Recognize, Question, & Act

Over the years, I have developed different strategies to help me overcome my weaknesses and bolster my strengths. One of my weaknesses occurs when I lose focus and I try to get numerous things all done at once. This is an unproductive cycle that usually has me focused on efficiency rather than effectiveness. One of my techniques for battling this is called RQA – Recognize, Question, & Act.

Overcoming a weakness happens when you first observe the weakness and then pay attention to how it has impacted your thoughts and actions. I try to maintain focus and complete one task at a time. However, I do tend to lose focus and start dwelling on all of the things that I need to or want to get done. When this happens, the quality of my work decreases. I get caught in a cycle where I focus on completion rather than quality. I am concerned with efficiency over effectiveness. It is good to be effective, but I don’t want to be effective at the expense of getting things done with integrity.

Recognizing that you have the wrong focus is never easy. Sometimes you are lucky enough to have someone close to you who will tell you when things aren’t right. The rest of the time, you have to make the discovery on your own. This is not easy to do.

When you have been made aware that things are wrong, you have to open to the criticisms about your focus. Even when I know that I am multitasking, I do not always recognize that I am doing so. I do not want to admit that I need to refocus my thoughts and actions. When I am lucky enough to recognize that things need to change, I am ready for the next step, Q&A

I have developed a series of Questions that I use to help me work through my lack of effectiveness. They are as follows:

1. Is success defined by your efficiency to get things done or the quality of your work?
   1. It can be both, but which one is more important?
   2. Are your actions aligned with your answer?
2. Are you focusing on the task-at-hand or the end-goal?
   1. Are you focusing on crossing the task off your list or are you focusing on completing the task with quality and integrity?
3. What do you want to achieve?
   1. Quality work?
   2. Completed Checklists?
   3. Why?

Being honest with myself is essential for my success in correctly refocusing myself and my priorities. These questions will not work unless you answer them with honesty and integrity.

Next time that you recognize that you are not focused on effectiveness, try this out and let me know how it worked for you.

Everyday is an Interview