Leadership Viewpoint

As I reflect on the most valuable resource in the world, it occurs to me that it is the one resource that each of us share – time. Ironically, it is also the resource that many people take for granted and squander carelessly. In fact, it is a topic that has been the source of many sayings:

No time like the present.
Lost time is never found again.
Time is money.
Take care of the minutes, for hours will take care of themselves.
Procrastination is the thief of time.

Yet, despite the time usage sayings, Time Management training programs and various time management systems, perhaps the truest statements about time are:

Time marches on.
Time waits for no man.
Time is a wasting.

We each have various people that make up our lives. It is our decision with whom we spend our time. I find that for myself, I am instinctively drawn to those who use my time well, those that complete what they begin, those that stay productive in the face of adversity, and those that treat my time as a valued, limited resource.

It is critical that I return that favor to those around me, never taking their time for granted or assuming that they want or need to spend their most valuable resource on me either personally or professionally. I must ensure that I add value to their lives with both my words and deeds.

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The start of a New Year is full of promise. There are resolutions to be made, new contacts to be made, and strategic plans to execute. There’s something about the end of last year and the beginning of this year that allows us a new opportunity for achievement. How we turn the page and take advantage of that opportunity is up to each of us. Highly successful people approach the fresh opportunity with a sense of purpose and direction. They begin by evaluating each area of their life and assessing their satisfaction with their current level of progress. Based on this assessment, they identify specific goals and document them. Then they lay out specific plans for each goal and systematically execute those plans.

For many people, such a disciplined approach is daunting. To move forward, try identifying just one key goal for the year and write it down. It is critically important that the goal be something that you have primary control over. For instance, the goal cannot be one of making somebody else do something. It must be something that YOU can really make happen. Then take that one goal and outline, in as much detail as possible, every single step that you must take to make it happen. Next, put dates to each step. Once that’s down, start executing each step. I often overlay the action steps onto my planning calendar, along with my meetings and appointments, so I don’t forget anything.

If you take this approach with just one written goal, you will see real movement in your life. One step at a time, you will initiate a virtuous circle and start the process of crating personal success. Imagine setting and achieving goals like this one in multiple areas of your life. We are astounding beings, and you can truly accomplish anything you put focus on. Get focused and make it happen for yourself and those you love. Happy New Year!

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Clients often discuss the need to work less and play more. Certainly there should be times when we feel as if we are working too much as business demands ebb and flow. This should not, however, be the case consistently. The good news is that this is a situation that we can change with a combination of focus and determination.

Along the way, somebody wise told me that we are what we do consistently. It’s a sentiment that I’ve come to accept and believe. I’ve also observed that we do the things we focus on. For instance, if I focus on home improvement, watching related television shows, reading about neat projects, taking courses on it, the odds are very high that I will undertake some related projects.

Similarly, I find that people whose life is out of balance focus extensively on one area of life, such as business. If the vast majority of our reading and television viewing is related to business issues, then let’s not be surprised that we are becoming obsessed. Loved ones are typically the ones who see it happening, and they may feel helpless to take action, sometimes describing it as feeling guilty that they are pulling us away from our work. Others feel resentful that we prefer work to spending time with them.

If this sounds all too familiar, there is a lot you can do about it. First, make the decision to change. There is immense power in that moment of decision. Next, evaluate the areas of your life and set some SMART goals. You can find a detailed piece on this here:

www.adv-leadership-grp.com/Goal_Setting_Article.html

Finally, behave in a more balanced way consistently, and you too will become what you do – all for the better!

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Planning ahead is an absolute necessity when managing multiple projects and people. Leaders who plan poorly cause a massive ripple effect as their last minute issues creep into the lives of those around them. Ultimately relationships, projects and even entire businesses fail as a result. So what does it take to plan ahead?

First, make time for planning. For me, the first thing I do each business day is determine what I want to accomplish that day and I write it down. Writing it is critically important. It’s my reminder when people are barraging me with a million other issues, and it allows me that sense of accomplishment when I can check it off the list.

While the daily effort helps to get us out of our disorganization, it is insufficient to really keeping us focused. To do this, we must occasionally (for me – monthly) reflect on our long term projects, goals and objectives and determine:

1. Where we are today

2. Where we want to end up by ‘x’ date

3. How to get from here (1) to there (2)

Once we do that, we must incorporate the activities of point three into our daily to do list, and we must execute those tasks systematically. Once we’re doing this consistently, we’re ahead of 90% of businesspeople.

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Listening is an area that we each need to focus on – and no matter how good we think we are we can always improve. I find that for me the trick is my focus. When I am focused on the speaker, I can actively listen, paraphrasing, clarifying, questioning and really staying on their topic, rather than tossing in my own stories and issues.

Our challenge is in staying focused and giving the other person the time, especially when we are notoriously busy and multi-tasking. The power, I believe, is in the moment of decision – when I decide that:

1. I care about you.

2. I want you to feel cared about and respected.

3. I need to learn what you are thinking about and why.

That is when I am willing to stop whatever I am doing at that moment and focus on you. There are rarely things that cannot wait five minutes for you to tell me something that is urgent. When my back is really up against it, I must warn you that I really cannot focus on you now, and it is then incumbent on me to set a time for us to regroup when I will be able to focus on you.

Remember, listening is far more than being quiet and waiting for the other person to stop speaking so that you can have your turn!

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Colleagues often marvel that I manage to plan my work year so successfully. My clients are willing and able to book my time for the entire year, typically before the beginning of the year. This allows me the luxury of planning for both preparation and down time, both of which are critically important for my mental health!

What many people never realize is that people treat us the way we teach them to treat us, and they learn more from our actions than from our words. Hence, if every time somebody needs to see you, you make yourself immediately available, they learn that you are at their disposal, and treat you as disposable. If, on the other hand, they have some trouble connecting with you and cannot get to see you for a few days or weeks, they learn that your time is valuable, and treat you accordingly.

We each have more power to influence others than we realize, if only we have the confidence to use it!

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I have to do this. My spouse wants me to do that. It wouldn’t be the holidays unless I do… Blah blah blah!

Too many of us run around like crazy people at this time of year. Calm down. We get the really important things done. We do the things we really want to do. There’s no reason that absolutely everything must happen by a specific date. Some things can wait. Plan accordingly.

An old friend and I decided to wait until January to exchange gifts. Why? Because we want to take the time to enjoy each other’s company and focus on each other and the sentiment behind the lovely gifts. Besides, another rich meal is about the last thing either of us need right now. We might even be hungry again by January!

You have a choice – pick and choose – and enjoy the season!

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Holiday Stress

As we work with a myriad of people during this particularly harried time of year, it occurs to me that stress and time management techniques simply must come to the fore. First, stop and take a deep breath – your brain deserves some oxygen! Now take a moment and prioritize your tasks.

- What really needs to be done and when?
- What would be nice if you had the time?
- What are you really dreading?
- Can it be delegated or hired out?

A few moments of planning will pay huge dividends right now. Take another deep breath. You’re worth it!

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