I wish you could have been there……. We had just finished recognizing the top achievers on the team. To no one’s surprise it was “that same guy” again who led the team in sales revenue for the month. After frustratingly seeing this same pattern play out month after month, the sales rep who was always nipping at their heels asked me, “Mark, what does he do to always finish #1 in our office?” Instead of giving him the answer I replied, “I am so glad you asked!” “Let me ask you a question,” I began. “What do you do when we have these 15 minute breaks?” He thought for a moment and then answered, “I go and chat with the fellas.” “Right,” Then I asked him, “And what do you see him doing during our breaks?” His eyes danced left and right before he said, “He grabs his stack of cards and goes makes phone calls.” “Exactly! But, it isn’t those 15 minutes by themselves that create the difference,” I responded. “It’s his mentality and approach of time that makes ALL the difference.” This individual quickly discovered what he considered an inconsequential amount of time was exactly the opposite. Those 15 minutes were absolutely consequential for his success. So, what’s the lesson for us as leaders? Understanding that how we spend small chunks of time does add up to create big differences, and it is these big outcomes, born of tiny, tiny bits, that make up the world we live in as leaders. Give Yourself the Chance I find it fascinating that almost every time I am challenged with a new way of looking at things different from my own perspective I challenge the challenge. Unfortunately, when I do that, I miss out on a potential opportunity to improve myself. Why do we do this? Because we feel a need to justify our position. We feel as though we need to dig our heels in and protect our beliefs and actions. But today will be different! For the next few minutes open your mind up to new ways of looking at your use of time. Pretend you have no preconceived notions about it. Be completely open that there might be an entirely new and different way of approaching it, as well as using it. Any time you hear yourself playing “defender,” gently remind yourself you are open to new ideas. What do you have to lose anyways? 4 “Laws” of Time Law #1: We NEVER get time back. There are so very few resources in our life that we can never get more of or back, that is one of the reasons that makes time invaluable. Think about it! Every minute that passes is a minute gone. Gone forever. Law #2: Everyone works with the same number of hours in a day. It took me awhile to take responsibility in owning this fact. I would look at others who were achieving goals I desired, and instead of wondering “how” they were doing it, I would give myself an out, “I just don’t have the time.” That is just plain not true! We all have 24 hours a day to spend however we wish. Law #3: We all spend our time differently. There are a number of variables that contribute to why we spend our team the way we do. The most obvious and compelling reasons are our priorities, personality, behavior style, beliefs, we gravitate towards what we are good at, and we justify our “wants” as “I need to” to avoid “don’t want to’s.” Law #4: We CHOOSE how we spend our time. When was the last time you didn’t have a choice in how you spent a minute? It’s a funny paradox, that we find ourselves so confined by time yet we have the ultimate freedom to choose how we use it. We always have a choice with our time. Great Leaders Are Masters of Time If you want to become an individual who maximizes every second versus one who spends time on an unlimited budget, there are four simple actions you’ll want to take. To make it easy to remember, it is presented in an acronym of T.I.M.E. This way it will be easy for you to take with you as you begin to apply the principles as a leader in and out of the office. Train Your Brain If there is one point that you take from this over any other it is this: maximizing time must be a mindset before it will ever become a habit. I can’t count how many people I have heard say, “I want to be better with my time!” But, I can count just how many people have been able to do it. What is the ingredient between the two? MINDSET first, habit second. Most people try and create the habit of being more efficient with their time before they have convinced themselves as to why. Here’s where you can start developing your new mindset now. Our mind works in pictures. For example, if I say the word “light bulb” to you, your mind doesn’t show you the letters, “L I G H T B U L B.” You see a picture of a light bulb. That is what you need to give to yourself today. Here’s my mental picture of time. I picture my time like a huge, majestic castle with endless treasures inside its walls. My fortress is protected by a large metal gate with a security post and guards. The security measures protect me from being robbed and abused, because if my gate and guards weren’t there my treasure would be stolen in a heartbeat. There are many people and circumstances in our lives, who although they appear innocent, are really thieves and abusers! They are robbing you of your time! My coaching clients often ask me, “Mark, how do I know what my view of time is today?” Easy. Track or watch how you spend it. Keep a journal. Is it structured? Is your schedule tight? Do you get done what you set out to do? Remember, how you treat time will be an exact replica of your view of it. Once you begin to build your mindset of time you are ready for the second step which can’t be fully accomplished until you are operating with the right mindset, and that is you need a “system” to manage your time. Implement A System The best definition of the word “system” as it relates to leadership is: organizational habits. A system is the habits you have developed with how you organize your day and everything involved in it. There are three reasons why developing your own system is vital. The first reason is so you accomplish more in less time. Who doesn’t want that? You see, having a “system” forces you to do things consistently. When we do things consistently we develop a pattern of behavior, and that pattern increases our efficiency which makes us faster. In other words: consistency = pattern = efficiency = accomplishing more in less time The second reason why you want a strong “system” is to help guide your decision making. It’s crazy how many arrows we have flying at us in a day. How do you choose what to do? What do we give our attention to and what do we let go? An effective “system” will