The Productivity Pro® Blog by Laura Stack - Time Management, Getting Things Done, How to Be More Productive

“There cannot be a crisis today; my schedule is already full.” — Henry Kissinger, American politician.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” Stephen R. Covey, time management and productivity guru.

“A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time.” — Annie Dillard, Pulitzer Prizing winning author.

One of the core keys of SuperCompetence is Availability: your willingness and ability to protect your time, so that you can accomplish your desired activities. At the C-Suite level, this translates as Scheduling—and Scheduling is about more than just accomplishing the things that you want to accomplish. CEOs, CFOs, Presidents, VPs, Directors, and similar high-level executives have responsibilities that far transcend the average worker’s; the fact that they tend to face those responsibilities in much plusher surroundings doesn’t obviate the reality that, more than ever, they’re hemmed in by their need to limit their availability.

Like Prioritization, Scheduling requires very close attention to what’s truly important—and it’s critical to getting anything important done at all. Once you reach the top, you have to protect your time diligently if you want to keep accomplishing things that are valuable to the organization. You can’t allow yourself to be distracted by the mundane: that is, it’s not up to you to run around putting out brushfires, especially when other people can do so less expensively. That style of management comes perilously close to micromanaging, and it’s even more harmful for the upper-level executive than it is for lower-level managers, because it more directly harms the entire organization.

That’s something that you should always keep in mind as you climb the corporate ladder: in almost every case, what you do as a C-Suite executive—whether good or ill—will affect the organization more than anything you did while you occupied lower rungs on the ladder. You forget that at your peril, as debacles like Enron and AIG make readily apparent.

This applies at the personal level, too. Because you have to focus on high-level tasks, there’s not much time left to make yourself available to the lower echelon. While it would be nice to maintain an open-door policy like mid-level managers sometimes do, that’s not usually a realistic option for the top-level exec…even though some companies have started to move in that direction. Some, in fact, have gone so far as to put their upper executives in offices that leave them completely visible to all and sundry, a la Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s open-space office in New York City.

While this is an interesting and even refreshing change from the old days, when executives closeted themselves away in inaccessible inner sancta protected by secretarial dragons, I don’t believe openness and availability is going to work for them in the long run. To some extent, high-level executives have to remain cloistered from the hoi polloi. There’s nothing elitist about this: it’s just that people at the very top have too much on their plates already to be bothered by low-level considerations.

You absolutely have to take control of your time, in every way possible, simply to keep from becoming overwhelmed.

Aside from all the standard time management techniques that you should put into play as a matter of course, your primary tool in Scheduling should be delegation. It’s imperative to hand off as many tasks as possible to other people, and to empower them to perform those tasks with a minimum of interference and oversight. Your hands should be light on the reins, with an eye toward ensuring that things keep running smoothly rather than rolling up your sleeves and jumping in with both feet. You should strive to handle directly only those things that are most profitable to your company, whether that means meeting with the Board and defending your department’s budget, juggling million-dollar projects, or developing new marketing strategies.

A C-Suite executive also needs an Executive Assistant: not just to insulate them from the rest of the company, but to take on all the administrative tasks that come with an executive position. This is another form of delegation, if a very specialized one, and the EA isn’t just a glorified secretary. Like a chief of staff in the military, the EA takes on those aspects of the executive’s job which require specialized knowledge but minimal authority, as well as any housekeeping tasks required of the position: liaising between departments, organizing special events, research, information gathering, coordination of special projects…and, of course, handling the executive’s schedule, and acting as the gate-guard who limits access to their employer’s time.

It all comes back to Scheduling.

“Prioritization is about doing something. It’s not about an excuse for inaction.” — Bjorn Lomborg, Danish author and business professor

“We can do anything, but we can’t do everything… at least, not at the same time. So think of your priorities not in terms of what activities you do, but when you do them. Timing is everything.” — Dan Millman, American author
“First things first, second things never.” — Shirley Conran, British editor and writer

In my most recent book, SuperCompetent (John Wiley and Sons, 2010), I identified and described six keys that anyone can use in the workplace to maximize their performance: Activity, Availability, Attention, Accessibility, Accountability, and Attitude. Recently, I’ve been considering how all six affect C-Suite executives—that is, upper-level executives like the CEO, CFO, CIO, Presidents, VPs, and Directors. What issues, concerns, and challenges do senior leaders face in these areas?

As it turns out, these concepts look a bit different at the highest levels, so the standard approaches don’t necessary apply. In many cases, even the names have to be changed. This is why, at the C-Suite level, I prefer to refer to my keys as Prioritization, Scheduling, Focus, Organization, Efficiency, and Attitude, respectively.

In this blog, the first of six in a series, I’ll take a look at the C-Suite version of Activity: Prioritization.

