Monday, March 14, 2011

Coping With Over-Whelm

Every business owner or manager has more to do than anyone can accomplish in the time available. We all have marketing and research to do, meetings to attend, people to supervise or a website to build. It's easy to feel over-whelmed.

What's a leader to do?

Failures succumb. They let themselves get over-whelmed and have the feeling that it's "too much," or that they "can't do it all."

Winners, on the other hand, accept reality. Of course you can't do it all! No one can! That's the way life is. You can't fight it. Instead, you have to figure it out, develop a strategy, and over-come the inevitable, over-whelming daily "list."

Winners employ three simple steps, and I highly recommend them.

1. They say No! They understand that some have-to's are simply unrealistic and they say no, even if it would be "nice" if they could do them. Some of the things on any manager's list simply won't get done, at least not today. Delegate or out-source as many things as you can. When necessary, just say No.

2. They Sequence. This is another word for prioritizing. A few things must be done now, or soon. Others must be done, but can wait until tomorrow or next week, perhaps even until next year. Do the things of most importance, leave everything else until it's turn.

3. They Focus. Successful leaders do one thing at a time, and each individual item, at that critical moment, gets their full attention. When you're in a meeting that you've decided is the most important thing at the moment, BE THERE! Pay attention. Be alert. Stay focused.
 
Thanks to The Philip Humbert Group Inc.

 

No comments: