As I was preparing to facilitate a senior management team retreat and planning session I came across an excellent Harvard Business Review article on the huge problem of frantic busyness and priority overload. This was especially timely since the executive team was debating how they’ll deal with a long list...
Read post »There’s an epidemic of frantic busyness, multi-tasking, project overload, way too many goals, and tyranny of the urgent. An old folk saying reminds us “the hurrier I go the behinder I get.” A theme running through many recent blog postings has been the critical need to be more focused, disciplined,...
Read post »“He that is everywhere is nowhere.” — Thomas Fuller, 17th century historian, scholar, and author A frantic manager burst into a travel agency and exclaimed, “I need an airplane ticket immediately!” “Where would you like to go?”, the travel agent asked. “I don’t care, just get me on a plane....
Read article »I am glad to see that last month’s newsletter (The Leader Letter) theme of spring clean up, To-Stop lists, busyness, and The Acceleration Trap touched a nerve with many readers. It’s a complex, multi-layered, and very serious problem at personal, team, and organizational levels. Following are some thoughtful reflections and...
Read post »...of The Leader Letter was focused on speed traps, spring clean up, and reducing priority overload. The Learning Paradox: Slow Down to Grow Faster “Reader Reflections on Frantic Busyness, Priority Overload, and The Acceleration Trap” How do you keep yourself, your team, or your organization focused, balanced, and on track?...
Read post »...The Deadly Dozen Failure Factors Leadership Lip Service – ‘Walk the talk.’ Fuzzy Focus – Lack of clear goals and direction. Priority Overload – Do the right thing. How hard you work is less important than how much you get done. Partial and Piecemeal Efforts – Focus is too narrow,...
View page »...and Priority Overload is Overwhelming Way Too Many Teams and Organizations“). A few readers added their insightful perspectives and advice in “Reader Reflections on Frantic Busyness, Priority Overload, and The Acceleration Trap“. We need to slow down in order to speed up (see “Another Study on Slowing Down to Speed...
Read post »...this at: The Acceleration Trap: Frantic Busyness and Priority Overload is Overwhelming Way Too Many Teams and Organizations Reader Reflections on Frantic Busyness, Priority Overload, and The Acceleration Trap Another Study on Slowing Down to Speed Up. Slow Down to Increase Your Speed Multitasking Dumbs Us Down and Ups Our...
Read post »...we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” Here are a few blogs to help you pause, reflect, and focus during the Holidays: • “The Learning Paradox: Slowing Down to Go Faster“ • “The Acceleration Trap: Frantic Busyness and Priority Overload is...
Read post »...teams keep adding to their To-Do lists with new plans, objectives, and projects. But only the most effective put as much effort into their To-Stop lists. A chronic complaint of many frontline staff and supervisors is priority overload. They are constantly being asked to take on more work and urgent...
Read post »...leaders have developed ways to take control of their jobs — and their lives. Does your email in-box and workload show that you’re Leading, Following, or Wallowing? Further Reading: Five Resolutions to Lead, not Follow or Wallow Thoughts That Make You Go Hmmm…on Reducing Priority Overload Are You in Control...
Read post »...your leadership team? Which traps are you falling headlong into? What’s your plan for overcoming them? Further Reading: “Harnessing the Power of an Offsite Retreat” “The Acceleration Trap: Frantic Busyness and Priority Overload is Overwhelming Way Too Many Teams and Organizations” “Video Clip: Working ON the Team versus IN the...
Read post »For decades, Harvard professor Michael Porter has studied, written about, and consulted top companies and countries on competitive strategy. He’s found that “the essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” A recent issue of Harvard Business Review features an article on “Too Many Projects.” Authors Rose Hollister and...
Read post »...five) goals, priorities, and improvement targets that — when reached –blast the team or organization toward its vision, values, and purpose. These are cascaded throughout the organization with a disciplined goal deployment system. Common Causes of Priority Overload: Inflexible, long term strategic planning processes. Disorganized, reactive managers with poor personal...
View page »...post, reader Brock Criger, added some of his experience. Here’s a broader list of root causes on why many groups aren’t teams: Lack of shared vision and objectives. Ineffective meeting/decision processes. Infrequent/ineffective meetings/communication. Unclear expectations of each other. Fuzzy roles and goals. Misaligned structure/systems/processes. Priority overload and tyranny of the...
Read post »...investigating the causes of failure and addressing them systematically.” — Richard Tanner Pascale, Managing On The Edge 1. Priority Overload Many managers have confused motion with direction and “busywork” activity with meaningful results. They are like the pilot who announced; “I have some good news and some bad news. The...
Read article »I recently had a call with a CEO about facilitating a strategic planning retreat this fall with 15 of their top leaders. That will be a refreshing change — we’re all fully vaccinated and ready to get together in person again. The CEO sent me their draft agenda for the...
Read post »...the plans and actions down to three or four Strategic Imperatives and set up deployment strategies around those. Avoid the way too common trap of priority overload. Planning and budgeting focus on maximizing capital and operational dollars. How about the other equally vital — and very scarce — resource; time?...
Read post »...don’t do them. It’s now clear that most teams feel they can’t afford the time. They’ve fallen headlong into allowing their urgent operational issues to crowd out strategic effectiveness (see “The Acceleration Trap: Frantic Busyness and Priority Overload is Overwhelming Way Too Many Teams and Organizations”). Effective offsite retreats are...
Read post »...E-mail Beast“ “How Many Monkeys Are On Your Back?“ “Reclaim Your Time, Reclaim Your Life“ “Video Clip: Working ON the Team versus IN the Team“ “Use Virtual/Physical Meeting Effectiveness Checklists to Boost Their Effectiveness“ “The Acceleration Trap: Frantic Busyness and Priority Overload is Overwhelming Way Too Many Teams and Organizations“...
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