IBD Digital: Unlock IBD’s Premium Stock Lists, Tools And Analysis Today
MarketSmith: Research, Charts, Data And Coaching All In One Place
[ad_1]
Information on just about any topic is at your fingertips. But that’s a problem if it overwhelms your life. The challenge is to prioritize information so it works for you, rather than the other way around.
X
Americans on average spend hours on their phones scrolling for information. And it’s not making them happier or smarter. Two-thirds say they feel “worn out” by the amount of news. But you can turn this around if you learn how to prioritize information.
“Business people that filter information effectively and keep their mental models updated with change will substantially outperform those that don’t,” Ross Dawson said.
Dawson wrote “Thriving on Overload: The Five Powers For Success in a World of Exponential Information.”
To find and filter the information that will drive your success, know what you’re looking for before you start searching, Dawson says.
Ask yourself questions like these: What knowledge and expertise do you excel in that drives your business forward? What information do you need in order to get accurate and relevant insights into your business environment?
“Clarity immediately makes apparent what is and isn’t relevant to your goals,” he said.
Make a thoughtful and careful selection of the high-quality media sources that will benefit your purpose most, Dawson says. This becomes your curated personal information network. Update it as needed.
In addition, make sure to include varied intelligent perspectives “so you can continually build a deep understanding of the forces shaping your industry,” he added.
For a CEO, spreadsheets, performance reports, meetings with the board and presence on social media are all clamoring for attention, says Vincent F. Hendricks. He wrote “The Ministry of Truth: Big Tech’s Influence on Facts, Feelings and Fictions.”
“Attention is a capital asset now too,” Hendricks said. “The CEO has to keep a detailed balance sheet on what sort of information is being paid attention to. It’s a greater expense than hard cash because not only can it be converted into money, it is also the most precious cognitive resource of mankind.”
Dawson says to dedicate specific time to scanning your chosen information sources. Take a deep dive into what you’ve determined is insightful content.
Many executives find it valuable to schedule information-gathering time on their calendars. This ensures that “they are getting what they need and not getting distracted by low-value sources,” he said.
To lead through competing demands and distractions, you must prioritize the types of information you take in. Simply stated: “Do less, yet do it better,” says Darren Alger, CEO of Unify Consulting.
First, understand what kinds of information will improve your life and business, Alger says. Then commit your time and money so that you have this information to make you more successful.
Alger reassures leaders: “If you and your team can be known for staunch prioritization and never underestimate challenges, then you will create a high-performance brand.”
It’s not enough to just gather quality information. To help you focus on it clearly, you need to sleep, exercise and eat healthy, says Gabe Coyne, CEO and co-founder of Stix Golf, a golf club maker.
It’s all about balance in your life to prioritize clearly. “You are a human being with physical, mental and emotional needs,” he said. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your business properly.”
Coyne says last year he went golfing every day at 6:30 a.m. and took an audiobook. “I can’t tell you how great of a reset that was,” he added.
The value he got from golfing early and listening to books provided “so much more to me personally and to my company than a few more hours of email noise would have,” Coyne said.
Also know that prioritizing and synthesizing information is an ongoing practice. It’s a skill that’s only going to become more critical.
“The capability that defines all successful executives and entrepreneurs,” Dawson said, “is synthesis: the ability to pull together disparate information to generate powerful insights.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Christy Mathewson Is A Role Model For Professional Superstars
Err On The Side Of Acknowledging Your Errors
Inspirational Quotes: Gary Vaynerchuk, Myriam Mongrain And Others
[ad_2]
Image and article originally from www.investors.com. Read the original article here.