If you are an overwhelmed manager or executive to the point of being unsure how you will make it through the next few months, then you have come to the right place.
In my practice, I often receive calls from leaders who are overwhelmed and seeking fast relief. Let’s face it, when we are very busy over a long period of time, it is easy to lose perspective and get buried. If this happens to you, and you are ready for a change, I recommend starting with the activities below:
Activity #1 for Overwhelmed Executives: The Quick Calendar Check
One of the first things I do with overwhelmed executives is something called the “Quick Calendar Check”. This is a simple process that forces them to step back and evaluate their priorities and then align their calendar with what is truly important. Result – a way to filter your schedule with confidence.
You can do this yourself! Here’s what to do:
- List your top personal and professional priorities within three “time horizons” (No more than 3-4 in each):
- The next five weeks
- The next five months
- The next five years.
- Review your list of priorities, make changes and get comfortable with it. If possible, discuss it with someone you trust.
- Break out your calendar for the next month with everything on it. To what extent do the appointments and events that take up the time on your calendar align with your priorities? Stop and think – start flagging things that may not align with your lists.
- After reviewing your calendar, spend some time bringing it into closer alignment with your stated priorities. There is no way that you must do everything that is on your calendar.
- Decline (with regrets) some commitments that do not align with your priorities.
- Delegate commitments wherever possible.
- Move some things around to create space – this often involves putting some things off.
- Challenge whether you’re required at certain appointments or events by asking for more information.
- Create space to properly prepare for the high-value appointments that remain.
- You may add new events to align with their stated priorities.
- You may add appointments to prepare people to represent you at certain engagements.
- Add a “calendar check appointment” on your calendar weekly and repeat the above steps each week. Then arrange a little time to do a mini version daily calendar check.
- Get help protecting your time! Engage your assistant, business manager, chief of staff or other associate who is also interested in targeting your time.
If this seems simple, it is. The hard part is the discipline to make it part of your routine. If you do this and stick to it, you will feel more in control each day.
Activity #2 for Overwhelmed Executives: The Job Responsibility Check.
Another activity that I like to do with an ‘overwhelmed’ new (or even prospective) client is something I call the “Job Responsibility Check”. This is a checkpoint to evaluate how effectively you are delegating responsibilities to your team members. In this simple process you do three things, then a follow up:
- Summarize your job description by listing your responsibilities in bullet points.
- It seems very simple but it feels funny because it makes you step back and look at your role as an observer.
- Next, do the same thing for each of your direct reports. (Bullet point responsibilities).
- Map your own responsibility bullets to each of your direct reports in a way that correlates to how you have delegated out responsibilities.
- Lastly, look over your work:
- What have you learned from this?
- What actions will you take as a result?
When a leader is overwhelmed, it helps to dig deep into how their responsibilities are parceled out among their leadership team. This sounds like it should be an easy exercise, but it almost never is.
What’s going on here? Well, there’s a lot to this.
When you are overwhelmed, you are often not delegating effectively:
- You may be holding on to too many responsibilities (as opposed to delegating).
- You may have direct reports who are struggling and constantly requiring attention.
- You may have received new responsibilities you have not figured out how to delegate yet.
- You may have direct reports that are not cooperating with one another.
- You may have blurred responsibility lines between your direct reports and they are sharing ownership in a way that creates confusion and requires daily intervention.
I like this activity because it often shows overwhelmed leaders that they have options. They (and you) can act and potentially improve things.
These activities are a good start with new executive clients because progress begins immediately. We establish an early measure of honesty and a shared dedication to improving their performance.
Any leader can benefit from these activities! (no coach required).
It takes a few hours, your calendar, a pen and a notepad.
Let me know how it goes.
Future Activities – Coaching:
If you like these and feel like you want to strongly improve your effectiveness, then contact me here. Tell me a little about you and your circumstances and I will be in touch.