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Secrets Behind the CEO’s Task List

A C-Suite task list is a balance between strategic work, tactical work and personal development. Studies show at the C-Suite level the balance should be 70/20/10, but depending on the season it can vary. High performers love tactical work. The quick wins of putting out fires and completing tasks can easily throw the schedule off balance. When you stay consistently in the tactical work and never return back to the steady state of 70% working on the future, things get off track.

I used to get stuck in the tactical, but soon learned I lacked skills in prioritization, decision logic and how to not procrastinate on strategic projects; breaking them down into bite size chunks. That’s where leaders fail as did I, but now I have some tips to help you stay in this zone. 

Before I continue, ask yourself:

  • Why don’t you stay in the zone of 70/20/10?
  • Is it easy to check the box on tactical work and you lack the skills for strategic work? 
  • I also ask you if you’re up to the C-Suite role or not? 

If you like the tactical work and find your value in being a SME and go to person, then accept your place and be fine with it. We sometimes think we need to do more, but if where you’re at is just fine, then you can stop here. But if not, let’s talk more about the secrets of the CEO task list.

Framework:

  • It’s not a task list, it’s your performance management system! We set up these systems for the front line, but why not you? It sounds like leader standard work from the lean world and it is, but I’m breaking it down for you to make it easy.
  • Qualify the 5-8 Projects you have to move forward or continue to monitor. Qualifying them will help you to stay focused and strive for 70% strategic, 20% tactical, and 10% personal development
  • It has to be achievable. Set your battle plan for the day or I suggest the week. We don’t get everything done each day, giving ourselves grace, but by the end of the week, we should get it done.
  • Put everything you get done on the list. Disruptions happen for which we address, but never credit ourselves for crossing it off. We have to see what we actually get done in a day and give ourselves a high five when we get 80% done!
  • Cross it off and feel good. When you get to the end of the week, ask yourself if you feel accomplished and did you move the needle in your strategic work? If yes, celebrate. If not, do you have the right things on your list? It’s a constant reminder to evolve your daily / weekly plan and get it right.
  • Reminder: As you look at your next week and assess how much you were able to accomplish the prior week, do you need to have every meeting, do you need to do everything on the list or delegate it? You want to increase your % of success each week so you’re performing at the C-Suite level.

On a personal note, so many people ask how do you do it all? I don’t always get it all done for which I’ve raised the white flag for help. More importantly, I’ve stopped, reassessed and peeled things away or reset my priorities. No C-Suite leader has all the answers nor is it perfect. But they’re resilient, they experiment, they learn from what worked well and what did not, refine rinse & repeat.

I would love to continue this conversation with you via DM. It’s really me on the other side of that screen, no bots, no gimmicks. Message me your questions and I can send you a short voice message with my thoughts.

·   Thank you and much success!

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How to Create Momentum and Drive Success as an Emerging Leader

Throughout my career, I get excited about new initiatives and often put a lot of time into thinking about possibilities. However, big ideas can fall flat if we don’t now how to move them forward. Let me share a client story so you understand what I mean.  

Let’s call this client Mike, who I was working with to evolve their continuous improvement program. Weeks and months would go by where we wouldn’t get visibility to the status of the initiative. Often he would deflect or make excuses or if you came to him in person, you would get a verbal status. It became frustrating for leadership not to have the report for this initiative to track his progress and make sure he stayed on track. 

Upon further discussion with him, he was always the execution guy, but never had to report formally to leadership. He never had a framework. I worked with him on what information would be required by leaders for a monthly high level status report and then we built a schedule for him to collect the data, review, and issue on a monthly basis. Once that system was built, getting support for the initiative was easy because it was visible. 

We make assumptions that people know how to kick off an initiative, but the reality is the plan is often already laid out for them, leaving them to execute. Knowing how to build a plan and keeping accountable to your own plan is a skill many leaders don’t have. They fall victim to the easy fire fighting and any other problem that comes in their door. They know how to solve problems, but fail to have a reliable system to plan, prevent and ultimately improve through initiatives. 

