Why do some people have strong work ability?
In our work, it is not difficult for us to find:
Some people handle their work with ease and get twice the result with half the effort;
Some people start to manage as if everything is under their control.
Behind this, in fact, most of them have mastered the methodology of doing things.
In fact, the work itself is the same, the key depends on how you do it and what kind of tools and methods you use.
Next, I will introduce to you the seven management tools in detail to help you be more handy in the process of doing it, and truly achieve twice the result with half the effort.
01
28 principles, grasp the key points
Do you often get busy at work, but the results are not satisfactory?
It's most likely because you're not able to accurately capture those 20% of mission-critical tasks.
When leading a team, managers should not analyze, deal with and look at problems equally.
It is necessary to grasp the critical few, to be able to accurately identify and prioritize.
(1) Comprehensively sort out the to-do list
First, make a list of all the to-dos you have on hand to make sure nothing is missing.
This is the first step in the application of the 28 principle, and it is also the foundation.
(2) Carefully evaluate task priorities
Next, each task is carefully evaluated to determine its importance and urgency.
This can be done through self-questioning or discussion in meetings.
Like what:
"How important is this task to achieving the team's work goals?" "Does this task need to be dealt with immediately?" ”
Asking questions like this will help you prioritize tasks more accurately.
(3) Clarify the key classification of tasks
Depending on the priority, tasks can be divided into four categories:
Important and urgent, important not urgent, urgent not important, not urgent and unimportant.
With this granular breakdown, you'll be able to see exactly which tasks you need to prioritize and which ones you can lag behind or delegate.
Remember, managers focus on important and urgent tasks.
These tasks are 20% of your critical tasks and can lead to 80% of the work results.
02
SWOT analysis, strategy
SWOT analysis is a commonly used strategic planning tool.
它能全面帮你评估你的优势（Strengths）、劣势（Weaknesses）、机会（Opportunities）和威胁（Threats）。
With a SWOT analysis, you can get a more complete picture of the business or project at hand, so that you can develop a more informed strategy.
(1) Convene the team and discuss together
First, gather your team members, including those from different departments and levels, to ensure that the discussion analysis is comprehensive and diverse.
(2) Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
In an open, interactive environment, team members are encouraged to speak up, discuss and identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
For each aspect, try to put forward your own views and insights and provide specific case support.
For example:
Strengths can include unique technology, strong brand influence, or a great team, among others;
Disadvantages may include insufficient resources, backward technology, or low market share;
Opportunities can include the rise of emerging markets, favorable policies, or changes in consumer demand.
Threats may include the rise of competitors, regulatory restrictions, or economic downturn.
(3) In-depth analysis and strategy formulation
After identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, conduct in-depth analysis and reflection.
Consider how you can leverage your strengths to seize opportunities and further expand your business's impact.
At the same time, it is also necessary to think about how to improve the weaknesses to deal with potential threats and ensure the sound development of the business.
Based on the results of the analysis, a strategy is developed with clear goals, action plans and timelines.
03
SMART model, clear goals
SMART model as the golden rule of goal setting.
其核心在于确保目标的具体性（Specific）、可衡量性（Measurable）、可达成性（Achievable）、相关性（Relevant）和时限性（Time-bound）。
This model provides a powerful framework for setting clear, specific, and easily trackable goals, greatly increasing the likelihood of achieving them.
(1) Analyze the objectives and ensure specificity
First of all, you need to be clear about the specifics of your goal.
For example
Translate "increase sales ......" into "increase sales ...... in the XX market area for specific product lines in the next 3 months".
Such goals are more specific and help the team clearly understand and focus their efforts.
(2) Quantify goals and achieve measurability
To effectively track progress and evaluate results, you need to quantify your goals into specific numbers or percentages.
In the example above, "40% increase in sales" is a clear quantitative indicator.
This makes it clear how the goal is being achieved and makes it easy to adjust the strategy in a timely manner.
(3) Evaluate resources to ensure that goals are achievable
When setting goals, it's important to consider whether the resources and capacity you have in place are sufficient to support them.
Aiming too high can lead to frustration and wasted resources, while aiming too low can be less challenging.
So, you need to set a goal that is both challenging and achievable according to the actual situation of the team.
(4) Focus on the core and strengthen the relevance of the goal
Make sure your goals are closely aligned with your overall strategy or business priorities.
This helps keep the team aligned and focused, avoiding wasting time and effort in areas that don't matter.
When setting goals, constantly review and confirm their relevance to core business or strategic objectives.
(5) Set a time limit to enhance the sense of urgency
Setting a clear time frame for each goal to be completed can help create a sense of urgency and push the team to take timely action.
The time frame should be both challenging and realistic to ensure that the team can give it their all in pursuit of the goal within the allotted timeframe.
04
5W2H model, rational thinking
The 5W2H model is a simple and practical thinking tool.
It clears our minds and executes them better as we do them.
5W2H stands for:
What（什么）、Why（为什么）、Who（谁）、When（何时）、Where（何地）、How（如何）和How much（多少）。
When using the 5W2H model, you need to answer these seven questions for each task or question.
Doing so can help you gain a more complete understanding of the nature of the task or problem, leading to a more effective solution.
For example, when you are faced with a sales problem, you can use the 5W2H model to analyze all aspects of the problem and find a solution to the problem.
05
PDCA model, do review
The PDCA model, as a cyclical process of continuous improvement, is centered on four closely linked steps:
Plan, Do, Check, and Act.
This model provides a systematic framework to continuously review and improve your work or project, ensuring that it continues to progress and reach new heights.
Plan
At the beginning of the PDCA cycle, you develop a clear, concrete plan.
This plan should include your goals, expected outcomes, key tasks, timeline, and required resources.
Make sure your plan is realistic and aligned with your overall strategy or business priorities.
It is recommended to use the SMART model to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals.
From
Once the plan is developed, it moves on to the execution phase.
At this stage, you need to follow the specific steps and timeline in the plan to perform the task.
Make sure your team has a clear understanding of their responsibilities and has all the resources and support they need to execute.
During the execution process, maintain close communication with the team, solve problems in a timely manner, and ensure the smooth progress of the plan.
Check
After the execution is complete, you need to check and evaluate the execution results.
This includes comparing actual results to expectations, analyzing gaps and causes, and identifying any potential issues or areas of improvement.
During the inspection phase, you can use data analysis and feedback mechanisms to gather information to ensure that your assessment is objective and accurate.
Act
Based on the results of the inspection, you will be asked to take appropriate actions to improve your work or project.
For example, this includes adapting plans, optimizing processes, providing additional training, or introducing new technologies.
Make sure your actions are specific, targeted, and address the issues you identified during the inspection phase.
Once you've completed a PDCA cycle, it doesn't mean your job is over.
Instead, you should think of the process as an ongoing cycle, constantly reviewing and improving.
In each cycle, you can learn new things, discover new points of improvement, and constantly summarize and promote the development of the project for the better.
06
SCAQ model, debriefing
SCAQ model as a set of efficient reporting tools.
Help us organize and present our presentations more organisedly, so that others can understand our work outcomes and thought processes more clearly.
SCAQ stands for:
Situation（情况）、Challenge（挑战）、Action（行动）和Question（问题）。
These four elements constitute a complete and robust reporting framework.
（1）清晰描述，奠定汇报基础（Situation）
At the beginning of your debriefing, you should be clear and specific about the current situation or background.
This includes any information relevant to your work, such as the progress of the project, changes in the market, customer feedback, etc.
Make sure your description is objective and accurate to support the content of subsequent reports.
（2）坦诚阐述，展现挑战认知（Challenge）
Be honest about the challenge or problem you're facing.
Include any obstacles that are holding you back, puzzles that need to be solved, or expectations that you haven't reached.
When articulating challenges, make sure you are specific, clear, and able to provide enough information for others to understand the seriousness and urgency of the problem.
(3) Introduce in detail and highlight the value of action
After describing the situation and challenges, detail the actions or solutions you have taken.
This includes the specific steps you have taken to address the challenge, the strategies you have implemented, and the resources you have invested.
When introducing actions, make sure you're organized, logical, and able to highlight the value of your actions to solve problems and achieve goals.
（4）明确提问，寻求支持与指导（Question）
Finally, at the end of the debriefing, you need to make it clear what questions you need help or answer.
This can be the confusion you encounter in the course of action, the need for support from others, or suggestions for future work.
When asking questions, make sure you're specific, targeted, and able to articulate your needs and expectations clearly.
07
The four-quadrant rule improves efficiency
The four-quadrant rule, as a classic tool in the field of time management.
Help us manage time and tasks more scientifically, so as to improve work efficiency.
This law divides tasks into four quadrants:
Important and urgent, important not urgent, urgent not important, not urgent and unimportant.
By categorizing tasks accurately, you can ensure that your time is used optimally to maximize your work results.
(1) Task classification and clear priority (four-quadrant division)
First, you'll need to categorize all your tasks according to the four-quadrant rule.
Important and urgent tasks are placed in the first quadrant.
Critical and non-urgent tasks fall into the second quadrant.
Urgent and uncritical tasks constitute the third quadrant.
Tasks that are not urgent or important are placed in quadrant 4.
(2) Prioritize processing to ensure efficiency (first quadrant strategy)
For important and urgent tasks in Quadrant 1, you need to take immediate action to deal with them.
When working on these tasks, focus and avoid being distracted by other tasks to ensure that the tasks can be completed efficiently.
These tasks have a direct impact on your work and life, so they must be given the highest priority.
(3) Planning and implementation, gradual progress (second quadrant strategy)
For important non-urgent tasks in the second quadrant, you'll need to make a detailed plan to move forward step by step.
These tasks, while not urgent, are essential to your long-term development.
So, you want to allocate enough time and resources to them and make sure that they are implemented step by step according to the plan.
When developing a plan, consider the complexity of the task and the time required to ensure the feasibility and effectiveness of the plan.
(4) Entrust or ignore to avoid waste (third and fourth quadrant strategies)
For urgent and uncritical tasks in the third quadrant and non-urgent and uncritical tasks in the fourth quadrant, you need to adopt a delegated or ignored strategy.
For urgent but unimportant tasks, you may consider delegating them to others to free up your time and energy.
For tasks that are not urgent or important, they can be ignored or postponed to avoid wasting valuable time.
✎ Write at the end
With these management tools and methods in hand, you can handle your work and administrative tasks more efficiently and organized.
Whether you're new to the workplace or a seasoned employee, you can benefit from these tools.
So, start experimenting with them in your work now!
I'm sure you'll be able to achieve even better results!
Note: The picture comes from the Internet, and the infringement is deleted!