What is Not Worth Doing Well?

Ken Blanchard has written several leadership books, including a classic, The One Minute Manager. I was reading another of his books, The Heart of a Leader, and came across a quote that surprised me.

Things not worth doing are not worth doing well.

It took me a couple of readings to see what Blanchard was saying. He related in this book how time management experts taught efficiency in all things. But Blanchard and others felt that it didn’t make sense for people to be doing a great job on a task they shouldn’t be doing in the first place. It didn’t matter how well they did the task if it didn’t need to be done!

Blanchard indicates, “People are often busy doing what seems to be extremely urgent but really isn’t. They spend a great deal of time moving papers rather than listening to their people….”

Have you ever felt that way? Have you come to the end of the day and said, “Did I accomplish anything worthwhile today?”

Blanchard goes on to say this.

“An effective leader must step back, look at the big picture, and make sure the important things are not being pushed out of the way by the seemingly urgent need of the moment.”

I wonder if the Apostle Paul felt this kind of pressure. I know he understood the importance of priorities. In writing to his fellow Christ-followers in Philippi he said,

[blockquote author=”Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)” link=”” target=”_blank”]…this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.[/blockquote]

As a leader in Christian ministry, the most important things for you are not the items that have stacked up on your desk, nor the problem that was just rushed to you to be decided. The most important thing is reaching forward… seeing the big picture… and pressing on toward what the Lord has for you. Paul calls it the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Today…let’s avoid the things that don’t need to be done, and focus our energy…and our excellence…on that one thing God has called us to.