#12 Use the Time Ethic Equation to get an extra day

Twice a month I coach a newcomer CEO who brings concrete goals we work on to strengthen his empowerment.
Last time we worked on a classic issue: time management.

”Jeanne, I am overwhelmed. I just have too much on my plate now. I don’t tell anyone, but I am not as effective as I should be… I am not as available to my teams as I would like. I feel stressed and frustrated about it all.”

We all experience this sooner or later, right?
Bottom-line: We managed to find the possibility of an extra day. A full 7-8 hours.
No, I haven’t told him to work on Saturdays.
To the contrary, in order to find 7-8 hours in a week over your fullest packed agenda, you ought to look closely at what fills in your days and re-allocate your time. There is no secret here, you must deal with the causes, not the symptoms. 

But more important still, we built a new awareness and commitment to enable him to sustain this new time ethic with the following “Time Ethic Equation.”

Time Ethic Equation
A simple combination of 3 factors; Archimede’s leverage, Focus, and Stoic pragmatism.

1. Archimede’s leverage

In order to achieve something, we didn’t have to start a revolution.
I led him to explore micro details in his schedule and subtle changes he could make. We say “small streams make big rivers,” and it really works.
What kind of small streams are we looking for here?
The ones that have the most impact.
As the Greek Philosopher Archimedes claimed, “Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can move the world.”  This is a way to use the power of leverage: impact a lot with a little.

Examine what kind of “little” things can eventually play a big role in your time management issues.
Observing what is repetitive is the best starting point here.

2. Focus

My client identified several causes of recurrent wasted time that seem “little” and thus would be interesting “levers.” After exploring them we decided to focus on 2 of them ONLY:

1. “Nothing special I guess, but I am regularly interrupted by people who intrude in my office. Some bring professional topics, when others come to offer a coffee break…”
2. “In this company, the meetings rarely start on time and never end on time. More precisely, the main reason why we don’t finish on time is because we just stay longer and talk loosely for 20 min or so. It’s almost cultural here. Some of these off conversations are – sometimes – useful. ”

Let’s do some math:
By taking control of these 2 situations, he gains approximately 90 minutes every day
- With an average of 2 people per day who intrude, he now dismisses and invites them to come back later at a more convenient time = 30 minutes saved.
- With an average of 3 meetings per day where he considers he can skip the final chitchat = 1 hour saved

Concentrate your efforts on few specific targets only, and stick to them.

3. Stoic pragmatism
   “ God, give me patience to reconcile with what I am not able to change. Give me strength to change what I can. And give me wisdom to distinguish one from another” – Marcus Aurelius

Then we worked actively on the two levers we set up as his focus. I invoked the Stoic pragmatism about actions to sharpen his accountability.
How so? By using the 6 following questions:

1. What is in your power to change these scenarios?
2. What have you tried already to solve these issues?
3. What should YOU do differently to get different results?
4. What will you do next time X/Y/Z happens?
5. When do you start?
6. When will you measure your improvements and update your strategies?

Answer these questions for your own scenarios and see where you can wisely and efficiently move the dial.

New standards

Don’t blame others; they just take what you give them.
Revisit your habits and allow yourself to challenge your own limiting beliefs regarding your never-ending time issue.
Let me remind you of something essential: you never lost your power, you just forgot you had it. So, own how your days unfold by choosing consciously how you spend your most valuable asset: time.
Set up new standards by using the Time-Ethic Equation and offer your presence and your contribution to the fullest, when you decide to.

*Special note for those who consider they already have applied this equation and still get short on time:

1. Just to be sure, double-check each factor independently:
   - Are your levers “real” ones (i.e.: impact a lot with a little)?
   - Are you focusing (i.e.: no more than 2 targets)?
   - Is the Stoic Pragmatism leading your actions?
   Pay attention to any room for improvements. At your level, details make the difference.
2. Don’t look for revolution, look for realization. In other words, don’t expect to be blown up by the latest trendy theory on how effective people operate and then apply it. This is mostly self-sabotage.
3. Work with a coach on the limiting beliefs hidden behind your complaints about not getting enough time. I bet there are some sneaky ones there!
4. Maybe you already have optimized your time at the most. You won’t have enough time in a single lifespan as your projects, desires, aspirations, dreams are big enough to keep you busy for this whole life (and the next one). In this case, your performance and pace shouldn’t become an obsession or you might miss the real points there: enjoying and impacting.