Part of a leader’s job is to observe, find out what is really going on, and engage the team. But another part is to analyze, learn, think and plan.
One group of activities requires lots of interaction, and another group requires quiet time. It’s when we try to do both at the same time that we get frustrated that we haven’t done what we set out to do today.
Separate these two groups of activities. In my experience, the quiet time doesn’t happen in my office very much – until after 5:00 when everyone else goes home! (And I want to go home too!) I do my quiet work in a home office. When I go to work, I have all but given up my expectation to be able to focus on something that will take me over 30 minutes without interruption.
That’s how I do it. How do you do it?
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I will either come in a little latter in the morning or sneak in to the office and close the door until I get something done. I have also found that long periods of time in my car help me feed my mind and consider what changes I want to make in order to improve one area of the company. I get a lot done mentally in my car.
I truly enjoy your daily insight.
Thanks for the Thoughts, I look forward to them every Day!
God Bless you and yours Larry!
I will go into the office early (added bonus I don’t get caught in traffic). If I need a lot of quiet time I will take a day to work from home.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend.
I will sometimes come in on a Saturday and get a lot done.
I am very luck to now have a home office. It is really about the only place I get quiet and can think. Typically early morning is a great time, or I structure the day to come in to the office late.
I certainly can do very little concentrated work at our company office.
It’s great to “have permission” to separate and get the thinking work done!
Thanks Larry
Love this one too, Larry. Clarifies what I already knew to be true. But seeing it in writing, now I can be intentional about dividing these activities up.
Thanks!
Hello Larry,
Enjoy your insight daily, it really does make me “Think” !
Have a Safe and Fun Hoilday weekend All.
Larry, I’m here. Been here for 13 years.
Hi Larry,
I use that expression in a different fashion in coaching and mentoring with most salespeople and business owners.
I use “Whipsawed by Distraction” for quality salespeople when it usually means that something personal is troubling them and shows up as if the business is the problem (and it is not usually their business – although that is where they will feel the trouble lies). In my experience, if I coach to the personal issues when business activity seems to get stagnant, business mode most often soon finds its path to solutions and positive growth.
I have also found that most quality business owners have learned to handle the ups and downs of business and its stresses quite well when their personal lives, and they also, are in balance. However, when personal lives get “complicated” or a fundamental drawback in their personality “re-surfaces” and they don’t recognize it, business seems to become a burden instead of that excited adventure that it usually is.
Those personal ‘complications’ most often are what I refer to as “Whipsawed by Distraction”.
I really look forward to your emails. It’s crazy how close you hit to home when reading them. I was having a conversation referencing one of your older think dailies and realized I missed yesterday’s and that one was even better fitting what I was talking about. Please keep it up and I know that me and my family (who I signed up) look forward to these emails every day. Thank you!