One of my jobs as a banker involved the management and sale of foreclosed real estate in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

The division I worked in was like a large dysfunctional family. At the management level we had the controlling father as President, and the co-dependent mother as the Executive Vice President. These two guys basically ran the show.

Like with all big families, there were lots of children running around the office that were better know as employees. Some seemed to fit well into the family, and some did not. That was probably more a function of their relationship with our “parents” than anything else. They either loved you, or wished you were never born. Fortunately, I was one of the fair-haired children most of the time. And although it was uncomfortable to see my less than favored siblings struggle, I was happy that it wasn’t me.

Within the bank it was no secret that our division was dysfunctional. And the mid-level people who were charged with fixing it were, quite frankly, inept. Their law degrees and MBA’s were no match for the issues of the day. What we needed was a family therapist.

One day while working in my office, there was a knock on the door. It was the bank’s human resource manager. He asked if he could speak with me for a moment, closed the door and sat down.

“You realize that there’s lots of turmoil in this division. That’s no secret to anyone.” I nodded, “Uh huh.” And then he said, “Whenever we (management) discuss who’s doing a good job, your name always comes up.” At this point I’m relieved because it’s not everyday that the HR manager visits you, and when he does, it’s usually not good.

He then asked, “What are you doing differently, that others are not?” I had to think about that for a minute, then looked down at a report that we routinely do for the President. It was a report that we had to do correctly, on time, each week even if our fingers fell off. It was THAT important. I looked back up and said, “I’ve figured out what’s important, and I do that.”

During tumultuous times, there are lots of things to distract us. But if you want to be successful, figure out what’s important, and then do that. For me, it’s taking care of my clients, attracting more and delivering the best possible coaching value that I can muster. Today, there’s nothing more important.

Once in a while we need to be reminded. What’s the most important thing that you can be doing?