The August 2013 edition of Getting a Better Grip, the LeadershipTraction newsletter is now on-line at http://leadershiptraction.com/newsletter/getting-a-better-grip-2013-08.pdf. Enjoy!
Editor’s Note:
“I’m too busy driving to stop for gas!” Ever say this? Or something like it?
You certainly COULD wait until your fuel tank is empty before stopping for gas. Except if you did, it’d likely take even more time out of your busy day, once you add in the wait for roadside assistance and the stop you’d still have to make to fully refuel, afterwards.
But this Editor’s Note isn’t really about gasoline. Or cars. It’s to make the point that if you’re overly busy, your busyness may be masking a need to address that busyness in a more strategic way. Consider, as example, what it’d be like if you got just one notch better at any of the following:
- Recognizing (and better managing) the time you’re quite possibly wasting before, during, and after particularly gnarly assignments.
- Increasing the pace and tempo you like to naturally work at.
- Setting better boundaries to limit the amount of other people’s work assigned to you because they know you’ll get it done faster.
- Evaluating the likely unintended consequences of a particular course of action rather than just going with whatever idea you thought of first.
- Aiming to “noticeably exceed” what’s required – and stopping there – rather than using (how much?) extra time making it “perfect.”
- Talking more confidently with your boss about what priorities need to be deprioritized in order to reprioritize this new priority!
Doing even one or two of these things one notch better would likely lessen your busyness AND make it easier for you to do better work when you are busy. Because you always ARE busy. But if you think you’re too busy driving to stop for gas, you’re likely headed for an untimely stall.
Welcome to this month’s Getting a Better Grip newsletter!
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