In general, Prioritization is the order in which you organize those things most important to you: your religion, your family, your life goals, your daily work. It’s necessary to look closely at each one, and determine which items need to come first and how everything else should follow. All these categories are important, of course, but what we’re concerned with in this venue is the business aspect of the equation.

In the work arena, Prioritization may involve several different levels of responsibility, starting with the personal Activity standards required of any effective individual: a strong sense of self-discipline, written goals, strict to-do lists, a tight focus, and a drive for efficiency, just to name a few. However, in my opinion the most significant level of C-Suite Prioritization is the order in which you prioritize your organization’s operations and projects (at least those within your bailiwick). This involves careful, long-term planning in which cost/benefit analyses, delivery timeframes, resource allocation, and similar factors have to be taken into consideration for new projects, along with the organization (and reorganization) of existing projects for which all of the above have already been taken into account.

Large-scale Prioritization is rarely a solitary exercise. While you may or may not have the authority to prioritize by fiat, in most cases the most logical method is to sit down with the high-level stakeholders of the projects at hand (Directors, VPs, etc.) and hammer out which ones need to come first and why. If nothing else, this kind of review can make it easier for the executive team up the ladder to make its final decisions, and it prepares you to spring into action once those decisions have been made.

Properly done, Prioritization will also hone your organization’s efficiency. When you sit down to prioritize, look at ways that doing so might make the work flow simpler and easier, increasing speed and profitability. Keep in mind that true prioritization is proactive, rather than reactive; that is, you prioritize ahead of time based on projected needs, rather than prioritizing on the spur of the moment because the situation forces you to. Proactive planning allows for a level of flexibility and clean efficiency that reactive prioritization lacks. It’s very difficult to take every factor into account when you’re reactive, and eventually, that inefficiency will catch up with you.

And remember, Prioritization involves more than simply choosing which items come first: you also have to deal with lower-priority items, determining where they need to fit into the work structure—or if they should fit at all. Don’t be afraid to tap subordinates when making these lower-level Prioritization decisions. While the buck should stop with you, you must be willing to delegate some decision-making power in order to a) protect yourself from being overwhelmed and making mistakes; and b) to empower the people under you, so that they can use their own creativity to solve problems. Don’t abdicate your responsibility for anything, but be sure to oversee rather than micromanage. At your level, you need to free up the time necessary to revisit your objectives consistently and rattle cages, when necessary, to move things along.

Which brings up another point about Prioritization: at some level, the requirements of executives more senior than you may take precedence over your priorities. Even if you’re at the top of the heap, a Board of Directors or stockholder group may have the final say. But it’s your responsibility to convince them of the value of specific projects, and to make recommendations regarding their priority. They may or may not listen to you, but even so you have to do the best you can to champion whatever you believe is most important for the company or organization, based on your understanding of its priorities. Once the decision has been made, however, it’s up to you to prioritize based on those higher-level decisions, whether you agree or not.

“If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.” — Benjamin Franklin

Ben Franklin had it right. Of all the resources available to us, time is certainly the most precious. Unlike office supplies or even money, it’s impossible to get more; there’s no box marked “Time” in the supply closet where you can grab a spare minute or two. Once time is spent, it’s gone, and there’s no getting it back

And yet, we invariably waste it.

Look: you can’t afford to waste time at work. A firm grasp of time management is absolutely crucial if you want to succeed…although the truth is, when you manage time, you’re really managing yourself. You need to buckle down and control you.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the eight biggest self-inflicted time-wasters in modern business, so you can know what you need to avoid the most.

Time Waster #1: The Internet The Internet has to be the single worst productivity thief in the modern business era. Like many technological advances, the Internet is a two-edged sword. It’s useful, and it can and has built fortunes—but it’s also a siren that lures workers to waste time. In recent surveys, workers admitted to spending an average of two hours per workday online. Close that browser!

Time Waster #2: Socializing We all want a workplace where people get along and enjoy spending time together. However, too often we’re chatting when we should be working. That’s fine for lunchtime and breaks, but otherwise you should be at your desk. You should especially avoid chattering outside someone’s office or cubicle, because then you’re not just wasting your time, you’re distracting someone else.

Time Waster #3: Personal Communications These days, there are so many ways of getting interrupted by personal messages: IMs, texting, email, telephone. You know the remedy: turn off your cell phone, don’t check your personal email, and end any personal calls on the company line as quickly as possible.

Time Waster #4: Personal Business This time waster ties in with the above, but goes much farther. I’ve known people to balance their checkbooks or sort out their mortgage applications while at work. I think that people do these things at work because they can’t find any other time to do them: we’re working so long and hard these days that by the time we’re home, we’re exhausted. That doesn’t make it kosher, however. Keep personal business at home.

