocket. First thing tomorrow morning look at item one and start working on it until you finish it; then do item two, and so on; do this until quitting time and don’t be concerned if you have only finished one or two. You’ll be working on the most important ones anyway. If you can’t finish them all by this method, you couldn’t have done it by any other method either, and without some system you’d probably not even have decided which was the most important.’

Then Lee said, ‘Try this system every working day. After you’ve convinced yourself of the value of this system, have your men try it. Try it as long as you wish, then send me a check for what you think its worth.’

Several weeks later Schwab sent Lee a check for USD 25,000 (this is in 1910, 100 years ago), with a note, proclaiming the advice, ‘the most profitable he’d ever followed.’ The concept helped Schwab earn USD 100 million and turned Bethlehem Steel into the biggest independent steel producer in the world.



Courtesy – The Power of Being Different

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