Last week, we published how Middle Managers can create Focus Time in order to get through the pressures of managing their tasks and their team.
Creating Focus Time can be an uphill challenge, especially for those who’ve developed a routine of fighting fire and are comfortable working in a crisis mode. It takes effort, but once done, the benefits are endless.
Fighting against the currents
A Focus Time manager is one whose calendar is not packed with meetings. A day without ‘breathing space’ is not one which should be talked about with pride, or worn like a badge of honour. When you ask someone how they are, and their first reaction is “I’m really busy, back-to-back meetings”, how do you feel? Envious of them, because they’re really needed and are valuable to the company? We have a contrarian opinion – we’d think twice before envying them.
While meetings are inevitable, a manager who passes her days siting through meetings shows that she is not in control of her time. She does not have the power or heart to say “No”, or to question the purpose of her participation. Does this sound familiar to you? When you’re invited to meetings, do you check if there’s an agenda, or if you’re really required?
You can use Owl Labs’ meeting checklist to decide if a meeting is absolutely necessary for you.
Reclaim.ai even suggests blocking whole days from meetings. With ‘No meeting’ days, they list reducing distractions, higher productivity and team morale as advantages for the team.
Thinking Time
Once you’ve fought against years habit and created some Focus Time for yourself, what do you do with it?
Here are 5 suggestions:
- Reflect and review your tasks and projects
- Dedicate mind space to improvements and new ideas
- Focus on your employees
- Focus on your improvement, learning and development
- Share your knowledge with your community
1. Reflect and review your tasks and projects
We are proponents of shaking things up. While managers work hard to create the best sorts of programs for their teams, they should constantly reflect on and review them to see how their constituents are feeling about those projects. Are people getting bored with them? Are the projects getting the results they were expected to? Is it time to think of a new angle? Focus time will enable managers to think about these tasks and decide if some changes should be made to get people excited and draw better results.
2. Dedicate mind space to improvements and new ideas
Can something be improved? Sure it can! You won’t have to look too hard and too far to see that the way some things are done can surely be changed for the better. If your company has a culture of Intrapreneurship, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to recommend improvements and change the way things are done. Too many emails dragging people down? Experiment with messaging! Too many paper brochures still being printed but not distributed? Recommend moving to digital. You won’t be able to think of such ideas without some free space in your mind.
3. Focus on your employees
When was the last time you dedicated some time to thinking about each of your employees? Did you spend some time reviewing your last one-on-one discussion, or your action points? Or how they were feeling? Whether they may be a flight risk? When they last had a training session? As a middle manager, you must set aside time to think about each of your employees, and their current situation at work. Employees will feel heartened knowing that their manager is thinking about them. More importantly, it’s likely they won’t spring a nasty surprise on you with a resignation letter due to dissatisfaction with the workplace – or worse still, with the manager!
4. Focus on your improvement, learning and development
When was the last time you dedicated a few moments to thinking about yourself, your progress, and your development? Middle managers are caught in the middle, ensuring that their team is well-taken care of, that requests from the top are delivered – that they forget about themselves. Dedicate some time to yourself, your own learning and development, and your improvement. Take some time to read blogs, watch videos, or attend some courses which will help you in your function and your career.
5. Share your knowledge with your community
How active are you on LinkedIn, and how often do you contribute comments or knowledge to discussions on LinkedIn or other social media platforms? Participating in community discussions is just another way of developing your learning. Join groups that align with your interest or work and share your experiences and knowledge. Your community will be grateful for your contribution.
We like Launchable’s description for what to do with the time you’ve freed up for yourself. They call it ‘Get Shit Done’ days. We can’t help but agree.