Do Not Disturb: The Path to Sanity and Results

Does this sound like your life?

You work from 7:30 in the morning until 7:00 each night and go home exhausted, thinking about all the unfinished work that continues to pile up nonetheless.

You take work with you on “vacations,” and your ringing cell phone competes with the sound of the surf at the beach.

And despite all this, you STILL feel like you’re falling ever-further behind.

If this feels like you, you’re not alone. It’s the life of an executive… but it shouldn’t be. It’s not just insane; it’s counterproductive. That kind of relentless schedule diminishes the quality of your life AND your work.

So what can you do to build some sanity and results in your life? Three things:

1. Make sure EVERY employee who reports to you has a quarterly action plan based on goals and strategic initiatives that YOU approve. From that plan, have them each create a weekly plan in alignment with the overall quarterly plan. Get them to commit to the results.
2. Don’t do the work of others for them. Send people back to work out problems themselves. If they come to you with something that isn’t finished with accuracy and the right strategic direction, resist the temptation to do it yourself. Send it back to the person who gave it to you and tell them to bring it back with the changes you request. They’ll quickly get the point that you’re finished with doing their work—and they’ll grow immensely.
3. Post your DO NOT DISTURB sign. Better yet, simply post your “open” hours, times during which you are available to provide help or strategic direction. If people come in at another time, tell them you’re looking forward to seeing them the following day at the posted time.

Now, don’t you feel better already? Vigilance is key—don’t let up, or you’ll be back to cell phone calls at the beach in no time.