I knew a man who loved ties. He had over 100 of them. He was going to get married in a few months, and there were too many for his new home. The first thing he did was cull through them – keeping only the ones that were in good shape and in style. But, he still had a problem. He couldn’t go into a store without buying another one.
So, he and his fiancé devised a plan: For every new tie he bought, he’d give away one he had.
His process struck me as good time management technique for busy managers.
Step 1: Review all the meetings on your calendar for one month
Do you have to go? Could someone else attend? Would it be a development opportunity for them? Are the meetings themselves still required?
Step 2: Focus on standing meetings
Every time you add a new standing meeting, cancel another.
This forces you to make conscious choices about where to put your attention. Organizational Development? Strategy? Execution?
Beyond keeping your calendar “sane,” these two steps provide a clear signal to others in your organization what you value.