How to empower your work to achieve highest possible impact?

We all know, we have limited time at our disposal. So we better invest our time in such a way that, every moment of it can achieve the highest possible impact it can.

Let me tell you don't need to sweat it out to do that. There is very simple principle involved behind it.

Principle of highest impact:

That principle of empowering maximum impact for your work can be easily incorporated by doing following:

Whenever you encounter any problem or solution, you need to answer following two questions:
[1] What is the maximum theoretical scope for it ?
[2] What is the maximum impact practical application for it  ?

These two questions have to be answered in the order listed. Answer of the first question helps establish the boundary by listing options.  Answer of second enables the choosing the right application area from the list of options.

"Principle of Highest Impact" in Action:

Lets do that with small story.

Lets say you have joined this new high potential startup and busy coding. You start noticing recently your computer has started hanging frequently. The curious you, takes a plunge. You google around. You spot some utilities. You run them on your computer over a weekend. Results of full analysis are ready on Monday.

With your favourite cup of tea you scan those reports. You figure out that the hard disk is showing some problems. You google about the hard disk model in your computer. You spot in hard disk vendor hosted discussion forums that this particular hard disk has known issues. It starts showing the degradations after a usage over a couple of years.

Now without knowledge of this principle of highest impact, you would get a new hard disk, copy the data from your old hard disk, plug it in and get started. Problem solved, back to coding.

Now equipped with this new principle, you decide to apply the principle and see if it works:

[1] What is the maximum theoretical scope it ?

Simple answer in this case is, wherever machine of the model you are using is being used.

You start bit of spying around the cubicles. In the close vicinity around your cubicle you spot three more of your  colleagues are using the same model type. Now you don't stop there and continue your exploration.

You ask yourself where are most of the computers located on your campus? You find out its that corner room where all the server machines are stacked. On your next tea break you look around the server room and to your surprise you do find that your startup tool cluster contains some of those models as well. Now equipped with this new information you jump to second question.


[2] What is the maximum impact practical application for it ?

Simple, which affects many people and which affects  your company as whole.

Where will you apply the solution first ? Also it would be safe to assume that  your company will have limited funds, which machine will you replace first?

Maximum impact practical application would be : Server machines - Right ?
Now when you suggest that to the management with all the data, think of the impact you have had on the company and your career.

Little additional effort coupled with the application of this principle you are able to achieve the maximum impact for your solution.

Sounds interesting, Is it possible every time?

Good question. Finding answer to the first question of this principle may not be easy all the time or some time it may not even possible to find complete answer.

Agreed. In those cases the extent you can apply this principle will vary but still it ensures that proportional to that impact can be achieved.

In essence for given scenario you always can maximize the impact.

You are responsible for giving your work platform to achieve highest impact it can. Empower it.