If you don't control your workday, someone else will.
… that’s a truth I wish I’d learned earlier in my career.
Managing yourself is the cornerstone of continuous value creation. Your effectiveness, your insight, and even your peace of mind hinge on how well you manage your time, attention, and focus.
The principle is straightforward but potent: Prioritize.
Not all tasks are created equal. Identify the crucial ones, allocate time for them, and defend that time vigorously.
In our typical work environment, you juggle four primary tasks:
- Meetings (in-person or virtual)
- Async communication (Email, Slack, MS Teams)
- Execution
- Strategy and planning
The demand for focused time blocks is high for tasks 3 and 4. Unlike tasks 1 and 2, you can't squeeze them into random 30-minute slots. Your brain requires time to shift gears and focus.
Many talented individuals fall short of making an impact, not due to lack of skill, but from a self-imposed lack of capacity. They don't allocate sufficient time for deep work, producing mediocre output.
Fail to schedule time for execution and planning, and meetings and ad-hoc communication will eat up your day.
A daily and weekly game plan is essential, whether you're managing a team, are leading a project, or are in the trenches yourself.
A prioritized list of objectives provides structure and prevents aimless busyness.
But what's even more crucial is a prioritized and protected calendar. Personally, I block out 2-3 hours of focused work time each day, for every day of the week, in advance. And I defend that time—against meeting invites (unless impossible) and even the internal urge to send or reply to messages.
Bottom line: Time is your prime asset. Manage it wisely to focus on what truly matters and produce outcomes that really make a difference.