Anchor Everything

Anchors hold a ship in place. They keep things from drifting off into places you don’t want them to go. In the same way, every task you receive or assign should be anchored to a date & time. Without anchoring tasks you run the risk of them floating off into the land of debatable subjectivity.
Debatable subjectivity is the place where two people argue about what phrases like:

ASAP
I need this yesterday
As fast as you can do it
Quickly
By the end of the month
& Many other subjective and vague terms we use

The problem with making requests or receiving work like this is that my definition and your definition of what ASAP, or by the end of the month is usually never aligns. It’s a subjective phrase that has hidden expectations within it. And thus, it sets the stage for debate on what was actually intended.

So how do you keep tasks and projects from floating off into the land of debatable subjectivity? You anchor everything you receive from others and everything you assign to others.

Let me break this down:

Always attach an anchor with the two arms of a date & time. ASAP needs to turn into something like:

June 15th at 2pm

So let’s break this down even further:

How To Attach An Anchor When Receiving Work

When you receive work from others never allow them to get away with terms like ASAP, and other subjective terms. Tell them when you can get it to them with a date and a time. Notice I didn’t say ask them when they need it by. The reason you tell them when you can do it is that you need to control your schedule not them. Too many times someone assigns a task to you saying they need it ASAP and you drop everything to do it immediately only to find out they didn’t need it till next week (again you assumed what ASAP meant from them and you both had two different expectations). Instead of asking when they need it by (which sounds noble, but takes all control away from your schedule) start to respond with a thoughtful and strategic date & time you feel you can get to it. Say something like, “I can get that to you by June 15th at 2pm.” Notice I didn’t ask if that was ok…I just threw the anchor out and am waiting for a response. If you ask, “Is that ok?” You are giving all control away from your own schedule and becoming a slave to theirs. If they need it faster, they need to fight for it (I mean that in a healthy way). They need to be willing to prove to you why they need it faster with facts, not just a fleeting ASAP mentality.

You’ll find that when you start to anchor work you’re receiving by telling them the date & time you can get to it, it will likely go in your favor more than it doesn’t. It’s not fail proof, there will be times you’ll have to move your ideal date & time (if they can prove it), but the percentage of things working on your time frame will dramatically increase when you practice this technique.

How To Attach An Anchor When Assigning Work

When you assign work to your direct reports, peers, or even bosses anchor everything. Don’t be vague and subjective. Be clear when you need something. How do you hold someone specifically accountable to terms like ASAP, or quickly? There is no clear measurable expectation so therefore, if you come down on someone for not getting the task done ASAP it can quickly derail the conversation. The other person may feel that they intentionally worked on the task ASAP in their opinion, but it did not meet your opinion. The ASAP phrase you used was maybe clear to you, but not to them.

Never assign work without a date & time. And it is important to connect the two…date & time. Don’t just give a date and stop. There is something more real when you give it a time as well. People will feel more accountable to it because it is specific and thoughtful. When you assign a time to the date it appears very thorough and formal. They will assume you are not just being random with a date, but that if you need it by a specific time it takes it to a new level. Trust me on this…when you combine date & time you will increase other people’s output.