Creating momentum behind an initiative is a harder skill than you think and often missed when elevating to the C-Suite. 

Here are some thoughts on how to build a process to move your initiatives forward:

  • Confirm you are still committed to the initiative. Moving forward without passion will kill success out of the gate.
  • Put your thoughts down on paper to get a high level view of your idea. Don’t seek perfection, seek to iterate. 
  • Run it by a stakeholder ask for feedback. Making a proposal is already a step towards leadership.
  • Build in accountability – weekly report and reminders until it becomes routine.
  • Communicate, communicate, communicate and acknowledge the collaboration of others. It’s not just about moving your initiative forward, but also gaining the collaboration of others. 

These are simply ideas to get you moving your initiative forward. However, if you still struggle, I ask you a few questions:

  • If you can’t master this skill, how can you ensure others will replicate your behavior?
  • If you aren’t committed, should you be a leader or simply a single contributor?
  • If you’ve mastered this and your team around you has challenges, do you have the courage to ask for help if you don’t have the capacity to elevate others?

These are bold questions for which leaders must face and be able to answer. Now I challenge you to act. Look at your initiative and apply this framework or something of your own making.

Do you still have questions unique to your situation? Consider The Drop In CEO Collective to pose these challenges or reach out to me direct for a quick conversation.

P.S. Stay ahead of the curve in your industry and get to the point of what C-Suite leaders need to know by joining the Get to the Point Newsletter.  You’ll be the first to hear about the latest trends, insights, and strategies that can take your business to the next level.

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How The CEO’s Compass is helping The Drop In CEO

Every 6-12 months I feel off track for which the book, The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track becomes my own self help book. Chapter 1 is titled: It’s Personal – What changed and why are you off track” followed by a quote on the facing page:
 
 “Having Clarity amidst chaos cuts through the noise.” -Deb Coviello.

I was feeling off track, took some time to reflect if I was still committed to my work. I then took some time to declutter my life as it got real messy again. I had so much I wanted to accomplish, but my efforts were diluted and not having the impact I wanted. When I looked at, I found comfort in my chapter on “People: They’re your greatest tool in your tool box” for which I realized I needed help to move my business forward again.

One of the challenges I see in CEO’s is they lack the courage to ask for help until it’s too late and then they wonder why they are in crisis. Fixing the issue becomes so much more expensive than had they moved faster with external support. I see the same challenges in businesses going through Mergers & Acquisitions. They focus on the transaction and lose sight of evolving the leadership team. Businesses spend a lot of money on consulting companies to complete the project, but have they actually created chaos? The leadership teams are not equipped with the tools to sustain the new business model. I often wonder how many companies out there could use Drop In CEO services to bridge the gap between the past and the future state. Any M&A leaders out there, just know I’d love to speak to you to  help navigate the process more smoothly. Just reply to this email as I’d love to pick your brain to help with this challenge. 

So getting back to my story about getting back my story… you will be seeing a lot of changes that evolve Illumination Partners, LLC (my business entity) and The Drop in CEO (my brand) to bring our team closer to my community: C-Suite Leaders of Today, C-Suite Leaders of Tomorrow and Sponsors & Advocates for our work. I’ve called in the calvary to support me through content writing, marketing, video & audio production and even a refresh on our brand images. I’ve set an intention on investing what works and having the courage to ask for A LOT of help! 

I’m grateful I wrote the book, The CEO’s Compass to help C-Suite Leaders of today. It servesso as a gentle reminder for myself to stay on track and make course corrections as needed to enable me to be in service to my community.

Look for a refreshed look to my Get to the point Newsletter in the coming weeks that we hope will increase the value to you and make it a go to resource for you, your teams and the network. 

