What keeps managers stressed and overwhelmed?
After working with hundreds of managers across the country, I’ve noticed that there are patterns that high performers maintain with their use of time. On the same note, I’ve noticed that poor-performing managers make common mistakes, keeping them overwhelmed and stressed.
Here is the good news: You have all the time you’ll ever get.
This being true, it is only yourself who has the power to change the way your energy moves and the way your focus flows. You are not going to wake up in 4 days and find ‘more time.’ There will never be 26 hours in a day, and your director will never say ‘We don’t have much on at the moment; take your time.’ So, the only way for your life to get better is for you to get better. Better at communicating, managing your energy and focusing your attention.
These are the top 5 biggest productivity mistakes:
1. Not scheduling high-dollar value activities for yourself
Most managers who are overwhelmed, only schedule meetings that others have booked them into. Check your calendar now. Are all your meetings ones that other people have invited you to? If they are, I’m talking to you. You must schedule activities that have a high-dollar return for you, not just for everyone else.
2. Not planning ‘planning time’
This is major. Managers who don’t realise that their planning time is just as important as a meeting with a client, will be continually stressed. You must see your planning time as a MUST-DO activity in your calendar.
3. Viewing the day as an 8- or 10-hour block
Your day should never be viewed in 8-hour blocks or even a 3-hour blocks. It needs to be viewed as a series of 1-hour sprints with rest recovery in between. When you see your day as a countinuous flow of time, it will not be utilised effectively. My friend Taki Moore introduced me to the 50:10 sprint, which is 50 minutes of focus and 10 minutes of wandering around. Use a timer for the 50-minute section. This tip alone can almost double your productivity.
4. Not following a system or structure
There are so many systems out there like G.T.D – David Allen, R.P.M – Tony Robbins, Eat that Frog – Brian Tracy – just to name a few. I’ve researched all of them and found a blend of the activities that work best for me. You must find a system that works for you. Mine is called the ’5 Master Steps of Execution.’ I used it this morning.
5. Struggling to delegate effectively
Delegation is a crucial skill for a manager. When you step up to being a manger, you must re-evaluate your high-dollar activities. You must change your mindset from ‘DO’ to ‘THROUGH.’ Instead of doing everything yourself, learn to get projects done through your team. What activities should you be delegating right now? (Note: I notice that a lot of managers feel guilty about delegating activities. You’ll need to get past this mindset to be more effective.)
Discover the secrets of the Super Productive.
Join Colin for a free masterclass on productivity.
In this training, you’ll discover:
- How to create a Super Productive Mindset (the exact thinking you must have to produce incredible results)
- The secret to leveraged energy – this is like a Red Bull for your daily productivity
- 3 critical brain rules – and how you can use them to work with your brain, not against it