As your career progresses, you move from getting things done to making things happen. It’s the difference between doing something yourself or involving others to accomplish it. Making things happen means you have to change your approach to keep things moving along. Instead of prioritizing your own to-do list, you have to influence the to-do lists of others.

People will only take action when they want it or are pressed. It’s your role to accelerate their desire to take action. Sometimes, you can simply remind people of their commitments and they will take action. Others, not so much. You have to do more.

Take initiative. Just sitting around waiting and wondering won’t work. Make the visit, call, or send the email. This is especially useful BEFORE the agreed upon delivery so adjustments can be made.

Take ownership. Sometimes you need to be tactful to prompt people to do what they have failed to do. “I apologize if I was supposed to take the next step.” Or “I’m getting anxious that things have stalled. Did I forget to do something?”  Those your senior, clients and prospects are prime candidates for this kind of response.

Take responsibility. Regardless of what you do, it’s up to you to move things along. Find a way of doing so, which may mean you have to be creative and operate outside your comfort zone or the normal ways of doing things.

It’s interesting that this is one skill that separates the busy from the productive. Almost to a person, busy-ness is an indication of trying to get everything done rather than to make things happen. It’s subtle, yet the best among us get it.

This week, look at what you’re doing. Every time you’re in a “getting it done” mode, ask what you need to do to move to a “make it happen” mode. Whatever it is, it’s worth learning.