E-mail is pouring in, the phone is ringing, and others are coming to you with requests. You want to be helpful and responsive and a team player, but lately you feel like your whole day is being lost to interruptions and “squeaky wheels,” and you’re caught in a cycle of REACTIVITY. Instead, you’d like to work more PROACTIVELY and you wonder how you’ll get some time for yourself so you can FINALLY make some progress—on YOUR priorities.
In order to get the time you need, you have to stand up for it and protect it. You’re in charge.
However, you may be uncomfortable standing up for what you want or need. You may not be accustomed to setting boundaries or negotiating your time. As a result, you may work reactively throughout your day, saying yes, being agreeable, being supportive, being a team player, being there for others, helping others and more—all of which are wonderful things. But when you do all of this at the expense of your own time and productivity, you’re out of balance. And it will surely reduce your progress and increase your stress.
The Ramifications of Working Reactively
Working reactively is a rough way to get through the day. You may feel active and busy, but it puts your progress on priorities in S-L-O-W motion… like you’re walking through glue.
If we look at the word “react” in the dictionary it says, “to act in a reverse direction or manner, especially to return to a prior condition.” In your workday, working reactively means you’re not moving forward or making noticeable, tangible progress and instead you’re stuck or spinning your wheels.
There are many root causes to reactivity, but at the heart of them all is HOW you’re working.
HOW you work is based on the choices and decisions you make, which drive your productivity, progress and results.
You can choose proactivity over reactivity. You can choose how you use your time and use it in the best possible ways. You can accomplish more in less time and get results on time and on target.
You can. The question is: Are you?
If you feel like you’re NOT in charge of your workday and you’d like to start making decisions that support proactivity and productivity, now is your chance to increase awareness about HOW you’re working. This includes the choices and decisions you make and why you work the way you do.
Be aware that some choices and decisions you make may stem from FEAR. You may be afraid to do or say certain things and don’t realize that these can make or break your productivity each day.
It’s time to get clear on what you are willing to do or NOT do as a part of running a productive workday. Use the following questions throughout this article to reflect on what you’re UNCOMFORTABLE saying or doing, and consider if it’s holding you back.
Consider your current results. Take some time to consider what’s working and what’s NOT working in your day, and why. Recognize what you say or do that works and keep doing it to keep your productivity high and your progress moving forward.
Are you afraid you won’t appear as “available” or as “a team player?”
DO you feel guilty about shutting your door or disappearing for any length of time during the day, because you may appear as not “there” for others?
Being available 100% of the time means you’re not totally in charge of your agenda and as a result, you’ll allow just about anything to interrupt you and your work. However, an all-day, open-door policy will wreck your productivity. It’s very important that you DO shut your door for stretches of time each day—ideally, an hour or hour and a half in the morning and the same in the afternoon.
The key is to communicate with others and set expectations. Explain what a closed door means and let others know about how long it will be closed. A closed door doesn’t mean you’re never available. It only means you’re unavailable for short periods of time—an hour here and an hour there. Set expectations and communicate your availability to others, and you will never leave them guessing.
Are you afraid you won’t seem “responsive” to email?
When you pounce on every email as it arrives, it may seem “responsive,” but it’s really reactive. You’re putting the needs of others before your own priorities without question. This costs you time that’s not being spent on your most important tasks and as a result, progress is slowing down.
When you want to accomplish today’s most important task first—and it really matters that you do—get the task accomplished first, then answer emails.
Alternate time blocks for working on tasks and for processing email. In Taskology, the time spent processing emails gets the Inbox back to zero. Then it’s back to the Task List to work on the next most important task of the day. The goal is to toggle back and forth throughout the day.
If you don’t answer emails for a few hours, it doesn’t mean you’re “unresponsive.” It means your time is committed elsewhere and you’re using your time carefully.
Are you afraid to make someone wait?
It’s uncomfortable for many professionals to ask someone else to wait, but don’t throw in the towel automatically for the latest interruption. It all depends on who it is and what the request is about.
Weigh each visitor, phone call and text. If you think someone can wait 15, 30 or even 60 minutes until you finish what you’re working on, negotiate your time. Stand firm and ASK. A good example would sound something like this: “Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to discuss that with you. But I’m right in the middle of finishing up something really important (or I’m on a deadline.) Can I stop by your office in about 30 minutes when I’m finished?”
You may find that others are fine with your suggested response time, but you won’t know unless you ASK. When you protect your time in this way, you can keep your train of thought, finish what’s in front of you, and feel GOOD about getting something accomplished, while still honoring someone else’s request.
Are you afraid to let others do a task or work out an issue?
Many professionals are uncomfortable delegating for a wide variety of reasons, but it’s essential that you recognize where YOUR time is best spent and allow others to take on a few tasks. What if you literally weren’t available to solve an issue? Could another person work out a solution on their own? The best scenario is when others know how to properly handle tasks and issues when you’re not there. That means teaching ahead of time before it’s too late.
If you already have a team or someone to delegate to, look for opportunities to delegate. Take a little time to teach something new so others can handle certain issues, circumstances or tasks. Confirm that they know how to do a task and are able to work autonomously. Let them know what they’re authorized to do without you. This is your chance to free up some time to work more productively while empowering others.
Are you afraid to lose business if you don’t say “yes” and schedule the work immediately?
Saying “yes” feels good, because you feel helpful, capable and needed. But many professionals say yes too quickly without thinking about whether or not they actually have the time to address the work they’ve promised.
This can mean spending time doing NEW client work at the expense of EXISTING client work that has ALREADY been promised. This can lead to competing priorities, missed deadlines, an increase in stress and the risk of upsetting existing clients and their future business. If you’re approached with new work, be clear on what you can and cannot reasonably handle. When you consider taking on more work, communicate with others involved to work out time frames, deadlines and expectations. Don’t risk good relationships, future business and your reputation by saying “yes” too often.
Are you afraid you’ll forget to do a new task if you don’t take care of it RIGHT NOW?
If so, then you need a better system for tracking, planning and prioritizing tasks. You can’t just keep addressing new tasks as they show up, like you’re hitting baseballs from a pitching machine. When this happens, it means you’re treating all tasks like they have the same level of priority, but they don’t.
Does your current task management approach allow you to document all tasks , identify priorities and take action on the right tasks at the right times? Can you be responsive on new tasks without losing track of everything else you had planned to do today, next week or next month?
Your task management plan should allow you to document, plan and prioritize ALL tasks in one centralized, digital system—no matter where the tasks came from or when you’ll take action. Then you can accomplish tasks at the right times, without missing, losing or forgetting anything.
What fears will you push through to gain more productivity and progress?
What can you change about HOW you’re working so you can be more efficient, effective and productive? What adjustments can you make to protect more time so you can make more meaningful, powerful progress each day?
When you DO switch gears from one task to another, make sure the new task (or the person or the interruption) TRULY deserves your precious time. Avoid letting others dictate how you’ll use your time. You don’t want to let time slip away to yet another “squeaky wheel” without weighing priorities, offering options or negotiating your time.