If you would like to learn more about the book, you can also visit my website  to preview and order your copy. Let me know how I can help you. I’d love to support you. Until then, I wish you much success-Deb
New Date / Times for The Drop In CEO CollectiveI’m so excited about the conversations and value we’re providing attendees of the Collective.

Each week, I teach people different approaches to networking that will make you memorable vs. an elevator pitch.

We bring forward educational content from our podcast or even from the community to teach you skills needed for the C-Suite. 

The spot coaching is also amazing as it’s not just from myself, but the Collective can help you also navigate your challenges. 

I appreciate the feedback about the dates / times and with that we will offer our next Collective on Monday March 20th at 12:00-1:00 and 4:00-5:00 ET to see if this will make it easier for you to invest in your career. 

If you cannot make this session, but know of someone who would benefit, please pass this along so they can register. 

This is complimentary because I care about supporting you and The Drop In CEO Community. 
Click here to get your initiation
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How The Leadership Desert Will Destabilize Your Busines

This week I had an epiphany based on trends I’m seeing in business that can lead to destabilization of your business. Small and medium size businesses continually elevate subject matter experts with some management experience and hope the essential skills of leadership will catch up. And then we look sideways at that person in the corner who raises their hand, asks well thought out questions, may even be the squeaky wheel and we “manage” their presence vs. realize they’re a future leader. Failure to recognize leadership in your organization or even a system to evolve leadership in an organization will lead to a leadership desert; leaving C-suite leaders in wonderment why their business is not thriving. 

Just this week while facilitating a workshop at a client, a few people who were lower in the hierarchy were rather quiet; letting the discussion continue with more senior leaders in the room. When there was a pause, they came forth with the most profound statements and questions that completely turned the conversations in a different direction from sometimes rabbit holes we were falling into. While I was successfully brought our workshop to technical conclusion; I realized there were quiet leaders in the room for which most leaders will not recognize them. We finished our business and these individuals went back to work. However, on my next visit, I’m going to suggest we flip the accountability of the project to those individuals and we are in service to these leaders.

Leaders are all around us, but we lack the lens to see them. When we don’t see them and take the time to evolve their inherent leadership skills we run into situations for which business will lack the talent and the work results ebb and flow. The Leadership Desert is a real thing and we need to be talking more about it to raise awareness and have the courage to take action. 

If this is a challenge for you as a C-Suite Leader or you see people on your team struggling with this exact same issue, but you don’t have the capacity or capability to address, please have the courage to leverage a support system. The Drop In CEO community can help you. 

Drop in to my next Drop In CEO Collective offered on March 20th and click here for your exclusive invite to this offering. This forum is for C-Suite Leaders of today and tomorrow. Mostly the Leaders of Tomorrow are coming for which they’re gleaning so much help to them get into the C-Suite. I invite C-Suite leaders to attend because a) you may gain some insights for yourself and b) you may see this as the place for your leaders of tomorrow to gain the skills they need. 

It may be the best investment of 50 minutes towards resolving the Leadership Desert. 

Let me know; I’d love to support you. 

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

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C-Suite Leadership Messaging is the greatest under developed skill

With my 35 years of business experience and the last 4 years in my own, coaching C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow, one of the most under developed skills is in messaging vision & strategy.

I have seen so many talented leaders including myself successfully delivery tactical content only to be deflated because we were unable to move the needle, spawn conversation or achieve the outcome we seek to achieve. It becomes a source of frustration for many and then creates limiting believes and a negative mindset about ones’ capabilities. Ultimately it deflates confidence for which stuck C-suite leaders of tomorrow cannot find a path forward. 

In this week’s Drop In CEO Collective, I provided a framework for which I have found is starting point to not only craft your 30 second elevator pitch for your vision & strategy, but gets you to think differently.

Here is the framework, an example of good and a very bad example of what not to do:

Framework:

  • Grounding statement that relates your Topic to a greater strategy (gets people to wake up and listen)
  • Provide more details and context that justify why the topic is important
  • Propose a solution or course of action to spawn conversation.

