Notification Nonsense

Hello Leaders.

Today’s article is inspired by conversations that have been interrupted by conversations on WhatsApp.

So today you’ll get to read about;

1.??????? Protecting your time for communication

2.??????? Some helpful tips to manage your time

3.??????? Timeless Principles of Business #8

4.??????? Upcoming webinars

5.??????? Invitation to attend an Accelerator Board

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The Leadership Conversation is a blog about the Mindset, Skill Set and Activity to be a great Leader in your Business, for Owners and Management Teams.

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So, lets kick off with a question to answer.

What would change in your life if you were no longer a slave to the constant pull of notifications and instead chose to focus on what truly matters?

And a quote to reflect on.

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." —Hans Hofmann

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Trigger warning. You have notifications.

For some people, seeing WhatsApp notifications brings anxiety. We're in such a rush to answer every message and clear those little green dots. But at what cost?

We're distracted by the urgency of the moment, and the anxiety and stress elevate as we believe everyone needs an immediate answer—that we might miss out on something important.

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Well, that's overwhelmingly a load of BS.

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Have you ever looked back on a day and wondered, "What the hell did I achieve today?" Chances are you got sucked into the 'quicksand' of instant messaging. "I'm quickly going to respond"... and 40 minutes later...

Just like emails, one response sometimes breeds another, and another, and sucks you in like Artax in the Swamp of Sadness.

But how do you change that?

We need to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

For one thing, you need to set boundaries around your time and energy. It means deciding and believing that your time and focus are more important than that little green notification.

It's learning to say "No."

You must develop the belief that 'Instant messaging does not necessarily mean instant reply.' And because we've mostly become hardwired to respond immediately, you must resist the urge to respond. Resist it until the ability to ignore messages becomes your superpower.

Recognize and dismiss the anxiety you feel in the moment. I have one client who says she'll "put it in a box for later."

If you're time boxing your calendar, schedule one or more boxes for communication, just like you might for email. It's a window of opportunity to respond with the intent to deal with and solve the issue. If it's not solved, you're leaving an open tab running in the background, draining energy.

Putting It into Practice—What Works for Me: My meetings are prepared for in advance. I don't do notes 5 minutes before a meeting, so any time between meetings, I use to quickly scan my messages without tapping them.

I mentally triage who it's from or what it's about, looking out for:

1. My wife, for hearts and kisses or maybe something about our kid.
2. Messages from my 'next client' in case there's a change to our scheduled meeting.
3. The very occasional high-priority conversation.

Everything else—business-related, associations, social groups, or friends—gets delayed to longer breaks or scheduled time I have for dealing with email or messages.

I've contracted with my clients that I will respond within 24 hours. Because I have time set aside to respond to emails in my diary, it's usually much quicker, except on rare occasions.

I also try not to tap on a message unless I know I can deal with it right then and there. Nobody likes to be blue-ticked ??

It's a system that's not always perfectly implemented. But the pleasure I get from speaking to people intentionally—when we're both engaged at the same time with no pressure to rush somewhere—is rewarding.

Saying NO to the urge to answer every message is about putting a boundary around your mental energy and your precious time.

You are respecting yourself and respecting the other person.

If I haven't responded to you for the last 3 hours, I'm not ignoring you. Trust that I'm waiting for a time to give you my full attention.

For some roles, 80% of their time is spent in communication. That’s ok. Flip the script – how are you protecting your 20%? Leave most of your day open for free communication, but ringfence and put up a wall around a couple hours that you need for deep focus.

Another of my clients has customers and managers calling him all day. His is a dynamic industry with changes often happening on the fly. But up until 9am you can’t get hold of him. He has empowered his team to make decisions, and in the event of a real emergency people know they can call his wife.

Key Take Away

1. Set Boundaries for Communication: Establishing specific times for messaging allows you to be more intentional with your interactions, reducing stress and improving focus.
2. Prioritize Your Time: Not every notification demands an immediate response. Learning to recognize what is truly urgent versus what can wait empowers you to manage your time effectively.
3. Respect Both Sides: By scheduling intentional communication, you respect both your own mental well-being and the person waiting for your response, offering them the attention they deserve.

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Some solutions are simple. But if they were easy, everyone would be doing them. Communication boundaries relieve anxiety and free up your time to focus on what really matters during the day.

I'll leave you with this thought;

"Focus is a matter of deciding what things you're not going to do." —John Carmack

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Timeless Principles of Exceptional Businesses – Shared Wisdom From 25 Years of TAB

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Principle Eight: Stop Working Below Your Pay Grade

This one might require a whole supplementary article.

“Most people I meet who go through this exercise identify that they spend an alarmingly little amount of time on their Platinum Activities, because they are consumed by the tyranny of the urgent and working on things that are below their pay grade.”

To change the way you spend your time, you need to know not only the value of your time, but what it is costing you to work below your pay grade.

In the book the authors identify ‘Platinum Activities’ – those tasks and responsibilities that bring the most value to your business and support your long-term strategic goals.

Now make a list of the work you’re doing that isn’t moving the dial towards those goals. Next work out your Hourly remuneration and ask yourself if you’d be happy paying someone that rate to do that work …?

If not – delegate the work. You’ll save money and free up time. Even if you paid someone to do it, you’d save money and still free up time.

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If you liked this newsletter, please like, share, and comment.

If you want to learn more about hosting a workshop on this topic or simply have a conversation over coffee about it, feel free to send me a message.

You can send me @colin Carmody a DM, contact me via [email protected] or call +27 78-804-2347

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Coach Colin and the Alternative Board

Coach. Facilitator. Change Agent.

Live Better. Lead Better. Achieve more.

PS!

Invitation to Accelerator Board

Are you a business owner who

-??????????? has been operating for less than 5 years,

-??????????? makes less than R5m and

-??????????? has ± 5 employees

We have open seats available on our Online Accelerator Board. We meet on the last Tuesday of every month (hey that’s today!), and you could be on it.

The Accelerator Board offers a blend of Business Learning and Peer Advice coupled to our industry leading Business Builders Blueprint. You’ll get coaching from a TAB facilitator and real-world advice from business owners to avoid mistakes as you grow your business and have accountability towards your goals.

Drop me a line for more information.

PPS!

If you were a TAB Member, you’d have instant access to these great on-demand Webinars:

1.??????? Why Your Sales Team is Under-performing

2.??????? How to Connect Your Business Goals to Your Marketing and Measure the Results

3.??????? 25 Digital Must Haves to Drive Traffic, Sales and Leads

4.??????? Purpose Beyond Profitability

5.??????? Maintaining Accountability in a World of Distraction

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Cheers and have a Productive Week!