help solve that problem because your “system” works as a filter and a holding tank. It aids in helping clarify what IS important and what can wait. What is truly urgent and what is not. Third, a “system” will Save Your Self Time Energy Money! There’s a quote I see in many of the offices I visit which states, “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” It’s perplexing to me when I work with individuals who are stressed because of their own creations! What’s even more mind boggling to me is that these same people have stress-out sessions time and time again, yet never fix the problem of working without a “system!” The truth is, having a system does save time, energy, and money, isn’t that in itself worth the price? Now that we have discussed the mindset and the “system” to help manage your efforts, it is time to get specific with what you can do on a daily basis to get more time back! Make Rules To Live By Through my experience of watching small differences of time utilization create drastic differences, there are ten rules you can being implementing today. Here they are in no specific order and contain a brief explanation: Rule #1: Plan Your Day. Jim Rohn, a premier expert in the field of personal development said many people spend more time planning vacations than they do their lives! Our days are no different. We take time to plan our vacations so they are enjoyable and we do what we want. Why are the days we work any different? Plan your tasks, your calls, and who you are going to invest in. Rule #2: Give Yourself Time to “Clean Up the Dirty Dishes.” People I coach now that I liken finishing up tasks from a day to cleaning up dishes after we eat. Why? Because if we leave the dirty dishes out they become harder to clean, they stink, it becomes more difficult to navigate around the sink, and the more dirty dishes we see the less likely we are to start doing them! Give yourself time to finish up the “not so fun” tasks that need to get done. Your reputation depends on the little things. Rule #3: “What is my ROI?” Remember, there are a number of psychological factors that influence our behavior, so check your actions often. Ask yourself, “Is this THE most productive action I can be accomplishing right now?” If not, try and juggle your to-do’s, and tackle the more productive option. Rule #4: Adopt A Minimalist Mentality. A minimalist approach is effective as long as the situation warrants it as appropriate. A minimalist mentality is, doing the minimum work to meet the expectation. Once the expectation is met, move on! A huge time abuser is when we go unnecessarily overboard. The key to working this mentality correctly is using your professional intuition on when it you want to utilize and when you don’t. There are times when it behooves us to go beyond one’s expectations. Rule #5: Can’t Go Wrong Investing In This. So much to do, so little time! The best time to put your “A” personality aside is when you are “investing” in someone else’s emotional bank account. What a shame it is for a team member to feel that their time is less valuable than another management report. Rule #6: Devote Time To Making Deposits. Your phone rings and it’s the BOSS! “Uh-oh. What did I do?” you ask yourself as your mind quickly searches for an answer. Your boss surprisingly says, “I wanted to see how your Thursday is shaping up? Everything cool?” It’s a sad and unfortunate reality that a phone call like that is so rare. Call without an agenda. If they are surprised when you do it, then do it more often. Rule #7: Teach ‘Em To Fish. A point I emphasize in EVERY leadership talk I give is you are not a manager, you are a leader, and leader’s coach! I don’t care what your title says, make your own! During a normally hectic day, it is easier to put band-aids on team members “boo-boo’s” than to really help them understand the issue, and coach for improved future performance. The problem with that approach though, is like pulling only the stem of a root. Today it’s gone, but it is going to re-appear again soon. Take another five minutes and deal with the issue. Not only will the behavior hopefully change, but the employee will be grateful you made the investment in them. Rule #8: Chunk Your Time. Think of accomplishing your tasks like you are working an assembly line. Do “likes with likes.” Touching too many things at once just isn’t effective. In addition, no one thinks anything is more important than their issue. So, give them and it the necessary attention. Rule #9: Do the Most Important Item First. One way to effectively chunk your time is to block off time first thing in the morning to complete the most difficult or daunting tasks, especially if you committed to it being done by a certain time. That way you KNOW it will get done. If you put it off, we both know the chances of it getting done later. Actions create reputations. Rule #10: Windshield Time = Learning Time. How many hours do you think you spend behind the wheel every week commuting to and from work? How about your lunch break? Imagine how much you could learn on a topic if you CHOSE to invest that time in personal development. You could become an expert in any field of study within a few years! This past week, how has the material you’ve been listening to made you a better leader, more money, or a better person? (250 work days x 30 minutes a day = 7,500 minutes = over three weeks of work time!) Expect Some Bumps How you spend your time is a series of behavioral habits and priorities, so even the greatest of intentions won’t put you at your final destination. Learning how to maximize your time is a process, not something you possess. Be gracious in your mistakes, while challenging the current way you operate. Achieving this balance will allow for the necessary growing pains sure to accompany your journey, while simultaneously providing you with the self motivation and accountability necessary to complete your mission! Final Thoughts There is an inarguable, irrefutable correlation between successful leaders and their choice in how they view and use their time. Too often we become prisoners of our own poor time management. The good news is that anyone who uses their time exceptionally has done it by choice. You can do the same! Start by developing the right mindset about your time. Then, create an effective system that helps you manage it, and lastly, set and live by self-established time rules which will increase your effectiveness. We all have 1,440 minutes to spend every day. How are you choosing to spend yours?