Example of good:  Evolving our Root Cause Analysis capability is critical to reaching long term defect reduction in order to create a greater customer experience. By implementing this training & coaching program within these functional areas in the next 24 months, we will not only see a reduction in our customer defects, but we will be the first business unite of its kind to take a step forward in investing in our people which pays many dividends in employee loyalty. I propose we have a follow up workshop in the next two weeks to work out the details of the strategy, deliverable timeline and necessary resources.

Example of bad: We need to purchase now the Root Cause Analysis training package in order to train all employees across 3 business units using state of the art software that enables collaboration and real time reporting. When we implement the new tool, we should be able to show people how to do RC analysis more effectively and ultimately reducing our defect rate from 5% down to 2% which is our 2024 goal. The cost is $25,000 and would like to discuss how / when we can move forward with this proposal.

The good example aligns the leaders message to a greater strategic goal, provides a bit of context to help people to understand the impact and a call to action to move the conversation forward.

The bad example is from a place of siloed thinking and provides too much detail for which people may deflect or delay any constructive conversation leaving the messenger deflated. 
. 
The attendees of this past collective agreed that this was a different way of thinking and this could help them to craft more impactful messages and be seen, heard and respected as a C-Suite Leader. 

If this is a challenge for you as a C-Suite Leader or you see people on  your team struggling with this exact same issue, but you don’t have the capacity or capability to address, please have the courage to leverage a support system.

Drop in to my next Drop in Collective offered on March 20th and click here for your exclusive invite to this offering. 

It may be the best investment of 50 minutes towards effective Messaging for influence & impact. 

Let me know; I’d love to support you. 

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

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What CEO’s can learn from the play “Annie”​

I’ve shared with many of you I’m working with a Functional Wellness Coach to ensure my health is in check so I can continue to be in service to you. During this journey, we’ve discovered Stress has potentially cause my chemistry to be out of balance. As part of decreasing stress, I’ve been doing more things that give me pleasure and are relaxing; one of which is continuing to go to the theater. Last evening we saw the play “Annie” and while it was a feel good story, there are important messages CEO’s can learn to get better results.

First and foremost, the song “The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow”, gives hope that you always have another day to make things right or to enjoy success and life. So many CEO’s dwell in what is going wrong vs. playing to what is going well and applying more energy. Where things are going wrong, they spend too much time in the weeds, vs. enabling teams to solve their own issues and inspire optimism. Fast Companies article about how CEO’s can lead with optimism in uncertain times is critical to enable high performing teams to meet those challenges. 

While I could gush about the entire musical score for Annie, let me share my personal thoughts. I was once a victim to circumstances and I simply wanted to “survive” until tomorrow. The turning point came when I realized I had no more energy to survive and wonder how I got to this place. I focused on the immediate vs. the future. I had my hands in most everything vs. improving my decision logic and prioritization. I worked harder vs. smarter and knew no other way. Where was my boss? Where was the coaching I needed to develop the essential skills vs. applying resources at the issues?

I am so grateful I can now see clearly these challenges are common to most C-Suite leaders and those seeking to get into the C-Suite. No where do I find a systemic approach within corporations to identify these gaps in skills nor a program to evolve them. Only a lucky few have a mentor or a coach with others falling into despair or feeling stuck. Given this insight, I have curated these gaps into The CEO’s Compass as a guide to stop and recognize the gaps and start helping leaders develop new skills & approaches to their leadership style. This is a DIY guide to get back on track, but I can also support you and your business challenges often moving you from crisis to stability in 90 days or less. Let’s have a conversation. 

If this is you, PLEASE do not continue as you have. PLEASE do start to do something different. If you are trying to get into the C-Suite, consider my book as a resource to get you on track in days vs. months. I also propose the Drop In CEO Collective that could jump start you to the right track in 50 minutes or less. Time is valuable and leveraging tools to give you back time and reduce stress is an investment in yourself that you should consider. We all want to see The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow!

Message me if you’re interested in the Drop In Collective or click here for your exclusive invite.  

Let me know; I’d love to support you. 

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

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STOP committing to your career and start committing to relationships.

You’ll be much happier in the long term and here’s why!

When I met my now husband I was flattered by his attention, yet baffled how two opposites could be attracted.

He was outgoing and I was quiet, he raced cars and I read books, he was came from a big family, I came from a small family.

Yet over time, we realized we were more similar than different when we focused on our values and working on a relationship that blended our strengths and demoted our weaknesses and differences.

We’re still working on it, but after 34 years of marriage I think we have figured out how to have a good relationship.

Jobs come and go and most of us have seen that. We commit so much to the work and fail to commit to a relationship with ourselves, family, community & co-workers.

Those relationships are those that will stick with you through the ups and downs and maybe could be that phone call after many years that says: “Are you available, I’ve got an offer for you”.

You don’t get that through investing in a job or career, but by investing in one relationship at a time. That nurturing is what will give you more job satisfaction.

I know after being in business now 4 years that the relationships from the past are bringing me the clients now and not so much from recent networking.

Think about your situation and ask yourself if you are happy with your career progress? Being shut down when the bar keeps rising; a never ending cycle of disappointments.

What about that past co-worker or boss; have you connected them recently?

I propose you invest more in yourself and cultivating relationships?

Just like a marriage is hard work, but it has so many more years of sustainable satisfaction. Dan and I have our arguments; last week it was about curling and we constantly quarrelling on the ice. ?This week, we were communication quite well and we won the game. It’s because we care about each other and want to make it work.

Now think about your past relationships and who are you going to contact right now?

Let us know in the comments.

Until then, I wish you much success-Deb

#dropinceo #CSuiteLeaders #CEOsCompass

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What C-Suite Leaders are missing to get back on track

On the way to work I got a flat tire. Nothing special, it’s happened to all of us! The unfortunate thing was the people who installed it completed a transaction and got paid for putting on a new tire. However, they never drove it around to assure the seal was intact and the vehicle was safe. As a consumer, I want the assurance that I don’t have to worry about the flat tire happening. While driving at high speed, all of a sudden my tire pressure alert came on and showed it dropped from 35 to 20 and ultimately to 6. I was rescued by AAA and got my tire repaired by my tire dealer who said it is possible there was dirt that enabled a leak and a loss of pressure. They added bead seal and assured me after pumping it back up, it was safe.

The problem with this situation is the service provider was seeking a result – install a tire and get paid. For the consumer, I wanted Peace of Mind; knowing my vehicle was safe and the service provider had assured the workmanship was sound and validation the car would work in the end application. A big fail from a consumer perspective.

Yet the same pattern exists for C-Suite leaders; getting the results and claiming success. I propose to you that C-Suite leaders who seek results are in reality in pursuit of Peace of Mind; knowing they can sleep at night and won’t get that late night call.

Peace of Mind is a state of being for which you know you, your team and the consumer is cared for. It’s not a number, but when you do the right things and see the consumer happy, you know you have Peace of Mind.

I felt very dissatisfied after the transaction with the tire repair place and I have my fingers crossed each time I get into my car. However, this story is meant to inspire those leaders who seek results and then realize there was a better way of helping their teams to perform at the highest level based on purpose and elevating individual performance.

I would love to give a copy of my book The CEOs Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track to the tire repair place so they can assure their customers Peace of Mind. If you don’t want to be “That Person” who is only seeking results and truly understands that pursuing Pease of Mind is a better use of their time, consider a copy of the book to help you get there with The CEO’s Compass. 

If you would like to discuss more your situation and how Peace of Mind will get you to a different place because you’re stuck and don’t know how to get back on track, please reach out to me. I can be your compass and guide.

