As a leader, are you distracted by shiny objects? Later do you realize that you wasted a lot of time on things that weren’t very important?
These tasks are your cubic zirconia. They take up a lot of your time but give you very little return on your investment. Often these are easy, yet time consuming activities. It’s comfortable to do them. These shiny things can be hard to resist.
By the end of the day, these activities have added little value to your organization. Your diamond tasks are much harder and require more strategic planning. Their value is considerably higher.
My grandfather, Sam, knew the difference between a diamond and cubic zirconia. For decades, he worked as a jeweler at the New York Jewelry Exchange. He knew the tricks of the trade and could spot the shortcuts some would take to try to make a quick buck at the customer’s expense.
How does this apply to you? In order to Clear the Path to higher productivity, you need an expert to help you separate your diamonds from the cubic zirconia.
Some may argue, “I can do that on my own.” Really? So you go to an expert for your health, an expert for your car, and an expert for your legal counsel. But when it comes to your career, you believe that you can tell the difference between your own diamonds and cubic zirconia? That’s like expecting a street vendor to whip up a four star meal out of trash can.
When you’re not happy with an outcome or your overall productivity, you need to seek out an expert. This may mean attending an educational seminar, working with a consultant, or reading some books. What you don’t want to do is get comfortable with ignorance. Otherwise, your career may not survive an inspection by those who understand genuine value.
