“I Am Very Busy”………….Those Days Have Gone!

There used to be times, I get a routine call from your father to inquire about general well being. The first question used to be “How are you?” and my answer used to be “I am very busy…don’t have the time to take my family out even on Sunday”. “That is really very good, it means you are properly employed, have got a good job, learning and doing something important, I am really happy for you”

Are we still in those days? If we are still in that loop it means we have not learnt modern management and technological tools, which are available to us.

It means what?

It means that we are not properly prioritized, we don’t know what is urgent and what is important? Our day is not properly organized with focused approach. We lack emotional intelligence, not delegating enough as per our position, saying YES when we are supposed to say NO. It shows that you are suffering from FOMO (Fear of missing out) or Hurry Syndrome?

If you are very busy it means you lack leadership skills because most of the time you will be managing yourself only. Where is the time to manage or lead your team?

If you are in leadership position and over busy … Are you transparent enough to give you authenticity …..Hope you are not busy in covering your tracks only. Once you are in that mode. You will never be able to trust your team, no proper delegation and only stress only for you. Your shelf life will be limited only.

It certainly means that irrespective of your position, you are not getting the desired and expected results.It means that if you are busy with existing responsibility , you are not fit for higher role. Unless you raise the bar of performance, you are hitting your level of incompetence.

Being busy is not a qualification to be shown on your resume!

During my Army tenure, I reported to a General whose standing instructions were that you can walk into his office any time, the only requirement was that he should not be in the operations meeting. He was always available.

His secret of being organized at every level:

· Never talk to anybody on the subject for which he is neither concerned nor responsible.

·Never sleep during the day( mild relaxation even on office chair is alright)

·Time management through emotional intelligence.

·Do your important things timely, other things will be done automatically.

·Trust others. Use Pygmalion effect for delegation.

· Say only positive things behind the back of any body.

·Disloyalty of your subordinates or colleagues (if any?) must become their compulsion and not yours. You will be very happy.

When I congratulated him for his promotion , he said" They found out that in the present role I am underemployed so they have promoted me, they dont know that in that role also ..I am going to be underemployed again"

Fair enough!

The gentleman is still alive and kicking in his nineties and his shot of RUM is not the only reason but one of the many reasons to keep him in the shape.

This is the time to be busy in organized and effective way and not be unnecessarily busy.

Run your destiny.