This week I started a two week experiment to put intentional, focused, protected time in my schedule to work. It has, in a word, been amazing.
The baseline of the experiment is simple: three times each week I plan a 5-6 hour work session before noon. I keep these sessions free of meetings, email replies, most phone calls, and instant messaging. During the work sessions, I attempt to use digital communication tools for reference only. I also make sure to touch base with my team members after these sessions so I don't hold up their work.
Why is this new?
Several factors make this approach new for me:
- I was under the impression that, if I didn't spend as many office hours as possible with my direct reports, they would not have what they needed to do their jobs. This is not true. Just because I am in the office doesn't mean I am doing the best thing for our team.
- Being omni-available isn't helpful to me or my team. The team's momentum and impact can suffer greatly from my inability to get deliverables they need produced.
- There are some meetings that can wait. Our organization is growing out of a spot where everything was seen as important. We had zero margin for error or sick days or unforeseen circumstances. Now that we are out of that season, some meetings can wait, some projects can be closed or killed, and some goals can be sequenced instead of concurrent.
How does the workflow change?
Focused, protected chunks of time in my schedule changes the way my team works. It changes the way that I lead and work with my direct reports and organizational partners.
- I am coming to interactions, assignments, and meetings with deliverables and action items, not just ideas. Before, all I had time for was ideas. This helped us develop healthy iterative and collaborative patters, but, overtime, unhealthy expectations. People around me wondered when they had enough information to "go" or decide or move on. Now I can fully inform them and give them what they need upfront.
- It puts more value on meetings. If you are limiting, focusing, or saying no to meetings, the meetings you do have must provide a return on investment.
- Foucsed worktime creates space to work on long term solutions instead of just band-aids. (I am sure this is a post in itself, but I enjoy long term solutions, so I'll leave this point here for now.)
What is the result?
So far, the results of this experiment has been:
- More traction. I have gotten more traction with team members and partners in high impact, mission critical, and long term fix types of projects.
- More presence. I have been more present in meetings and interactions after my has gotten solo work is accomplished. It is much easier to focus on others when your responsibilities are in order.
- More time. It feels like I have more time in general. Even though this is not true, it is a solid feeling that I have more space to do what is required of me.
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