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Published April 03, 2012 at 09:11 PM

Keep Your Red-Yellow-Greens Short & Sweet

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Picture of Tiffany Chepul

Tiffany Chepul
a Rhythm Consultant

Setting SMART Red-Yellow-Green success criteria is challenging enough, but now you want me to fit it into 30 characters or less?  Impossible!  But, there's good reason for it:  focus.

 Use these tips to get your team setting succinct and SMART RYGs.Red Yellow Green

- Use the Time Machine Exercise.  If you had a time machine and went to the Due Date of your Priority, what would you like to step out and see in 5 words or less?

- Tame the details in the Actions List. Instead of defining Green as Step 1 by 5/15, Step 2 by 5/30, etc., record the milestones and deliverables as Action Items.  (As an added bonus, this also increases accountability and forces a true status. For example, if someone is cruising with solid Green statuses, but has 4 overdue Action Items, you know someone's in denial!)

- Identify the deal-breaker.  Is there one thing on the Actions List, that if it doesn't get done, the whole Priority fails?  Perhaps that's your Red.

- Avoid Due Date redundancy.  Don't go too far with keeping RYGs short and sweet.  Avoid using simply a date as your Green.  The priority already has a Due Date.  What is the desired result after your Due Date?

Learn to build focus, alignment and accountability; read Execute Without Drama by Patrick Thean