What used to work doesn’t. What does work is new to many of us and can be intimidating. What is a Contagious Leader to do?
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Have you ever had someone stick their head in your office and ask “hey, got as minute?”
Of course you have. Well, when is the last time the question was followed by just a minute of your time? The “just a minute” is usually much more time. It takes your time, breaks your flow and makes you unproductive.
When a person asks this question they are really saying “I have a problem that I would like YOU to solve. I have a monkey on my back and I want to put it on yours”. No wonder we end our day feeling as though nothing got accomplished.
The 30 Minute Rule changes the game and keeps you productive. Here is how it works:
When the person asks “got a minute” you answer “Not really. I am right in the middle of something important. I would really love to spend some time with you. Could you come back in 30 minutes?” You want to appear genuinely interested in helping them but just unable to do so at the moment. Be polite and sincere, even if you are not in the middle of something important.
Don’t worry, if the challenge cannot wait the person will tell you so.
In 85% of the cases the person will say “sure it can. I’ll come back.”
in 90% of these cases they never return. They wanted you to solve their problem. Usually they find it was not such a big problem after all, or, they handle it themselves.
When they do return in 30 minutes listen carefully to the challenge and then ask what they have done to handle it. When they say “well, nothing, I wanted to discuss it with you first” you know you have someone who either can’t make a decision or they want you to do their work. In this case, ask them to suggest a solution or two. More often than not they have the correct answer.
Leaders are problem solvers but often we confuse this with doing someone elses work. We do not develop the leadership skills of others by jumping in and solving their problems. It may make us look smart and be the hero but it wastes our time and fails to develop them.
Try the 30 Minute Rule and see for yourself just how much quality time you have during your day to do the things that really matter to building your business. Also, see how people develop as leaders. Overall, sit back and watch how productivity soars in your organization.
For months now we have been advising our speaking and coaching clients to pay attention to their aspiring leaders. Many organizations have pulled back on leadership development programs and really good people are feeling abandoned. Some have confided in us that they are just biding their time until they can leave for another organization that actually values them. Well, now it is not just our opinion.
Today, McKinsey & Company released a study indicating that 64% of middle managers will leave their current organization within two years. To read the entire article go to: www.johnhersey.com/crisis.htm
We have had a tremendous response and some frustration to last weeks teleseminar, HowTo Thrive in Tight Times . It is not surprising to us that most of
your questions, comments and concerns were around Action 1,
Focusing on the top 20% of your income and/or impact producing
activities.
We never said it would be easy. Nor did we say to not do those
“other activities” that were necessary to the running of your
business.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
“As the gardener, by severe pruning, forces the sap of the tree
into one or two vigorous limbs, so should you stop off your
miscellaneous activity and concentrate your force on one or a few
points”
We all have necessary and important activities to perform in the
normal course of keeping our businesses going in the desired direction.
However, all too often we do these instead of the critical income and impact
producing activities.
We have heard people say, “I can’t possibly do that top 20%
thing. It is a great idea but won’t work for me. There is just too
much to do around here, and I am the one to do them.”
All true! However, doing many of these activities keeps us from
zeroing in on those that produce big results.
Think of it this way; if you had an emergency that required you
to leave your office and only spend 20% of your time working, what
would you focus on? Who would you delegate those “other important
activities” too? Which of these “important” activities would you
let go off?
We hope you find this deeper dive into the subject helpful. Let
us know by commenting below.
If you haven’t read Steve Chandler’s new book, Fearless, you are doing yourself, your company and your family a huge disservice.
The world is gripped by fear. Fear about the economy, the stock market, our shrinking 401K plans, terrorism, the war in Iraq, and the election. Heck some people are even fearful that the Phillies will lose to the Rays in the World Series.
In Fearless , Steve Chandler takes you by the hand and shows you how disabling fear is and how we can deal with it head on. He doesn’t pretend to know how to banish fear from our lives forever but he does know how to help us push it aside and move on, powerfully. This is a life altering work, a must read for every leader and anyone seriously considering coming out of these crazy times better off than we entered them.
Besides, it is a great read! We have always enjoyed reading Steve’s books. But, the last couple have really evolved. Not that we are literary experts but Steve Chandler has become a truly engaging, insightful, and humorous author whose work contributes to our well-being.
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”
Dr. Wayne Dyer
It is a very simple statement but it can be powerfully true.
As leaders it is our responsibility to stay fresh, remain open to new alternatives, advance solutions that may have been unthinkable just 3-6 months ago. It’s so easy to get stuck in our way of doing and thinking that before we know it we are rigid, unable to see beyond that which we already know. Once stuck it can be very, very difficult to get unstuck. So, how do we avoid it and how do we get unstuck if that is where we are. Here are some easy, do it now suggestions:
Practice changing your perspective by questioning your automatic responses.
Make your self uncomfortable by simply sitting in a different seat during your regular meetings. You will be amazed at how differently you hear and see the content of the meeting and the participants.
Go into the office (if that is where you go everyday) a bit later or earlier than usual. Get to the office in a different way like taking a different route, carpooling or taking public transportation.
Read a book you would never think of reading.
Read a totally unusual magazine for you, not business related.
Take a course, any course. Check out a community college, the internet or your newspaper for course listings.
Go on an adventure vacation by yourself for a day, overnight, or long weekend.
Do some volunteer work. Pick an organization that you believe in such as the Boys & Girls Club, school athletic team, SCORE, or check out Volunteers of America’s website for ideas www.voa.org
Turn off the TV and go for a brisk walk instead. It’s not only a great way to boost your mood and increase your energy but you will get in shape as well.
We recently delivered a keynote speech that included a demonstration of changing your perspective. It was lots of fun. You might enjoy watching a short clip. Just go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpNBIAqMZ0k and enjoy the show.
Just DO something that is out of the norm for you. Shake yourself up. There are lots of actions you can take if you decide to get unstuck and if you really determined to get better at being a better leader.
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