Time Mastery: The New Rules of Productivity

[00:00:03] Welcome to the Quick Take Podcast, the show where you get targeted advice and coaching for executives by executives. I'm Susie Tomenchok.

[00:00:12] James Capps

[00:00:12] And I'm James Capps. Give us 15 minutes and we'll give you three secrets to address the complex topic of issues that are challenging executives like you today.

[00:00:22] Hey, welcome to Quick Take. I'm Susie along with James. How are you, James?

[00:00:26] I am proud to be here. Proud to serve.

[00:00:28] There's been so many changes in companies and there's just a lot of stress right now. People are trying to do more with less. I have a lot of clients reaching out and saying, hey, can you come talk to my team about how to prioritize, how to get outside of the grind? Everybody's saying that there's no light at the end of the tunnel. There used to be a light at the end of the tunnel, but how do we be more productive? We don't have time to get things done.

[00:00:55] I hear that too. I'm hearing that in various areas, but most painfully in the areas of groups that have been suffering with layoffs where the leadership is telling people, you know, do more with less.

[00:01:08] And frankly, do more with less is probably a phrase that was coined many, many years ago. I'm certain that if I were to speculate where that came from, somebody would correct me. So correct me, I dare you.

[00:01:19] But ultimately, it is a phrase that leads you to thinking about just solving problems in one way. And I think that there's maybe a conversation we have had about how do we do that differently? How do we do that in today's era? What, you know, in 2024, you know, post-COVID, AI-driven workplace, what is working smarter, not harder really look like?

[00:01:40] Yeah, I think it's such an important skill. And it's funny because sometimes we don't even realize how much noise we pay attention to.

[00:01:48] Oh my gosh, yeah.

[00:01:49] When I've worked with teams before, I've had them look at the last two weeks and together collectively identify all the things, no judgment, all the things that were the priorities, and then re-look at it with new eyes.

[00:02:02] And there was a whole quadrant of things that they were all kind of laughing about that was just stuff they shouldn't have had any focus on at all.

[00:02:10] Wow.

[00:02:11] It's super interesting to think about this zoom out. And this is such a great topic if you have some tips that people can even just analyze what they might be missing.

[00:02:21] You nailed all the key topics there just in one brilliant sentence.

[00:02:25] I think the things that I'm hearing now are less about how do you avoid the noise and stuff like that. But, you know, number one is it's energy management.

[00:02:34] That seems so strange, but you and I talk about context shifting.

[00:02:38] When are you most effective? You take these personality tests or whether or not you have a certain working methodology.

[00:02:44] Microsoft has done tremendous work on measuring productivity and identifying energy times or times that they are, they're calling them focus times.

[00:02:54] The EOS entrepreneurial operating system suggests that you also use focus times because those are the times where you can actually block work, block time in your calendar, focus on something and accomplish that.

[00:03:06] Microsoft is even using AI to analyze your energy patterns and your performance to help you identify when you should have those focus times.

[00:03:17] So very modern, very technology focused approach to just doing more work.

[00:03:22] When I think about that application and how I would tell somebody to identify that for themselves,

[00:03:28] I think about looking at and paying attention to when you get things done quickly or when you get distracted.

[00:03:36] And that shows that that's not a high productive time.

[00:03:40] If all of a sudden you're working along and all of a sudden,

[00:03:43] all of a sudden your phone's in front of you and you're going through Instagram,

[00:03:47] that means that your brain is tired and needs a break.

[00:03:52] So start to identify for executives should look at what part of the day do you feel most energized?

[00:04:00] When do you get the most done?

[00:04:01] When do you feel a lag?

[00:04:03] And make adjustments associated to that instead of being focused on your calendar

[00:04:08] and just allowing your calendar to dictate how you show up and start to adjust those things to those times of the day that you're at your best.

[00:04:17] Wow.

[00:04:18] Is that a topic that comes up a lot in coaching?

[00:04:20] Yeah, for sure.

[00:04:21] I mean, that's all great advice for that.

[00:04:23] But I just wonder if people are seeing that.

[00:04:26] Well, people look at their days by their calendars.

[00:04:30] And that's the first thing to really think about.

[00:04:33] How do you pull out of that, zoom out of that, and really think about in the morning, I'm really good.

[00:04:38] I feel really creative.

[00:04:40] I can write a lot.

[00:04:41] Then try to put those tasks in that part of the day.

[00:04:45] If later in the day you're not as energized with new ideas and stuff, find the appropriate things for those times of the day.

[00:04:53] And to your point about productivity and some of the apps that allow you to do that, this is just some ways that you can identify that for yourself.

[00:05:01] That's a great tip for the second reality of this.

[00:05:03] And it is controversial, I suppose.

[00:05:06] And I think if anybody had told me to do this during the early parts of my career, I would have hesitated.

[00:05:10] But, you know, the second piece of advice is you really need to do some time audits.

[00:05:14] You need to track your time.

[00:05:15] And I think that there are plenty of tools out there that can help you do this that's not a punch card.

[00:05:20] Certainly, even your iPhone will tell you how much time you spend on your phone, which you should probably do because it'll make you ill.

[00:05:26] But the truth is, is if you are going to identify or you're going to have these windows of time where you are focused, this focused time,

[00:05:33] you're going to put that and schedule that time during your most effective times.

[00:05:37] You need to have done an analysis and done a time audit to determine where you are spending your time.

[00:05:44] I just don't think you can do one without the other.

[00:05:46] My daughter actually made me do that because she's in consulting.

[00:05:49] So she had one of those apps.

[00:05:51] It was really annoying.

[00:05:52] I really didn't like it.

[00:05:54] But even when the time was on me, it made me realize how distracted I got because it made me really, my mind really think about,

[00:06:03] oh, my gosh, I'm supposed to be focused on this right now.

[00:06:06] It really enlightens you.

[00:06:08] Like doing that creates awareness and intention to understand what's going on.

[00:06:13] So I love that.

[00:06:14] I read an article that Deloitte did this.

[00:06:18] I mean, all the consulting firms are very specific and focused on time management and tracking.

[00:06:23] But I read that they found an additional 12 and a half hours per person per week.

[00:06:28] They saw a 52% increase in their productivity.

[00:06:33] I mean, again, from the coach's point of view, is that type of a specific time tracking something you suggest?

[00:06:40] Absolutely.

[00:06:41] Absolutely.

[00:06:41] And you can do it in the moment, like you said, with an app where you're going through it and you're seeing it.

[00:06:46] Or I often have people look back on their last two weeks and analyze what they did, because that also is a huge indicator of where you're spending your time.

[00:06:58] But you don't see those lapses.

[00:07:01] You just see blocks of time.

[00:07:03] The blend of both is really helpful because that looking with an app helps you be more intentional and honest about how you're spending your time.

[00:07:12] No, I think that's great.

[00:07:14] I think just being able to realize that's important.

[00:07:18] And I think that's one of the things that a great coach can help you do is say, yeah, I know it stinks and it hurts, but it's important and it adds value.

[00:07:26] So I love that one.

[00:07:27] My third suggestion really is about changing the way you think about work.

[00:07:32] We've all had these moments where the company will come in and say, no meeting Fridays, or every meeting is now only 50 minutes.

[00:07:39] I bustle at those as well, but also realize that there are ways we can do things differently.

[00:07:44] And your company really should look at ways to do that, to create time boxes or time protocols that are a little different to help you do more work.

[00:07:54] And whether that is creating 90-minute focus sessions, whether it is having deep dive days.

[00:08:00] We talked about on a previous episode about having hack weeks where you just focus on your goals for a week.

[00:08:07] Simply working and behaving as if you are a slave to your calendar, 10 one-hour meetings per day is not productive and you can do much better.

[00:08:16] I love this idea.

