The Most Productive Question You'll Ask All Week
The Power of Subtraction
Directive
In your next team meeting, set aside ten minutes to ask one simple question: "What should we stop doing?" And then, just listen.
Why It Matters
Our jobs are wired for addition. We add features, add processes, add meetings. Over time, this creates organizational drag—the corporate equivalent of leaving all your apps open. We celebrate the start of new things, but rarely the smart cessation of old ones.
Asking your team what to stop is incredibly empowering. It gives them permission to point out that legacy report nobody reads, the weekly sync that could be an email, or the "zombie project" that's quietly draining resources. You’ll be surprised at the low-value work that’s hiding in plain sight. It’s the fastest way to declutter your roadmap and give your team back their most valuable asset: focus.
Action Item
Here’s how to ensure this isn't just a venting session:
Prime the Pump: Add this question to the meeting agenda ahead of time. Give people context, e.g., "As part of our effort to increase focus, we'll spend 10 minutes brainstorming things we could stop doing." This gives your team permission to think critically beforehand.
Create a 'No-Defensiveness' Zone: When the time comes, your only job is to listen and list. Capture every suggestion on a whiteboard without judgment or immediate debate. Resist the urge to explain why something exists. The goal is to generate a raw list, not to justify the past.
Triage and Act: After the meeting, categorize the list into "Stop Immediately," "Discuss Further," and "Can't Stop Now." Publicly commit to stopping at least one small thing within 48 hours. This shows you’re serious and builds momentum.
Words to Work By
"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." – Peter Drucker
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