Let me tell you a story.
Just about everybody I know wishes they could get a little more done each day. I'd like to share with you the tale of a simple idea. While simple, it is so powerful that it has helped at least one major corporation become dominant in its industry. It earned the man who came up with it an extra $25,000. It has also helped many people increase their productivity. It can work for you. SO if increasing productivity is important to you, read on.
Before we dive in, let me just be clear. The story is true, but since there was no official record made of the words actually spoken, they have been lost to history. I've had to fill in the dialog. It doesn't matter though, the important stuff is all in there, and the technique it teaches can accelerate anyone's productivity.
I Don't Need More Knowing
The management consultant named Ivy Lee felt confident as he finished his presentation. And why shouldn't he? He'd landed big clients before, and he knew this company could really use the help he offered.
The man on the other side of the room was Charles M. Schwab. The tag on the desk read "President" and the sign on the wall said "Bethlehem Steel". Schwab's physique may have been a bit on the pudgy side, but the look in his eye was as hard as any of the steel that left his plant.
Lee met the company president's steely gaze. "In short, Mr. Schwab, if you give me the opportunity to work with yourself and a few of your top executives, I will teach you all to manage the affairs of this company more efficiently. I'll teach your men to speak so that the public is always behind you. As a matter of fact, within a couple of weeks, you will know exactly how-"
Schwab waved a hand and shook his head. "Listen, Mr. Lee. You make a great presentation. You're services sound like they are top notch. We just don't need to learn what you have to teach right now. I don't need more 'knowing' at all. I can honestly say that I already don't manage as well as I know how." He clasped his hands an laid them on the desk. "More teaching isn't going to help. We already know what we should be doing." He tilted his head and chuckled. "Of course, if you could enlighten us with a way to get it done, I'd be happy to compensate you however you want."
The flat rejection almost shook Ivy. Almost. He knew that a weaker man would have bid a hasty retreat, but he was not a weak man. He controlled his breathing and stayed calm. That's when the idea struck him.
Schwab leaned back in his giant chair. "Is there anything else I can do for you before you go?"
Ivy nodded, then stood up straight and stepped toward the Schwab's desk. "Fair enough. What would you do if I said I can give you something withing the next twenty minutes that will immediately allow you to get done at least at least 50% more than you do now?"
Schwab's eyebrow shot up and he leaned forward again. "Well, then, I suppose I'd listen."
A Simple Idea
Lee turned and smiled. This was a great idea. It was simple to teach, simple to implement, and it would surely fix Schwab's problem. He picked up then rummaged through his briefcase until he found a blank piece of paper. He strode across the room, placed the paper on the desk, then slid it over until it was in front of the steel man.
Schwab appeared mildly confused. He looked from the paper up to Ivy and back again.
Lee stepped back and pointed. "See that ordinary piece of paper?"
Schwab shrugged his shoulders and looked up again. "Of course."
"The first thing you need to do is this. Take a moment and jot down the six most important things you need to get done tomorrow."
Schwab slowly reached for a pen, thought for a minute or two, the scribbled down his six items. When he finished, he tossed his pen onto the desk. "Done. Now what?"
Lee smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "The second thing is to number them in order of importance."
Schwab stretched across the big desk and snatched the pen he had just flung. He closed his eyes for a breath, then scratched the numbers one through six next to the appropriate items.
He set the pen close and nodded. "There."
Lee's smile widened. "The third and final thing is this. Tomorrow when you walk through that door and sit at your beautiful desk to work, you start by working on the item you've labeled with a one. You don't do anything else. You work on that first item until it is done. Distractions are going to come up. Just ignore them. Again, you work on your number one item until it is done. When it's done, you move on to the second item. When that is done you can move on to the third one, and so on until you finish the list, that is, if you can finish it. Then, at the end of every work day, you start over by making a new list. Don't spend time worrying about the things that you don't get done. Because you will have thought about what is most important, you know that you have done the most possible good possible for Bethlehem Steel, and I guarantee you'll have completed more than you used to. And if you can't get all six items done this way, you couldn't finish them using any other method, either. I'm so confident that this is going to work, that I'm not even going to set a price on this idea. Just use it for a week or two. See how valuable it is. Teach a few of your people to do it. When you have seen how much more you can get done, well, then you send me a check for whatever you think it's worth."
Schwab rolled his chair back, stood, and extended a hand. His eyes had changed. Now they looked completely lost in thought.
Lee shook his hand, then gathered up his presentation materials and left without a word. He knew his idea was a winner.
What The Idea Was Worth
A few weeks later, Ivy got a letter in the mail on Bethlehem Steel stationary. In the letter, Schwab detailed how Ivy's idea was the single most profitable thing, from a bottom line money perspective, that he had ever been taught.
Folded up in the letter was a company check written to Ivy Lee in the amount of $25,000.
Since that time, many have said that this simple technique was instrumental in the growth of Bethlehem Steel from an obscure steel mill to one of the largest producers of steel in the world.
So, to put it another way, the "Six Items" technique was literally worth millions to Bethlehem Steel. How much will it be worth to you?
Implementing the "Six Items" technique.
When I first heard this story, I just had to try it out. So I cut up a stack of scrap paper and every day before leaving work I would write down and order my six items. You know what? It worked for me, in a big way.
However, I am a nerd, so I decided to build a little application to handle my list for me.
I wanted the app to:
be simple to use, or I wouldn't use it.
keep the list to six items, max. Looking at giant lists always freaks me out.
Have a way for me to remember a few of the items I want to get done soon, but not necessarily tomorrow.
Access my list from anywhere, whether from my desktop, my laptop or even any web-enabled phone.
With that in mind, I sat down and started programming. I called what I came up with "Six Items," in honor of the "Six Items" technique taught by Ivy Lee.
Here's a quick tour of the app.
The SixItems Web App
Here's a look around the SixItems application.
The SixItems online software works on all major mobile platforms, like Android and iOS (ipod). It also works on most newer "HTML5" browsers, like Chrome, FireFox, Safari, etc... It still works on crappy browsers (IE), but it doesn't look as good. Just click the sign up button below to get started.
Six Items
If you'd like to use the Six Items online system to be more productive, signing up is really easy. It's only $6 / year. Just take a box lunch to work one day instead of eating out and you've saved up enough extra money to pay for the whole year.
Get Started Now
