Procrastination is a real issue for many entrepreneurs and business leaders. They have a vision. They have goals. But they have no idea how to achieve them. Dan Sullivan, founder and president of The Strategic CoachⓇ and author of “WhoNotHow: Your single formula for achieving bigger goals through accelerating teamwork,” says leaders who struggle with procrastination ask themselves the wrong question. They get hung up on “How do I do this?” when they should be asking, “Who can do this?”
I agree! In my experience, the person with the big idea typically doesn’t have all the skills, knowledge, capabilities, time, and motivation to tackle all the tasks required to make their vision a reality—and procrastination ensues. They get hung up on all the obstacles standing in their way because they think they must tackle everything themselves.
The Who Not What concept embodies teamwork and taps into what people are innately good at and passionate about. It closely aligns with the EOSⓇ People ComponentⓇ and the power of having the right people in the right seats.
When you want to reach your business goals (big or small), it’s important to bring in the “whos” who already know the “how” of accomplishing the tasks along the way. By doing so, you’ll be free to focus your time, attention, and energy on what you’re really good at and what will offer the most value to your company, employees, and customers. And you’ll achieve your vision faster with less stress.
In this post, I’ll share how I apply the Who Not What way of thinking in my EOS business and life—and the benefits I’ve reaped from it. I’ll also give you some tips and takeaways for incorporating it into your work and life.
Not only do I teach the Who Not How concept to my EOS clients, but I also employ it in multiple areas of my business and life so I can focus on being the best EOS ImplementerⓇ possible, facilitating productive sessions, closing new clients, and developing my knowledge.
Here are a few examples of the “whos” who alleviate my worries about “how”:
These resources have specialized knowledge, expertise, and experience to handle things I don’t enjoy nor am accomplished at doing.
Could I do it all on my own? Maybe, but I wouldn’t do it as well. And it would consume way too much time—time that I should instead be spending on value-added activities that allow me to provide exceptional service to my clients and build my business.
If you have an idea you want to pursue or want to take your business or life to the next level, a Who Not How mindset will help you achieve it.
If you don’t know how to do something, find a who that can. The EOS Delegate and ElevateⓇ tool can help you figure out what you should spend your time and energy on and what you should hand over to others.
It’s a helpful tool for capturing what you:
Lots of people get stuck on the lower left quadrant because they think because they’re OK at something they should do it themselves even if they don’t enjoy doing it. Instead, they should direct their time and energy to the upper quadrants, where their unique abilities lie, and find other people to take on the tasks that fall into the lower quadrants.
That’s the path to achieving your vision, moving your business forward, and loving your work and life.
If you’d like to learn more about the Who Not How concept and discuss how it can help you professionally and personally, read Dan Sullivan’s book, watch this interview, or schedule a call with me!
