In my experience of management, it is as you approach the end of the first quarter that the best laid plans for the year start to be really tested.
Whether the tests stem from unforeseen opportunities or from challenges encountered as you begin to execute the strategy, the result is the same – some decisions need to be made about focus and priority and your time becomes severely condensed. You simply have to find a way to quickly determine what you should do, and perhaps more importantly, what you should not do, while remaining focused and on track to deliver your objectives. There are just too many issues that need your attention. Or do they?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by too many pressing issues, here is a tool we have covered in my peer coaching group that might prove useful. It is basically a time management tool that operates at a tactical level and was made famous by Stephen Covey.
Draw a 2 x 2 grid. On the top row are ‘important’ issues, urgent on the left and not urgent on the right. On the bottom row are ‘not important’ issues again with urgent on the left and not urgent on the right. Allocate each challenge or opportunity and all of the current tasks to one of the boxes.
Box 1 is the upper left quadrant - place challenges or opportunities that are both urgent and important – do these things now and do them well.
Box 2 is the upper right quadrant - place challenges or opportunities that are not urgent but are important to you – create a plan for these now.
Box 3 is the lower left quadrant - place challenges or opportunities that are urgent but not important to you – delegates these things to other members of the team.
Box 4 is the lower right quadrant - place challenges or opportunities that are not urgent and are not important to you – and bin them quickly.
The simple process of allocating the issues to one of the four quadrants will prioritise the issues and allow you to remain focused. Some of the issues will disappear from your inbox by delegation or because they are simply not important or urgent to warrant your time. Job done?
Well yes, in the short-term, but actually in the longer-term the tool can also help you more strategically. The key question is in what quadrant do you normally spend most of your time? If you spend most of you time in Box 1 where everything is important and urgent, and is likely to be done a little bit too last minute for comfort, you’re probably always slightly stressed. Things do get done but usually up against a deadline, and life is a continual juggling act.
You probably also spend a fair amount of time in Box 3 doing stuff that is urgent, but not that important to you. Sound familiar?
It turns out the most efficient managers strive to spend most of their time in Box 2 – planning so that they are rarely surprised by events and thus spend as little time as possible in Box 1. They are usually calm and collected people. In my view their secret is that they are excellent at planning ahead, and consequently have the time and patience to delegate to others.
As a result they spend little time in Box 1 or Box 3 and no time in Box 4 activities. They are effectively only operating in Box 2.The biggest secret is that by delegating effectively everyone can increase the time spent in Box 2.
The Key is to delegate well so that you can focus your time on things that only you can accomplish – leveraging your unique skill set for the company. For more thoughts on the power of delegation and why you should delegate outcomes, not activities – see my previous post ‘Why it is better to lead by Outcomes not Activities’.