You've all heard the advice: "Don't just do the day-to-day stuff, don't forget to take time to focus on the big picture stuff." This advice is sometimes said like this: "Block off some of your time to be creative and work on high-value projects, set yourself an undivided time for this."
How can a leader find time to "Create, Plan, Think Strategically or Focus on the Value Proposition" in a world where reading all the emails in the "Incoming Mail" box is overvalued? The answer may be to use checklists to minimize the brain power and effort we use to do routine tasks. Dr. Atul Gawande, in his book The Checklist Manifesto , advocates this concept. I believe in this theory too, after coaching sessions with a young and talented executive, let's call him Gökhan. Gökhan manages retail sales in several key regions and is responsible for significant revenue for the company.
In our coaching sessions over several weeks, we explored ways in which he could spend more time on his goal of developing others, while still keeping operational tasks at an adequate level. Our efforts didn't seem to be working. Gökhan came in one day, delighted to tell me that he had figured out what was missing; he had created a checklist for the various operational tasks he was responsible for. In a disciplined way, he would stick to what was on this checklist. His approach was to take care of the day-to-day and the basics first so that he could turn his attention elsewhere. The challenging part of this was how quickly could Gökhan get through this checklist and then start working on what he loved to do?
In the process, he found that there were significant windows of time he could devote to the training and development of his employees. In other words, by becoming disciplined in his routine, he found the time he needed to focus on these unconventional initiatives that could be game-changers for his company and his own career. Meanwhile, he found another benefit. Because he spent less emotional energy on routine matters, he now had more passion and zeal for more challenging projects that required brainpower and resourcefulness.
For some of you, the example of Gökhan may sound like another piece of advice: "Increase your productivity so you have more time to focus on more important things." You might be right, but such an analysis might be a bit shallow. There is a little bit more subtlety to the idea that I want to express here.
In Gökhan's example, Gökhan was not efficient because he learned to do his routine tasks faster, but because the checklist gave him a focus while doing his operational tasks and thus he was able to avoid switching from one task to another. The checklist helped him to focus his energy and thus save energy as a side benefit, which he could then spend elsewhere.
Energy is a finite resource. It cannot be created or destroyed. This is the first rule of thermodynamics in physics and it also applies to organizational human dynamics. If energy cannot be generated, a possible way to get more out of yourself and those you manage is to better focus your energy on routine tasks using checklists.
This little piece of advice is as true at the individual level as it is at the organizational level. When reviewing your employees' experience (which you are responsible for...), ask yourself if you are spending enough time creating checklists, processes, systems, etc. to manage and improve the tasks that need to be done at the operational level. When you focus the energy you spend on the operational work of your organization, you will save energy that could be spent on creative work and innovation.
You can use checklists at both personal and organizational level to organize and focus on key activities.
Defining "must-dos" and completing them one by one with a disciplined approach will give you additional time for strategic thinking. What methods do you use to save energy and make time for strategic management?
You can share your creative thoughts and applicationswith me via the form below.
Spring
Other blogs that may interest you:
Dealing with a Manager Who Leaves Things to the Last Minute
How Leaders Courageously Dream to Bring New Futures to Life
An Interview with the Authors of the Employee Experience Book
3 Reasons to Care About Employee Experience in 2019
How to Design Employee Experience Using Data?