Time Waster #5: Smoking Some workers have a ready-made excuse for wasting time: they’re smokers. This is fine if you smoke only during your breaks or at lunch; but dedicated smokers often take a few minutes here and there to nurse their addiction. Given the fact that most employers don’t make this easy anymore, it can take 10 minutes or more to get to the designated smoking area, smoke a cigarette, and get back to work. That can add up to half an hour of wasted time per workday. The solution? Learn to control that habit.

Time Waster #6: Arriving Late/Leaving Early This one’s self-explanatory. Many of us pare a few minutes off the day here and there, and some of us make a habit of it. It may not seem like much, but get this: if you’re late or leave early an average of ten minutes a day, that adds up to a week’s paid vacation over the course of a year. Yow! Better start setting that alarm earlier.

Time Waster #7: Job-hunting There are jobs in which it’s necessary to spend company time maintaining your resume, but in most circumstances, it’s a big no-no. Yet many of us spend appreciable amounts of work-time keeping our CVs up-to-date, drafting cover letters, and even emailing resumes to prospective employers. Again, this is something better done at home.

Time Waster #8: Spacing Out It’s easy to sit at your desk, stare at your computer, and pretend to work. Many employees spend an appreciable portion of the day spacing out, either because they’re bored, lack challenges, or dislike their jobs. Snap out of it.

The Bottom Line The solution to all of these time-wasters is simply stated: “Stop it!” Of course, that’s easier said than done, and may require considerable discipline. If you identify one of more of these time-wasters in your daily routine, here’s my recommendation: choose the worst one, research how to fix it, and put what you’ve learned in play. Once you have a handle on that time-waster, move to another. I think you’ll be surprised at how much productive time you’ll free up over the long run.

How to Spend More Time with Your Family
(Even When You’re Fantastically Busy)

“It’s all about quality of life, and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.” — Philip Green, British billionaire.

Why are you working so hard?

If you’re like most of us, family is one of the biggest reasons: you want to provide a good life for the people you love. Which makes it all very ironic, since working long hours keeps you away from your family…the very people you’re working so hard to provide for. It’s a vicious circle.

Remember that old song “Cat’s in the Cradle,” where the busy father missed out on his son growing up because he was too busy working…only to have the tables turned when he retired? It’s not just a song. Things like that happen every day in the real world.

The lesson here? Just this: the best thing you can spend on the people you love is time.

Letting work intrude on family time should be the exception, never the rule. You need to be unplugged sometimes—not just for your health, but because your family, especially your kids, need you to be there. So if you don’t want to look back on your home life with regrets, then it’s time to make a bigger hole labeled “FAMILY TIME” in your schedule, and to build all kinds of barriers around that time to keep it sacred.

Here are a few basic concepts to help you get your priorities straight:

• Organize your schedule, and stick to it.
• Focus fully on your family during family time. Turn off your personal electronics, including the TV, computer, and cell phone.
• Don’t fall for the “quality time” shtick. The quality of the time you spend with your family does matter—but so does the quantity. An hour of quality time isn’t going to make up for ten hours when you should have been there but weren’t. And incidentally, “quality time” is not synonymous with “spending money on your kids.” What your family really wants is your attention, not your cash.

Once you’ve got those concepts solidly in place, start working toward ways to give more of yourself to your family. Here are some ideas that pop quickly to mind:

• Rearrange your work schedule. If you want to see your kids off to school, schedule your workday to start a bit later than normal. If you’d rather be there when they get home so you can enjoy the whole evening together, start earlier.
• Do training over the Internet. Instead of being gone for days at a time for seminars and training sessions, attend webinars online. It’s still a relatively new option, but the technology is growing by leaps and bounds.
• Telecommute. See above. If you don’t have to squander time driving across town when you could be communing with family, why should you?
• Hire household help. If your free time is limited, you shouldn’t have to spend it waxing the floor. If you can afford to, hire someone else to do it.
• Have a sit-down meal together. This is a wonderful option that has become rare in this busy era. Turn off the TV and get some face-time with the family. If the family is just you and your spouse, I recommend the occasional candlelight dinner.
• Combine business travel with vacation. When you can, bring your spouse and kids along when you travel for work. Even if you can’t be with them the whole time, you’ll be together most of the time, and they can have some fun exploring when you’re working.
• Limit your kids’ extracurricular activity. I’ve got this theory that parents who try to stuff their kids’ schedules full are subconsciously preparing them for the business world. But if you do that, they won’t be around for family time. Instead of sending them off to Little League or ballet every single evening, keep them at home sometimes so you can enjoy each others’ company.

Now, I realize that not all these ideas are possible or even practical for everyone. But they offer a place to start, at least, if you’re really serious about spending more time with the family—and you should be.

I’d love to hear your ideas on the subject, so feel free to drop me a line!