What are the most common time-wasters for leaders?

Some advice that I received years ago from a CEO was this “if the email has more that 3 people copied I delete it”. Now as shocking as that approach might sound, when she explained it to me it made sense. The reason for the over 3 deletion is the sender is not sending an email but more so an announcement, and you don’t need to reply to an announcement. While this is not recommended in all settings it elevate thinking around what needs my attention and what doesn’t. Email overload is real and I like to prioritize and zero my inbox ?? every day. If you don’t plan to take action in that moment, then don’t open the email ??.

I read a suggestion that you filter any emails that have "unsubscribe" anywhere in the body. I haven't done it yet, but I should. I instead spend five minutes in the morning doing a first pass to delete all the emails that I don't need to respond to. I do try to unsubscribe from as many as possible rather than having them turn into repeat emails that I. Need to delete again

I expect that GenAI will help us to prioritize and summarize all of our communication channels. I’m looking forward to that day!

Meetings madness: Frequent meetings can be a major time drain for leaders. To make meetings more efficient, have a clear agenda for every meeting and invite only essential participants. Set time limits and stick to them.

In simple words - The desire to be on top of everything. If you are on top that doesn't imply that you have to be on top of everying.

Effective leadership involves strategic allocation of time, energy, and focus. Micromanaging every aspect can prove to be the biggest time sink for a leader, potentially diverting attention from critical priorities. In a dynamic environment with finite resources, prioritisation becomes paramount. Leaders must discern between tasks demanding their direct attention and those suitable for delegation. By focusing on high-impact areas and empowering capable team members to handle routine tasks, leaders not only optimise their productivity but also prepare the next level to perform in their absence. Emphasising prioritisation allows leaders to channel their efforts into endeavours that profoundly contribute to the organisation's goals.

Meetings can certainly help teams stay focused and engaged on the topic, resulting in progress that otherwise might have been delayed over email chains. However, sometimes, attendees are not prepared before the meeting and/or do not walk away from the meeting with clear action items. Prior to setting up a meeting, the organizer should have a clear objective for the meeting. They should have specific questions or issues with intended outcomes listed. Then, the organizer should only invite those who are decision makers or have direct input into the topic at hand. Once the meeting has been set up, an agenda should be sent to all. During the meeting, notes should be taken and everyone should be given a task and timeline of action items

Meetings can indeed become a significant time sink for leaders if not managed effectively. Your suggestions for avoiding "meetings madness" are spot on. Leaders should be discerning about the meetings they attend, ensuring they are relevant and necessary. Setting clear agendas and objectives, keeping meetings concise and focused, and using digital tools for collaboration are great strategies to improve meeting efficiency. Assigning action items and ensuring follow-up tasks are essential for turning meetings into productive sessions that contribute to your leadership goals. By taking these steps, leaders can reclaim valuable time and make their meetings more purposeful.

Being assertive, and learning to politely say no are the 2 soft skills that helped me save my work time. These 2 skills are life savers. And time savers.

Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything. An OSS (the CIA's predecessor) manual on destroying organizations advocates the following, "Hold conferences when there is more critical work to be done."

In my own journey, I've learned that it's okay to make mistakes. They're valuable opportunities for growth and improvement. It's important to have a vision and set high standards, but we also need to be realistic about what can be achieved. Perfection is an unattainable goal, and it can lead to burnout and missed opportunities.

Any decision made today is better than no decision made forever. Indecision is the thief of opportunity. It's better to make a wrong decision than to make no decision at all.

One of the major time drains for leaders is the tendency to hold onto tasks and maintain excessive control over them. This often stems from a desire for perfectionism, which results in leaders spending valuable time on trivial matters or constant follow-ups. Recognizing this challenge, it is crucial for leaders to embrace the practice of delegating tasks efficiently. By doing so, not only do employees have the opportunity to learn and grow, but it also empowers them to take ownership and perform at their best. Delegating tasks not only frees up valuable time for leaders but also fosters professional development among employees. It promotes a sense of motivation and engagement as individuals feel trusted with important responsibilities.

