To do a job effectively, one must set priorities. Too many people let their ‘in’ basket set the priorities. On any given day, unimportant but interesting trivia pass through an office; one must not permit these to monopolize his time. The human tendency is to while away time with unimportant matters that do not require mental effort or energy. Since they can be easily resolved, they give a false sense of accomplishment. The manager must exert self-discipline to ensure that his energy is focused where it is truly needed.” – H. G. Rickover, as quoted by Theodore Rockwell in The Rickover Effect
Leadership attention; it is a real constraint in your organization.
If you want more from your organization, first focus on freeing up leadership attention.
Stop doing pointless tasks just because someone said you must. Show them why you mustn’t.
Carve out time to think deeply about something. Schedule a real block of time into your Outlook calendar and refuse to double book the time. Then, shut the door and think. It is that simple.
Allow someone else to attend a meeting for you, carry your regards to another group for you, or fill in for you. They will grow and you will be free to do something else that matters, in effect doubling what you can accomplish.
It’s hard to stop doing the trivial, but it’s not climbing Mt. Everest hard. It’s more passing up the offer of a cookie in the mid-afternoon. It’s hard to resist because the temptation is so close and the consequences seem so small, yet there remains a great win in resisting.
Focus where it is truly needed and you will get closer to the organizational (or personal) results you most desire.
Why not try?
