The quest to become more effective and more efficient is one taken by many, but few succeed. Any number of reasons can derail efforts toward self-improvement, from work “fire drills,” to procrastination, to simply pursuing the wrong ways to remedy the issue.

In our latest Series Pass webcast, in partnership with Apttus, our own Tim Clarke spoke with Laura Stack, award-winning productivity speaker and bestselling author, about ways to manage the intersection of two critical values: effectiveness and efficiency. Below are three things you can try today to improve both at the same time.

1. Improve the current mix of your time

According to Laura Stack, there are three primary areas where leaders spend time:

• Strategic thinking

• Teamwork

• Tactical work

“The shift goes from tactical toward strategic as you move up in the organization,” shared Stack,”The focus is less on completing tasks, and more on monitoring the big picture and focusing on business goals.”

Appropriately allocating your time based on your priorities and goals will help improve your productivity overall. “I often hear people say they want to be a strategic enabler of their business,” said Stack. “To be strategic, you’ve got to carve out that time to think.’”

2. Eliminate blockers and distractions

Distractions are commonplace in the workplace today; however, finding ways to focus will help you overcome these challenges. According to Stack, block out time throughout the week to work on some of the strategic projects.Treat that time as as you would an appointment with a client, because it’s that important.

Among the other ideas Stack shared:

• Turn off your phone for a while, or adjust settings to reduce distractions

• Set up email filters and alerts to receive only critical notifications

• Find your peak performance time of day to complete activities that require creativity, focus, or problem solving

3. Focus on what drives results and your personal return on investment

During the webcast, Stack referenced a VP client of hers who was complaining in a senior leadership team meeting about the different formats their weekly reports would take. The VP, she said, spent an inordinate amount of time compiling and trying to copy, paste, cut, and distill. “One of the things we talked about was, how can we be more efficient in picking one template, getting it all in a consistent format?” she said. “But then I had to say to him, it also begs the question, ‘Why are you doing that? It’s not an effective use of your time.’”

Effective and efficient means doing the right things right; essentially, focusing on the important tasks, and doing them in a manner worthy of their importance. “What is the most valuable, impactful thing on your to-do list?” Stack asked, “What is going to hit your numbers? What is going to drive your organization?” Answering these questions honestly and accurately will significantly improve your effectiveness and efficiency.

Watch the latest Series Pass webcast with Laura Stack, award-winning keynote speaker, noted authority on sales and team productivity, and bestselling author of seven books, including Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Executive Spends Time.