For leaders in a fast-growing company, the feeling of “too much to do” and “insufficient time” is not uncommon.
Agility and adaptability are key traits, but they need to be complemented by a robust system of prioritization and delegation.
As a CEO who specializes in executive branding, I’ve learned some invaluable lessons while working with leaders at the world’s top companies.
Prepare to be enlightened! I’ve distilled five phenomenal insights on how to handle time when there’s never enough to do it all:
Firstly, identify the ‘Big Rocks’—these priorities align with the company’s core values and long-term goals. Everything else—meetings, emails, minor projects—are ‘Small Pebbles’ and ‘Sand.’
Long-Term Projects: These projects align with your company’s 5 to 10-year vision. Investing time here secures the future.
High-ROI Activities: These are actions that directly contribute to revenue or growth.
Team Development: Investing in your team’s skillset will pay off in terms of productivity and morale.
This is a time-tested tool for prioritization:
Urgent and Important: Do it now. These are crises or deadlines that can’t be moved.
Important but Not Urgent: Schedule these in your calendar. These are top priorities that are not screaming for attention because they don’t seem time-sensitive, but they are critical to achieving your big rocks.
Urgent but Not Important: Delegate these tasks – they need to be done but don’t necessarily have to be done by you.
Neither Urgent nor Important: Delete or defer anything that’s not contributing to your big rocks or immediate needs. Saying no to non-essential commitments is saying yes to your priorities. Unapologetically protect your most valuable resource—time.
Set aside time for strategic thinking. This will give you the space to identify what is truly aligned with the company’s goals.
Think of it as a chance to step back from the day-to-day firefighting and focus on the big picture.
Without this dedicated time, you’re just playing business whack-a-mole, reacting to issues as they pop up without ever really gaining ground. Setting aside time for strategy enables you to transform from reactive to proactive, ensuring that every decision and action is not just a reflex, but a calculated step towards long-term success.
So, make it official. Put it in your calendar, set a recurring reminder, and light some scented candles (figuratively, or hey, literally—whatever sets the mood for visionary thinking). This isn’t just another meeting; it’s an investment in your company’s future.
This involves the art of selecting and nurturing the right team. This includes hiring for skills and building an ownership mentality. How? Through consistent communication, clear expectations, and a supportive environment that encourages initiative.
For leaders, this means creating a culture where feedback is continuous and constructive, and where every team member feels empowered to contribute significantly. It requires moving beyond a top-down approach and cultivating a flat structure where ideas from every level are equally valued.
Teams who leverage individual strengths are not only more productive but also happier and more engaged.
When your people work together effectively, playing to their strengths, they become downright unbeatable.
Identify the strengths of your team members and delegate appropriately. This frees you up to focus on high-priority tasks, empowers your team, and improves overall productivity.
You might think setting that target is enough. However, without the right people and robust processes to regularly review these metrics, achieving this goal could be challenging.
Consider regular, structured meetings where you do a tally and discuss strategies to increase those numbers. What did you accomplish? What didn’t get done? Was there a new strategy that worked? These insights are gold!
Use this data to inform the next set of priorities.
Lastly, remember that well-being is also a ‘Big Rock.’ You’ll need stamina, clarity, and emotional resilience to navigate the rigors of a fast-growing company. So, whether it’s exercise, sleep, or some downtime, make sure you’re taking care of yourself.
Prioritizing effectively is an art and a discipline. Once you master this, you will advance your business goals, find balance, and make the most of your time, even when it feels like there’s never enough of it!
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