Yesterday I read an interesting and practical post by Jo Owen called Seven Leadership Traits that the Gurus Don’t Tell You. While written from a C-level perspective it contains some useful thoughts for all leaders and I encourage you to read it. It became the jumping off point for about two pages of notes and ideas in my journal, most only marginally related to what was written (expect those ideas to pop up here in the coming days).
One of the seven traits though was about time management, a topic I get asked about from a leadership perspective often. While I have read much about this topic and continually try to get better at it, I am increasingly clear that we are all starting from the wrong place.
Dictionary.com defines management this way:
1. the act or manner of managing; handling, direction, or control.
(there are other definitions but this is the one that applies to this discussion)
When I look at a clock it just keeps ticking. It doesn’t matter what I do, I can’t direct or control it. If I can’t control it, I propose we can’t manage time.
Rather we can direct and control our choices – that is in our control.
So I’m focusing less on time management and more on choice management.
When I think about choice management as a form of determining how I invest my time, I do a better job of getting more of the highest priority items done (which is what we are all talking about when we speak of managing time, right?)
This distinction is important to everyone but critical for us as leaders. How we invest our time as leaders impacts not just us and our careers but also organizational success (or failure) and impacts that choices others make as well.
Those following us look to us as a model, take their cues from us, and even build their habits, consciously or not, to match ours.
This is pretty powerful stuff and warrants our close consideration.
As I leave you to think about choice management rather than time management, here are three questions to answer for yourself today.
How do my choices impact my time effectiveness?
What choices will I make today to invest my time more wisely?
What is the most important thing for me to invest my time on today?
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Good choice to reframe from time management to choice management.
I’m going to use that in my workshops – may I quote you?
Let us know how well the change in perspectve works out for you.
Of course you can quote me Alan. This isn’t a completely new revelation for me. My expereience is that when I stay focused on choices, I do a better job, and remain more accountable for my time.
K