For those familiar with the NYC Subway, the pic accompanying this post likely prompted you to reach for the nearest bottle of sanitizer and pump way more than the recommended quarter-sized dose all over your hands. Everyone else who did not experience a Pavlovian reaction presumably have yet to cross off your bucket list a ride uptown in the subterranean sardine-can transportation network.
The binary inquiry “What do you want to add? Value or Time” appears in the sequence when attempting to procure access to the subway via MetroCard. The options are cost-per-ride or time-bound. Simple. I credit the designers of this software for clearly presenting how to fund a card, and inadvertently providing a prime example of how we may easily evaluate our relationships and activities outside the subway.
This petri dish of a touch screen stops passengers dead in their tracks while frantically attempting to get to the meeting they are hustling to make on time. In our less accountable worlds, contemplating the people we connect with and pursuits we engage in similarly comes when confronted by an unforeseen roadblock. Efforts like networking non-stop and climbing every ladder in the office often deter us from regular analysis of who and what provide real value to our world. We in turn devote less time to meaningful activities with stimulating people. Worse – we waste precious time following someone else’s agenda. Then along comes a major life event, social eruption or professional derailment. We are jolted and forced into a brief period of reflection. We have a choice to continue as we were, or, assess holistically what we want to add going forward.
This cycle repeats throughout our lives, and we often do not take notice of the benefit.
The discipline to regularly review and repoint efforts and energy is a key differentiator of high performers.
The analysis is two-way, working optimally when contemplating the simple question from both an inbound and outbound perspective. We promote an additional filter to sort findings called KTA, which is short for: Keep, Toss, Add. No advanced degree or special tools necessary, just a periodic commitment to take a step back and evaluate.
INBOUND
KEEP: Here is where you might ask: which people and activities add value to your world? How so? How might you continue to draw value from these relationships and pursuits? Similarly, how are they adding time to your model? Do you gain satisfaction or advancement from the experience? Do you gain procedural efficiency? Knowledge that expedites progress toward a goal? Most importantly, have you shared this recognition to strengthen the bond and hopefully prolong the positive impact?
TOSS: Conversely, consider the relationships and endeavors which have diminished in value, and thus consume your ever-diminishing time. How and why do these contacts and undertakings no longer bring something to the table? When will you “weed the garden” to make space for and stimulate new growth?
ADD: Finally, which relationships or activities are missing? Have you identified gaps in your team that you can pursue candidates to fill? Is there a profile of investor you are seeking to pitch? What enrichment opportunities are you yearning for? How might you further qualify your network, brand and work experience? What creative ways might you invite and engage to add value and time to your world?
OUTBOUND
KEEP: Through this lens, you self-assess to whom you are adding value. When are you most efficiently operating and thus positively impacting others? What feedback have you received that confirms you are “bringing it?” When do you show up as the best version of yourself? What systems or processes enable your most efficient days/weeks? How might you better promote your value proposition and efficiencies? Further, how might you monetize your commitment to add value and time as hallmarks of your brand?
TOSS: Where have you fallen off? Where are you stuck in a rut of lackluster engagement and performance? Are you critically missing the mark? As declared in The Magnificent Seven, “There comes a time to turn mother’s picture to the wall and get out.” Better to move on and repoint energy elsewhere than waste more time and bring further damage to your reputation.
ADD: How might you replicate the strong relationships that appreciate your value prop? Which vendors, clients, advisors and influencers would favorably receive and perhaps complement your model? How and when will you seek out new connections and opportunities? What help do you need to be most effective in this exercise?
Il Punto: What do you want to add: value or time? Ideally, both.
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