ONE Thing? BOOK REVIEW What’s Your Let the Rest Fall Away for Extraordinary Results
BY THE NUMBERS
7 90 75
“What’s the ONE Thing you can do this week such that, by doing it, everything else would be easier or unnecessary?”
Seconds you have to make a first impression
Take a few minutes to ponder this question, because it holds the key to extraordinary results for your business. It’s the question Gary Keller, co-founder of Keller Williams Realty, asks in his nationally bestselling book, “The One Thing.” In it, Keller and Jay Papasan, vice president of publishing at Keller Williams, bring a fresh, results-driven perspective to the topic of time management. It’s the duo’s first book not solely devoted to
Percentage of a first impression based upon appearance, posture, facial expressions, and tone of voice — per Yale University psychology professor Marianne LaFrance
real estate, and their advice could benefit your company.
When Keller’s company was at a standstill, a life coach recommended he narrow his focus. When Keller saw how it had an impact on his business, he extended this approach to his employees, and production soared. What Keller discovers and lays out in “The One Thing” is the causal effect between a narrowed focus and extraordinary results. You need to fix your focus on One Thing that will drive everything else. Think about Apple: As they’ve diversified their products, they’ve continued to focus on one lead product — Macs, then iPods, and now iPhones — and with their One Thing at the top, they create Apple acolytes who are devoted to the entire line. IT TAKES SUBTRACTION, NOT ADDITION Keller fundamentally and wholeheartedly believes in trying to completely minimize multitasking. Humans are not computer servers. Most people in the workforce are trained to multitask, even rewarded for it. However, the greatest achievers choose to narrow their focus and try to reduce, if not completely cut out, multitasking. Most people create to-do lists; Keller recommends creating “success lists” and constantly reminding yourself to focus on “What should I be doing next?” not “What can I do next?” Keller uses the Paretto Principle, the “80/20” rule, as his starting point, but instead of stopping at the 20, he dives into the 80/20 of each subsequent 20, until he can answer, “What is the one thing I can do five years, one year, a month, a week, or a day from now, such that, by doing it, everything else will become easier or unnecessary?” IT’S NOT STATIC New technology and economic shifts might mean your One Thing changes in the evolution of your business. To grow and continue to see results, your team has to regularly ask, “What’s our One Thing?” THERE’S NO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS Keller emphasizes that it will take time to get to extraordinary results. It’s something we know but often forget. As you develop your One Thing, you’ll build the skills and knowledge that lead to a domino effect of big results. As Keller reminds us, “Extraordinary success is sequential, not simultaneous.”
Percent of the world who does not communicate in your same style or will not immediately bond with your natural communication style
2 5 0.4
Seconds experts believe a consumer takes to make a decision to purchase a product when walking down a grocery aisle
Seconds recommended in the book, “The 5 Second Rule” to outwit your natural tendency to procrastinate. A simple “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go!” can help to override your next tough-to-tackle task
Seconds a 90 mph pitch takes to reach home plate
Check out “The One Thing” to learn more about Keller and Papasan’s approach and see how you can get extraordinary results for yourself.
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