It rarely feels like there are enough hours in a day to accomplish everything on our “To Do” list at work. There are even less hours when you factor in your personal “To Do” list. Not only do you need to review last quarter’s income statement, HR data, customer satisfaction data, and prepare a report for the Board, you also need to make a dentist appointment, do the laundry, plan quality time with your loved ones– and the list doesn’t end there most nights!
I asked Amanda Holmes to speak with me about the business world’s two biggest challenges: leadership agility and the cacophony of marketing. Daughter of Chet Holmes (who famously wrote The Ultimate Sales Machine), Amanda has doubled the profits of her father’s company since taking over as CEO. Here are the top 3 lessons I learned from Amanda about how to be more intentional with how I spend my time to boost my productivity:
- Stop the distractions by scheduling “proactive reactive time.”
- Avoid becoming the “Have you got a minute?” person by scheduling micro meetings.
- Use the power of sleep to program your intention statements into your ways of viewing the world.
Lesson #1: Be proactively reactive!
In a fascinating study done by UC Irvine, researchers found that for every distraction– a new text or notification on our phone, a Slack message, etc. – it takes, on average, 23 minutes to regain focus on the task you have pulled away from. They also found that in that time, your mind is working as though you had only slept for four hours to get back on task. According to Amanda, taking back control of your day means scheduling “proactively reactive time.” This is time designated to scrolling social media, replying to all your text messages, in other words, time spent reacting to the stimuli that would otherwise distract you. How you do it is up to you; you can put your phone in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode, turn off the sound of notifications on your internal communication tools at work, or employ some other strategy that puts you back in control of what captures your attention.
Lesson #2: Micromeetings are the new weekly standup.
Learning and Development professionals have long known the benefits of micro training. Microtraining is a method for both informal and formal learning that appreciates the limited time learners have to understand a new concept to apply to their work. Research has found that clear and concise information delivered in consistent short bursts over a period of time increases retention. An added bonus is that it lessens the sense of training as a burden or another item on your team’s “To Do” list.
According to Amanda, this concept can also apply to how we’re thinking about the use of our standup meetings. If your planned time together is only once a week for 30-60 minutes, and outside that time, you find yourself regularly messaging your supervisor or team members to check in, consider scheduling an additional micro meeting once a week. Building in an additional 15-minute check-in each week can develop a routine where instead of pinging someone 8 times a day, you plan your questions for that upcoming conversation. An added bonus: you avoid the cycle of distraction that costs you and the other person 23 minutes of focus time!
Lesson #3: Instruct your subconscious to do the strategic work for you while you sleep!
We talk regularly about setting intentions and value alignment with tasks on Best Places to Lead, because we know that when our actions align with our purpose, we’re more focused and able to accomplish more. And Amanda has an excellent tip for looping our subconscious mind in on the work: do it while you sleep! She suggests turning your phone off about 10 minutes before sleep and reflecting. “Look inward and ask,” she says, “What is the most important thing that I need to be doing that utilizes my best skills? Who do I need? Who needs me right now? Who needs what I have to give?”
When we give ourselves this space to reflect and name our intentions for the next day, it sets our minds free to focus on preparing us to achieve both our purpose and, most importantly, fulfillment. Putting down all our tech just before bed and engaging in this reflective practice also will lead to better sleep. And when we’re well rested, we’re better leaders.
To learn more from Amanda about being intentional with your time, make sure to check out the full episode!
About Best Places to Lead
Your company has the potential to be great. The leader’s responsibility is to unlock that potential – or doom it to mediocrity.
On the LIVE Best Places to Lead show, you’ll learn the hard-fought lessons from the front lines earned by business leaders who have already had their teeth bashed in and lived to tell about it. We’ll share the tips, tricks, mindsets, and frameworks that allow great leaders to lead differently.
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