How to Reclaim Productivity: Doers vs. Checkers

Every business has two types of people, the checkers, and the doers. A checker believes a long to-do list means that you’re an incredibly productive person. A doer will focus on one objective at a time. To be able to stay competitive in this fierce market you need to stay ahead of the curve and create more value from your time. But there are only so many hours in a day – which type of worker is the most productive?

If you’re struggling to achieve a decent work/life balance and still meet your business goals for the quarter, then you just might need a crash course in the difference between productivity and busywork. To start, let’s take a look at what checkers are notorious for, busywork. If you find after reading this that you are guilty of being a checker, don't fret, you can train yourself to separate these endless tasks from the more strategic efforts that garner long-term results.

There can be a disparate ability when separating true urgency from the general information overload that is now a natural part of a business workday. There are always more emails, more meetings, more things to read, more ideas to follow up. The result, inevitably, is feeling overwhelmed. How you choose to respond to the influx of information and what work ultimately makes its way onto your plate heavily determines whether you are a doer or a checker.

THE CHECKER

While an endless list can spur anxiety (which can feel like real urgency), take time to seriously consider if running from task to task is actually furthering your organization’s goals.

When you’re busy, you’re more likely to make poor time-management choices — taking on commitments you can’t handle, or prioritizing trifling tasks over crucial ones.

Stop for a moment to reconsider your notion of what “busy” really means. An endlessly repopulating to-do list with a few shining checkmarks doesn’t mean you’re on top of your game. To the contrary, it might actually suggest that you’ve lost sight of the goal post.

THE DOER

The doer, in contrast, will focus on one objective at a time. And their definition of productive tasks? Simple: work that gets you closer to reaching your strategic goals and objectives.

Once you know how you’re spending your time, you can work to reclaim it. Investing in software that will remove some of those mundane and remedial to-do's is one way to remove the excess clutter that clogs up your day. Katelyn Battaglia, Director of Marketing at Baby Boot Camp shared how the implementation of Pike13 software allowed their franchise to concentrate on what really matters, building their business.

Time spent on day-to-day admin work for our franchise owners has been reduced drastically so they are able to spend more time building their business. 

Just remember, being truly productive is not about how many tasks you accomplish or the number of hours you work each day. It’s about the quality of your work. When you make space in your day — and your brain — to slow down, focus, and dig deep, you give yourself the room to evolve as a more confident, grounded leader. Which means better business decisions, and, ultimately, better results.