-Deb Coviello

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How creating a little chaos leads to simplification in your life

I thought the sky would fall when I didn’t get my newsletter to you on Wednesday! It’s now Sunday morning and the sun and stars are still shining bright and no one got mad at me.  I declined a number of networking calls and thought I’d ruin my business development efforts on the possibility they might lead to something. Then I realized my business model is mostly referrals and by being highly selective with my time and who I connect with. When I limited my weekend work time to only clearing out emails and planning for the upcoming week, I had oodles of time to spend with my husband and dog this weekend. As for the laundry that piled up? My husband helped me with that once I asked and we ignored the wrinkled garments in favor of good conversation. The 8 hours of sleep I’ve enjoyed almost every night has lead to my personal looking much calmer than ever before.

So why do I always worry about not getting everything done in this complicated life I created in the past. Because I thought I would miss opportunities. Instead I was inflicting so much activity into my life, it was complex and I was exhausted. With 2023 and my theme of Simplification, every decision I make might cause some chaos in the short term, but ultimately leads me to calm and contentment.

In the last 24 hours, I really think I upset some people. However, that short term chaos with less than substantial relationships have given me peace of mind that I’m getting more clear than ever before about where to invest my time. But enough about me and seeking ways to simplify, what about you and your life?

Framework for creating chaos that leads to simplification:

Get very clear about your non-negotiables (i.e. sleep, exercise, reading) and fix those times
What will you say yes to and what will you say no to? This decision logic is your defense mechanism
Look at your calendar and what can you delete, delay or delegate away
Cancel meetings / recurring events that no longer have value.
Make that hard decision, while uncomfortable now, will lead you to peace of mind.
Spend a little extra money for convenience where it frees up time

These are some suggestions and not all encompassing. However, I ask you to have the courage to create a little chaos if you care about making a difference in your life. By getting real clear and simplifying things, you’ll make room for amazing results. 

I’m here to help the C-suite leaders of today and tomorrow navigate your challenges with confidence. I do this so we can all spend more time doing the things we love with ourselves, family, friends and community.  In support of that, we need to turn Deb’s cool article into action to help you achieve your goals. 

In the next week, I want you to write down what you are simplifying and the impact it will have both positive and negative and let me know what it will be. Then write down the action you will take towards simplification once reconciled with the desired outcome.

When you send it to me, I’ll provide you feedback. If you need more help, book a short call to see how I can support you for a successful 2023.

My upcoming solo podcasts in January are going to take you through the season of goal setting, so make sure you follow here and gain some valuable tips. 

With Simplicity being this years theme, I’ll get to the point and wish you an amazing start to 2023!

And if you’re seeking DIY resources to support you in 2023: If you’re interested in learning more about  my Podcast, my book , my blog or general information about my resources, click on each of the links to learn more.  
Register for
The Drop In CEO Collective:
January 24th @ 7:00pm ETLet me start by apologizing for our technical glitch on our last collective. In error, we included a previous zoom link and didn’t realize the change. For those of you who tried to get in, I’m grateful you planned to join me. We are repeating that session on 1/24/23.

One of the things I was told that I needed was executive presence to help me to get to the next level. I was kindly reminded by a member in my network that this is often more critical; beyond learning the soft skills which we’ve worked on in the past.

I never had a coach to help me with this and only once I was ready, did I figure out some of the elements that created my executive presence. If you think this is something that is needed; lets connect on January 24th to give you some insights into why this is important and actionable tips to start you on your journey. 

We will also discuss goal setting and helping you have a successful 2023

Click on the link to get a personal invitation for our next events. 

Remember, investing in your personal development closes the gap in ultimately your performance.The Drop In CEO Podcast Round up
I don’t want you to miss an episode of conversations with experts who share their insights & inspiration with you for a lasting impact. 

In the spirit of simplification, I will stop posting the individual podcasts that have aired because it takes a lot of time. However, I invite you to visit my website and book mark it for catching up on great guest interviews weekly on Mondays and my solo insights every Friday. 


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