As a writer and editor, I abide by a style guide, which provides direction about how to uniformly spell certain terms and format abbreviations and acronyms. Seventeen years ago, our style guide at Farm Journal required we spell out Global Positioning System (GPS) on first reference. And I remember the conversation after we started referring to GPS with the three letters on the first reference. The threshold had been met—the technology had become part of our everyday language.

I’m not quite there yet with return on investment (ROI). However, considering the number of times it’s referenced in interviews I conduct and articles I write, it could be abbreviated for the sake of shear efficiency. (Brad Oelmann shares about another three-letter powerhouse, ESG)

We are all asked to be more efficient and take on more tasks, roles and leadership responsibilities. Not staying calibrated with ROI can unnecessarily amp up the intensity of our work. Here’s an idea to help you avoid placing the straw that breaks the camel’s back on yourself or your teammates. Instead of focusing on adding more to the to-do list, start a “stop list.” You can stop doing things altogether, or you can stop doing them in a particular way.

Write down the tasks, projects and services that are not providing the threshold you’ve set for ROI.  (Springboard your thinking on this topic with our cover story.)

I talked to an ag retailer whose manager put up a whiteboard and invited everyone on the teamto write down something the business should stop doing. This practice has two benefits. First, it provides acknowledgement. Second, it opens up dialogue. Plus, there’s a chance you’ll be able to stop doing things that don’t serve your business.

Margy Eckelkamp