Getting Time to Think

In the normal course of a day I'll get something like 5 to 10 phone calls and 30 to 50 emails on average, plus the usual drop-in visits and other interactions.  So, it can be hard to manage to get anything done since there are a lot of interruptions.

One strategy I try to use to be more productive and get up and stay on the productivity curve is to get to work early, while no one is in the office, so I can have one hour or so of uninterrupted work time.  This is my time to think, and to get a lot of work done very effectively, since there are no interruptions or other demands on my time.

I usually will not schedule any meetings before 9:30 in the morning if I can help it, to give myself up to 2 hours with no scheduled meetings or appointments.  Using this approach, it's possible to get two hours of almost uninterrupted work, which means I can get started on a project, get well into the guts of the work and become very productive since my entire attention is focused on just one thing.  The problem with working with interruptions is that it is so hard to keep your train of thought.  Once that train jumps the tracks it can take quite a while to get the train back on the tracks, and that time represents a lot of lost productivity.

I'm also a believer in prioritization and the To-Do list.  The To-Do list was beaten into us as early Arthur Androids and for better or worse has become a lifelong habit.  Using the To-Do list everyday helps me consider very carefully what I should do and what I need to do, so my priorities remain intact even after the inevitable interruptions and small emergencies that we deal with everyday.  I still write out a To-Do list everyday.  Something about actually putting pen to paper and writing out the tasks and projects I need to focus on gives me time to think and to consider what needs to be done. 

I also try to leave myself at least one half-hour a day where I have no scheduled activity, task or requirement.  I try to leave some time everyday to think about what we need to do next week, next month, next year.  I'll spend this time at a whiteboard, capturing ideas for our strategy going forward.

I believe in David Allen's 2 minute rule.  I try to go through my email and inbox stuff as quickly as possible, acting on it immediately if I can, delegating where appropriate.  Out of your inbox and off your plate as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Why use these strategies?  Work should not be about the mundane tasks, the one line emails and the meeting confirmations.  Work, to be really fulfilling, should be about what's possible.  What strategies should we employ?  How can we do things better?  What should we change about our organization?  If my time is consumed with fires, mundane tasks and distractions, I'll never get to do the fun stuff.  And it's the fun stuff that brings me to work each day.