What if…your strategy consultant had a process for a 30 hour working week? (Part 1)
Do you, like more than 60% plus of CEOs and business owners, clock up over 60 hours a week?
If the answer is YES (as it invariably is when I start work as an executive coach with new clients) – ask yourself:
- I am really being effective?
- Am I setting a good example to my staff?
- …Or am I an ‘activity junkie’ getting high from solving my peoples’ problems?
Now imagine what it would feel and look like if you were restricted to a 30-hour working week with you choosing the days and hours. How would you decide what – and what not – to do? (I always elicit some interesting responses from this query in my management consultancy remit!)
In the first of two posts focusing on this issue, drill down to find where your time goes each week in order to make best use of this precious resource.
Record the following on a simple time log:
- How you spend your time (by the hour or half hour)
- What you do (your activities)
- With whom you spend your time
Leave two columns on the right blank to be complete at the end of the week.
Fill the log as you go (you won’t remember the detail if you leave it until Friday).Then review it and fill in the two columns on the right with the headings:
- Could this only be done by me? (Yes or No)
- Does this add value to the future of the business? (Yes or No)
The overriding goal is to identify what you must achieve in your 30 hours a week and to ask:
- Are you taking decisions for others because it’s quicker and easier?
- Are you dealing with recurring issues your people have not got to the root cause of and dealt with?
- Are they ‘here and now’ decisions you get involved with – leaving the strategic issues until another time?
My second post on the 30 hour week will share with you:
- The eight activities on which you should focus your time and:
- How you can tap into a CEO process to simplify your work
