Lately I’ve been challenging my own definition of “productivity.”
Finishing tasks feels good—but I’ve noticed that being busy doesn’t always translate into value. When work leaves no trace, no repeatability, and no decision context, teams end up re-learning the same lessons and re-solving the same problems.
So I started using a simple end-of-day check. It takes about 2 minutes, but it consistently shifts me from “busy delivery” to “governed delivery” (clear, traceable, and repeatable).
My 3 Daily Questions
1) Did I create a reusable asset today?
Examples: SOP, template, runbook, checklist, decision record, RAID/Risk log.
2) Did I make something clearer today?
Examples: clarified scope boundaries, aligned risks and assumptions, defined “done,” reduced ambiguity for stakeholders.
3) Did I get 1% better than yesterday — in a way I can prove?
Not just a feeling—something visible.
Examples: improved a decision by documenting the rationale, simplified a workflow, created a small artifact that prevents repeat work, captured a lesson learned that I can apply (and share) tomorrow.
Why this matters
When projects get intense, teams often default to firefighting. Without lightweight governance, we may still deliver—but we lose:
>Auditability (why we decided X over Y)
>Transferability (handoffs become fragile)
>Scalability (the same issues keep returning)
This checklist isn’t meant to add bureaucracy. It’s meant to protect outcomes and reduce repeat work.
What’s one “reusable asset” you’ve created recently that genuinely saved time or improved decision quality?
And how do you keep governance lightweight so people actually use it (instead of resisting it)?
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