"Fatto e 'meglio che perfetto" This little line translates the problem with perfectionism; it literally means done is better than perfect. Perfectionism can be a powerful trap for urgent deliveries and even compromise financial results. If a project can be improved in the future, it is always better to deliver the "Fatto" and then deliver the "Perfetto".

Experience maters in this - the more experience - the more this kind of behaviours can be avoided Celebrating the positive and looking at the big picture proves always to be a winner

We have built a whole technosphere of interruptions. Not only do we have email now, but Slack, and Teams, and Zoom Chat, and SMS. And the Calendar popping up with a fifteen minute warning. And these potentially across 3, 4, or 6 devices. My iPhone goes into Sleep mode at 9:15 pm, but when I'm traveling sometimes my iPad or my laptop will beep with an incoming message when I'm almost asleep because I haven't invested the time to set up the same DnD settings. But, some of those notifications are important! What if your systems are down, or your kid was in an accident. Maybe AI will help us smartly filter and get only the stuff we need when we need it!

Because I work from home, interruptions and distractions are a given. Instead of fighting against them, I acknowledge that they exist and simply set boundaries. I also choose my break times strategically and may sometimes defer interruptions and distractions to those times. There are times, of course, when I have to attend to someone at the door or a delivery. I simply attend to that and not make any detours on the way back to my desk.

Interruptions and distractions can be particularly detrimental to a leader's productivity. Your suggestions for avoiding these productivity pitfalls are valuable. Creating and maintaining a focused work environment, whether it's through managing devices, blocking time, or setting clear communication expectations, is crucial. Leaders who proactively address interruptions and distractions can boost their efficiency, reduce errors, and minimize stress, ultimately allowing them to make better use of their time and maintain their focus on high-priority tasks.

Avoiding distractions is imperative and we don't realize the most frequent of distractions. The most dangerous kind of waste is the waste we do not recognize. Ask yourself next meeting, should I be checking emails, off screen, or on LinkedIn right now?

Many people confuse a leader with a superman/woman. However, leaders have their limitations. Leaders lead teams just like train/airplane/ship captains lead crews. You don't often see the captain leaving the pilot room and dealing with all sorts of things happening between crew members and passengers in the cabin. You trust your crew members with what happening in the cabin and focus on "leading" the crew and passengers to the right destination. As a captain, you see horizons thousands of miles away. As a leader, you (fore)see things that will happen in the future. And that's what matters more to you.

It's characterized by tasks that offer the illusion of productivity but lack substantive impact or alignment with core goals. Overcoming this requires a conscious shift from mere activity to purposeful action. You need to critically assess their tasks against the organization's vision and mission, ensuring that each activity contributes meaningfully to these objectives. By leveraging tools and methodologies to streamline workflows, delegating tasks that don't align with personal strengths or passions, and courageously eliminating non-essential activities, leaders can focus on work that truly matters, driving growth, impact, and innovation.

A wise man once said that busywork is the opiate of the unambitious, graveyard of creativity, and the refuge of the unimaginative. Does anyone know this wise man?

I tend to get into busywork. However, almost every task that I do is either meeting a deadline or working ahead. One of my core existential values is to be productive. Whether at household tasks or office work, I set goals for the day, and must get them done. It is very important to for me to have measurable outcomes. Whatever I complete must either have value for the present or for the future.

Busywork is a common pitfall for leaders, often leading to inefficiency and missed opportunities. Your suggestions for avoiding "busywork syndrome" by reviewing and optimizing work processes, aligning tasks with your mission and values, and delegating or eliminating non-essential work are practical and effective. By reevaluating your tasks and focusing on meaningful and high-impact activities, leaders can free up valuable time, enhance their productivity, and make significant progress towards their goals. This proactive approach helps prevent the trap of staying busy without achieving real results.

