Chaos Lives in the Calendar

“Run at a pace you can maintain.”  Hard words to live by, but it’s never been more important than right now.  In this time where the line is blurred between Work and Home, it’s easy to always be working.  And since we’re more connected than ever before, we feel the pull to stay busy.  This problem is not unique to just Insight Global.  I believe every company is battling this “need to stay busy” problem.  I have lots of issues with this. Why do we do this??  I mean really.  Do we really think this makes us more productive?  Do we really believe if we spend our days in back to back meetings, talking about other meetings, scheduling follow up meetings, to talk about future meetings, that our professional lives will be better off?  That the company will be better off?  No.  That’s silly.  Any person would agree that a calendar with no breathing room, makes no sense.  But what does yours look like today?  Now, before I go too much further let me be clear.  If you just started working, you might be really busy.  And that’s ok.  It takes a lot of work in the beginning to get your career off the ground.  Also, if a good amount of your pay is determined by how hard you work, then by all means, let it rip.  But you still need to run at a pace you can maintain. YOU TOO will burn out if you aren’t careful.

What I’m really talking about, are all those meetings that if we’re honest, don’t really make us that much better.  Just because you’re busy, doesn’t mean you’re productive.  Just because you’re busy, doesn’t mean your thoughtful.  Just because you’re busy, doesn’t mean you’re growing in your career.  Here are a few things you CANNOT do if there’s no daylight in your calendar…

• Think.
• Be present.
• Be on time to your next meeting.
• Make good decisions rooted in thought.
• Check in on that person on your team who is struggling.
• Offer to help someone who needs it, but hasn’t asked.
• Study a technology or skillset you struggle to understand.
• Read and learn about your industry.
• Read and learn about your customer’s industry.
• Read anything.
• Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and figure out where to apply deliberate practice.
• Write a speech.
• Call your mom…or your dad.
• Call your wife…or husband.
• Plan.
• Figure out a creative solution to a problem you’re facing.
• Envision how you want the next 6 months to go.
• Go to lunch with friends.
• Go to lunch with co-workers.
• Be in a good mood more than 50% of the day.
• Feel calm and in control.
• Feel void of stress.
• Feel void of anxiety.
• Small talk about nonsense with your friends at work.
• Tell a joke.
• Go to the dentist.
• Laugh more than 25% of the day.
• Fill out your March Madness bracket.
• Go for a 20 minute walk after 3 straight hours of MS Teams.
• Keep your mind sharp and fresh.
• Be opportunistic about anything you need to be opportunistic about.

So let’s do this together. Please, don’t just read this and think, “Hmm that’s nice” and do nothing about it.  Cancel a meeting or move a weekly meeting to a monthly meeting.  Block off an hour or…dare I say 2 hours a day just for you.  Just to prove I’m in the boat with you, I’m moving a meeting I have every Monday with all of my direct reports, to once a month.  That starts today.  I just got an hour back!  Yes!  And, even though I think I run FINE meetings…I’m sure my directs are glad to get that hour back too.  

It’s tough out there.  I know.  I get it.  We still aren’t out of this crisis and time feels like a precious commodity.  But remember, Leaders adapt to the speed of the game.  You can’t manage time, you can only manage yourself.  Take control of your calendar and let’s actually have a great week!

-Bert Bean, CEO, Insight Global