[00:08:17] And I think from a coaching perspective, when you do this as a leader, don't just look at it that you're making your team more productive.

[00:08:24] When you go through these things, analyze how it affects you.

[00:08:28] Is it positive?

[00:08:29] What are the things that you're seeing?

[00:08:31] And share that with the team and say, this is what I'm finding.

[00:08:34] And if you do it for no meeting Wednesdays or whatever that is, take a time where you have a discussion and dialogue around how is this affecting you?

[00:08:46] What has shifted?

[00:08:47] And recognize that it's going to be different for every person.

[00:08:50] So instead of as a boss, you need to be more productive.

[00:08:53] You need to do this.

[00:08:54] Really try to open up your mind and say, this is what's working or not working for me.

[00:09:00] How about you?

[00:09:01] And then let's reset to make sure that everybody is the most productive that they can be.

[00:09:06] I think that that's huge.

[00:09:08] And it reminded me of Lance Brownstein at BlackRock, the CTO that I worked with out there, who I know is a listener.

[00:09:16] But he was a great example of saying doing just that.

[00:09:20] As we struggled with return to office and trying to figure out how to be effective, he was very vocal about what he found to be working for him and what didn't work for him.

[00:09:28] And the energy he felt coming back to the offices and the challenges of certain ways of doing that.

[00:09:33] So he was a great example of somebody who, as you described, shared with the team how they were working through these different ways to be more effective.

[00:09:43] And I think that helped create more of a group collective approach towards being more productive.

[00:09:49] It's so funny because we talk about vulnerable leadership so much, but people just talk about it in general in quotes.

[00:09:55] But this is a great example of it's not being like, let me tell you all about my life.

[00:10:01] Let me tell you all about my deepest, darkest secrets.

[00:10:03] It's about just being honest about how you're showing up and what's getting in your way.

[00:10:08] Totally agree.

[00:10:09] Totally agree.

[00:10:09] That's a really great observation.

[00:10:11] What are your three?

[00:10:12] So bring us back.

[00:10:13] We'll recap.

[00:10:14] Create some energy management process.

[00:10:17] Create ways that you can focus your time during the times in which you are most productive.

[00:10:23] Second, do some time audits.

[00:10:24] Evaluate where you're spending your time.

[00:10:26] Being sure that you are actually doing what you're thinking you're doing and can go back and look and say, yeah, I'm actually focusing on the right thing.

[00:10:33] And then third, create some new ways of finding ways to really focus your work on and be deep and specific about when you're doing your productive time.

[00:10:43] Create new methods to focus your time and share those with your team.

[00:10:48] I love this.

[00:10:50] And I already am thinking of three people I can share this with because I think it's so important.

[00:10:55] Yeah, as a coach, I'm sure that this comes up a lot.

[00:10:59] And I think that there's a lot of opportunity for you to share those.

[00:11:04] Great topic.

[00:11:05] Thanks, James.

[00:11:09] Susie, I've got a question for you.

[00:11:11] What's the most embarrassing text mistake you've ever sent?

[00:11:15] Who have you missent something to and you shouldn't have?

[00:11:19] Oh, that's really I was probably my mom.

[00:11:22] I was going to I should have just said, what's the most embarrassing text you've ever sent your mom?

[00:11:27] Which is probably the same thing.

[00:11:29] Um, I is probably would be being descriptive about something that I needed from them.

[00:11:40] And instead of it going to somebody, it went to my mom.

[00:11:44] I'm really proud of myself that I was able to actually describe that without being so particular.

[00:11:51] And I want you to thank me for not forcing you to explain that further.

[00:11:55] Because I would.

[00:11:55] I know you would because I'm dying to say, gee, Susie, I don't quite understand what you mean.

[00:12:00] But I 100% know what you mean.

[00:12:02] And so we shall live on.

[00:12:06] Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Quick Take,

[00:12:09] where we talk about the questions that are on the minds of executives everywhere.

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