I have started to meditate (yoga nidra) every morning. This is particularly important when traveling and not getting good sleep. I feel better and the team appreciates ur as well.We were in India last month and I got to the car on time but had to skip my meditation. My chief of staff said "we'll wait" and sent me back to my room to do my meditating. :) Also, I find that taking Vitamin D reduces my Irritability significantly. I take 5000 IU per day, esp in the Seattle winter.

Self-care neglect is a significant but often overlooked time-waster for leaders. Prioritizing personal well-being is crucial, not a luxury. It's essential for maintaining resilience, energy, and motivation. Leaders should regularly engage in physical, mental, and emotional self-care activities, set healthy boundaries, and seek support when necessary. Balancing professional responsibilities with personal well-being is key to sustained high performance and setting a positive example for the team.

3 things that I have learned: 1) Compartmentalizing work and life and be ruthless in protecting your social and family time. Nothing is that urgent unless you are an ER doctor! 2) Focusing some part of your day just for yourself! Introspecting, walking meditaions, even just a nice drive! 3) If you see signs of degradation on your physical or mental health, being bold to pause, evaluate, seek help and even evalaute an alternate model of work (part-time) that doesn't impact your health! Health is above anything else! If you are not healthy, nothing matters! Nor family, nor the money you make, nor your position! Always first wear your mask before you can put on for others!

Self-care is a critical aspect of maintaining leadership effectiveness and overall well-being. Leaders who neglect self-care can indeed face serious consequences for their health and performance. Prioritizing and protecting well-being, as you suggest, is essential. By scheduling and committing to self-care activities, setting boundaries, seeking support, and practicing gratitude, leaders can ensure they maintain the physical, mental, and emotional resilience needed for effective leadership. Ultimately, investing in self-care is not a waste of time; it's an investment in sustainable leadership and a higher quality of life.

Self-care is not selfish because one cannot serve from an empty vessel! If you're not thinking with the veracity of yesterday, then you need to refill your vessel.

Micromanaging - If you think you need to get involved in everything your team does. If you want everything perfect as per your standards. If you want to be on top of everything all the time. It’s going to end up in you micromanaging your team. If you keep wasting your time in too much details without giving enough autonomy to your team, they are going to be demotivated and you are going to waste your time on things which don’t necessarily require your expertise.

MICROMANAGEMENT! Leaders who micromanage spend excessive time on low-priority tasks, stifle team productivity, and risk losing sight of strategic goals. Micromanagement can demotivate employees, lead to inefficiencies, and create bottlenecks. Burnout, a lack of innovation, and high turnover rates are also associated with this approach. Delegation and trust are key leadership qualities that enable teams to excel and relieve leaders from unnecessary operational details. By empowering team members to take ownership of their work, leaders save time AND foster a more productive, motivated, and efficient work environment.

Lack of Delegation: Leaders who struggle to delegate effectively may find themselves burdened with tasks that could be handled by team members, limiting their capacity to focus on strategic responsibilities. Lack of Proper Technology: Inadequate or outdated technology can hinder efficiency and lead to time wasted on manual or inefficient processes. And finally...Failure to Say No: Difficulty in declining additional tasks or responsibilities can lead to an overloaded schedule and compromise the leader's ability to focus on key priorities.

Excessive Meetings: Attending too many meetings, especially unproductive or unnecessary ones, can consume a significant portion of a leader's day.

In my experience i am listing the following: - no-email or flooded emails: to me not sharing the needed details is similar to have being CCed in all of the emails. - coming with problems, without a solution: thus, I encourage my team to come with 3 options for each problem, the formula is 3-to-1 - door is open, but overusing it is not as negatively closing it. - employee should keep in their mind the value of the Chief’s time, a 10 discussion meeting should not be 45 minutes. - be prepared when presenting something, if not then indicate it at the beginning. - be aligned with what you do with the department approved roadmap. - ask your manager about a feedback from once in a while.