Some of you may recall a few months ago we discussed the value of having a STFU person in your life. Click on the link if you skipped that one, don’t remember or don’t know what “STFU” means…..we’ll wait….
Okay, so just as everyone needs a STFU person, I’ve got another one for you to go find:
The GSD Person — as in Get Sh*t Done.
What is a GSD Person?
A good GSD person is someone in your network, your organization or inner circle that, whenever you are in a bind or your back is up against a wall, you turn to them and say:
“I need you to get <fill in your task here> done for me by <fill in the time you need it done>.”
And, they say simply say, “Yes.”
And, POOF! It gets done the way you wanted it done, when you wanted it done.
A GSD person doesn’t argue. They don’t make excuses. They don’t whine or complain about the other things they have going on. They don’t tell you how “swamped” they are. And they certainly don’t need to check in with you every 5 minutes to make sure they are doing things right.
GSD People close the deal. They deliver the product on time. They meet the deadline. They figure out a solution to the problem. They find a way to hit their number. They always manage expectations.
They just GET…..💩….DONE.
Every single time. Like clockwork. Without fail.
And you don’t even have to think twice about whether they will do it or not….which allows you to focus on getting other important sh*t done yourself.
Hell, GSD people will speed read this preamble and still be able to deliver specific quotes from it…..
Seems like it shouldn’t be too hard to find a good GSD Person, right? I mean, how hard can it be for someone to consistently execute on a directive as requested and expected?
Take a second and think about the people you know in your own network — who could you quickly earmark as someone who GSD?
Need an example? I’ll submit Jem (Jeremy Renner’s character) from “The Town”:
Well, there goes college sock-ah…..
Okay, maybe this was a bit extreme, but the fact is the world doesn’t have enough good GSD people in it.
If you were able to rattle off more than five people without having to rack your brain, count yourself among the really fortunate. The good thing is, if you have at least one Get Sh^t Done person in your personal life and one in your professional life, you are probably good to go.
Why is a GSD person so hard to find?
Because people have a hard time dealing with expectations. They get anxious and worried about failure. They focus on all of the things that could go wrong when trying to execute a task. They get a little too settled in and comfortable with the status quo. They also tend to shy away from friction and conflict.
People who get 💩 done don’t think about any of that.
GSD people keep it simple — like in the clip above, they ask “Which car are we gonna take?” and then get to work busting kneecaps.
The only 💩 that matters is the 💩 that needs to get done. And that is why they are so valuable to us, particularly when we don’t have time to explain things or argue or make someone feel comfortable.
Look, I know lots of people who are able to complete tasks or achieve their goals. You can absolutely do well in life and your career and not be a GSD Person.
But someone who is known for getting sh*t done is different than the average successful person. The good ones typically have these characteristics:
They are urgent and relentless in their pursuit of a goal or completing a directive (sort of like the honey badger). Failure is NOT an option (and, therefore, not worth worrying about).
They are a team player — they are able to quickly align the interests of the team with their own personal interests. They hate to lose more than they love to win.
They are accountable, dependable, collaborative and good communicators.
They are confident, decisive and efficient. They tend to work backwards from the intended outcome and figure out the steps it will take to get there.
They consistently strive (and fully expect) to over-achieve. They value progress over status quo.
They are comfortable being uncomfortable.
They are creative in their approach and can adapt on the fly.
They are 100% focused on results and not the amount of effort it takes to achieve them.
It can be tough immediately identifying who is a good GSD person vs. someone who just delivers on tasks. It’s not like you can just put it on a resume or a LinkedIn profile and that’s all it takes.
Being known for getting 💩 done is a 100% a referral business. Talk is cheap. You can promote yourself as a GSD Person all you want, but the proof has to be in the pudding — people who get sh*t done are only first noticed when they actually deliver results. But when they do (and do it consistently in a way that adds more value than expected), it doesn’t take long before they then earn the reputation.
The best thing that can happen to a good GSD person is when someone else (particularly a boss or someone in authority) describes them with a whispered “They GET SH!T DONE” as if they are sharing a dirty secret or something.
When you hear this, you know they are good. And when you hear it from more than one person, you know they are REALLY GOOD.
So, who are the great GSD people in your life? Think about how valuable they are to you and to their teams and organizations. Be sure to show your gratitude and tell other people about them.
Then, when you have a moment, think about how you can be a better GSD person to someone else yourself.
The next time someone asks you to get something done, will you pause and think about all of the things that will make it hard to meet expectations, or will you simply reply “Which car are we gonna take?” and then just get to work?
XOXO
Dave
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