There is never enough time. Not enough time to prepare for a meeting, so we go in cold. Not enough time to meaningfully connect with our teams, so projects travel unchecked down the wrong path, or stall altogether. Too busy to step back and consider – is all of this “busyness” getting us anything other than exhausted?
Perpetual time scarcity is the state in which most executives live. So much so that we start to believe that this is just how it is and that surviving, rather than thriving, is the only possible outcome. Arianna Huffington was there before she passed out at work, broke her cheekbone, and realized that there had to be a better way.
It’s time to assess where and how you may be contributing to time leak – a term we coined for the invisible time waste created through ineffective work practices – and how to turn off the spigot before that little leak becomes a gusher.
Leak #1 – Hasty delegation
The toughest part of any relay is cleanly handing off the baton. When delegating tasks and projects to our teams, a hasty hand-off inevitably causes problems (and wastes time). Take the time needed to set clear expectations and ensure you’re on the same page before work starts. Here are a few ways to increase clarity:
- Use examples: “Here’s a whitepaper of about the length and level of detail I think we need.”
- Name the intended audience: “Can you make sure that what you send me is polished enough to send straight to the Board?”
- Calibrate early: “Let’s get one module completed before starting the others.”
- Declare the heavy lifting or essential value: “The hard part here will be interpreting the findings, not summarizing them.”
Leak #2 – Update meetings
Update meetings may be the single biggest time-waster in otherwise well-functioning organizations. Sure, assembling your dozen direct reports to update you on their progress during a weekly 60-minute meeting may seem like it’s saving you time, but it’s wasting twelve hours of team time – that’s 1.5 days of an FTE down the drain. Every week.
Instead, work with a strong project manager on your team to develop a dashboard – a shared Excel doc or Google sheet will do the trick – to house the updates and track the metrics you need. Then, establish the cadence at which the dashboard is updated, and leverage that same team member to keep everyone accountable. That way, everyone spends 10-20 minutes making their updates (saving each person 30-40 minutes per week), and you have the information you need when and wherever you need it.
Leak #3 – Unintentional directives
The good news is that when leaders talk, the team listens. The bad news is that this can be a source of major time leak. Take the infamous blueberry muffin story – casual remarks can lead to real, unnecessary work, especially if they come from high up in the hierarchy.
The lesson: watch your “we should” statements, e.g., “we should start X” or “we should figure out Y.” When you toss ideas into the void, there’s no telling who might catch them. If you want a member of your team to figure out Y, delegate this clearly as a task or a project, and seek an affirmatory response to ensure you’re on the same page. And if you’re not intending to send the team on a hunt for blueberry muffins, consider keeping your thoughts to yourself.
Rather than solving for busyness after it starts, prevent the time leaks that cause it by watching what you say, clarifying expectations, and passing on the update meetings.