Understand where you waste time

Oi oi! Time for another quickie?

I was talking with a friend this week about how they were struggling to attract new clients using their snazzy new business development method.

When I asked where most of their business used to come from, they said it was historically from partners with whom they had good relationships. They would catch-up with them regularly and it would innevitably lead to referrals.

I asked if those calls were still working.

"No, I don't have time for those call any more.", they said.

When I asked why the calls had stopped, they said that all their time was now taken up with the snazzy new method.

I was confused –?they had clearly stopped doing something that had historically worked for years, in favour of something that doesn't.

They were familiar with the Diary Detox? colours and so I asked what colour they would use in their calendar for the time they spend on the new business development method.

"Red", they said, "doing".

Now, in an ideal world it should have been RED. After all, it's delivering results –?productivity.

I asked them what would happen if they stopped doing the new business development tasks tomorrow and never did them again?

"Nothing really. It's not worki...", the penny dropped.

While the new snazzy method should have been RED, the fact that they'd lose nothing from not doing it meant it was in fact GREY –?waste.

I continued, "So, you're saying you have no time to do something that clearly works, because you're too busy on something that doesn't?"

My work was done.

"So, you're saying you have no time to do something that clearly works, because you're too busy on something that doesn't?"

It's more common that you think

The story above is not uncommon.

From the work I've done delivering Diary Detox? Discoveries with thousands of people in varied organisations, sectors and countries, the average amount of time people say is spent on pointless activity is 23% –?yes 23%.

That's over a day every week that could be spent delivering results, creating growth, managing risk or simply getting rest with friends and family.

That's not all

I posted about this phenomenon earlier this week and someone replied, asking about the monetary cost and I promised I'd include it.

So here goes:

A 500-person organisation with a ￡40,000/year average salary, is losing ￡383,333/month or ￡4.6 million/year in productivity.

The first step to fixing a problem...

As Zig Ziglar once said...

"The first step to fixing a problem is to first admit that it exists"

So if you really want to get at least a day back in your calendar every week, eradicate all of the things that you know are a waste of time.

For starters, look at EVERY meeting in your calendar, one by one, and for each ask yourself this simple question...

"If this meeting were cancelled, and never rebooked, what would I lose?"

If the answer is 'nothing', then reject that meeting.

If the answer is 'I don't know' then ask more questions about that meeting.

Therein lies the answer to your 23%.

I wonder what is the biggest contributor, for you?

Feel free to jump into the comments, I’d love to hear.

See you next time.

Love,

Paul

P.S. You can find out how much waste might be costing your organisation with the waste calculator on the Diary Detox? website (see the 'Organisations' section).

Want to find out where your organisation is wasting time?

?? Have you got an off-site, town-hall, team away day or conference coming up?

? Why not run a one-hour Diary Detox Discovery – a highly engaging, interactive experience that will give your people new insights about where they lose time and simple techniques to get some back, straightaway.

?? Learn about a Diary Detox? Discovery on the website here (see the 'Organisations' section).

Wish you had more time to lead?

??Why not learn the ten habits of the Diary Detox? method?

?? Learn about the Diary Detox? App on the website here.