Skip to main content

The being busy trap

Image
By


Today’s walk along the road was achieved by careful timing and watching the clouds to avoid the rain. I found myself wondering about a conversation I had last week about the language we use in work situations relating to how busy we all are.  


I caught myself saying that I had ‘back to back meetings all day’ not sure if I was looking for admiration or pity. 


The fact that I could feel the uncomfortableness of the fact, combined with an annoyance with myself for getting into this situation collided and I adopted a resigned to accept it outlook. 


With the time to reflect today – I wonder how often I willingly allow myself to get into the too busy being busy mode. 


The day goes so quickly – for sure ! Some around may marvel at my revolving office door and the constant foot fall …. 


When I reflect on what I achieved during my day of meetings it is clear little or any of it could truly be called ‘deep work’ – in contrast to what is described as ‘shallow work’ – those non-productive meetings, constant interruptions and non-stop emails ‘just for information’ which force us to ‘multi-task’ which we know reduced productivity by 40%! 


Just imagine if you could increase your meaningful and impactful work by 40% just by making the space to focus on the activities that actually matter.


If you can identify with my week – This useful audit of your time is worth doing. Honestly ask yourself the following questions

 

1 - How much of your time is spent running the day to-day versus shaping the future?

 

2 - How much of your time is spent reacting to what others in the organization bring to you, rather than driving the top team’s agenda?

 

3 - How often do your strategic discussions lead you to make hard choices about your company’s future?

 

4 - How much time do you spend reviewing actions after the fact versus proactively shaping actions and a direction?

 

5 - How often do you spend time debating who is responsible for solving an issue rather than addressing it?

 

6 - How often do you and other members of the leadership team work together on issues?


Ok - time to go before the rain starts again and I have a lot to do !


https://www.cross-house.ie

 

Labels:

Comments

  1. Pilar Nogues18 March 2023 at 21:30

    Really good article and powerful questions to spend time on and answer honestly. They bring clarity and perspective to how we spend our working hours.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

a tribute to Brenda, 1935 - 2022

By
Todays walk along the road was an altogether very different one - peaceful, still and sad. We had been in preparation and expectation of my mothers death for the past few years. The person we knew was long gone, wrapped in a fog of confusion and circular conversations ... frail and vulnerable ... different but still a presence. The one and only Christmas card I still send; this year is reduced to none.  We spent time together on Saturday, looking at old photographs and for about 30 minutes the conversation flowed, the stories remembered, the familiar connection made, the need to say goodbye - not said; but instinctively communicated and heard ... the hardest of goodbyes. The finality of death must be the most painful to accept, no second chance, no opportunity to go back, final.  No Facebook or Tik Tok page has ever featured and no grave stone will stand to document a life, but in the presence of her family yesterday, I sat and thought of a life lived and fulfilled. Today as ...
1 comment
Read more

Don't overlook the importance of trust when developing your team

By
As a nurse manager, you understand the importance of building a strong team. One of the key factors in achieving this is trust. Trust is the foundation of any successful team, and it can have a huge impact on the quality of patient care. When team members trust each other, they are more likely to communicate openly, collaborate effectively, and work towards a common goal. Building trust within your team takes time and effort, but the benefits are well worth it. One of the best ways to build trust is to lead by example. Be honest, transparent, and consistent in your actions and decisions. Encourage open communication and show that you value everyone's input. Celebrate successes and learn from mistakes together. Another important aspect of building trust is creating a culture of psychological safety. This means creating an environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns without fear of judgment or reprisal. When team members feel safe to speak up, ...
Post a Comment
Read more