Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse
Chloe’s daily work routine involves one or two walks, the purpose of which is to channel some of her energy so she can be her best self. When we all honor this need, life is easier and more peaceful; when we neglect it, we pay with added stress and annoyance. However, she is unclear on the concept of walking briskly and getting in a good workout. From her perspective, this is a time to explore her territory and learn who has been out and about. Every few feet of this supposedly aerobic walk, she stops to read her pee mail, completely distracted by the scent of the earlier visitors. This is the antithesis of good time management practice. Just like her human counterparts, Chloe’s daily work is constantly interrupted by incoming messages. For her it’s smell, for us a bell alerting us to an incoming message. And, even when the message is important, entertaining, illuminating and valuable, it disrupts the flow of planned work and takes our mind in a new direction, dropping the other things that are most likely equally important and valuable. Chloe and I only have to deal with her distractions a couple times a day. What about you? Is being constantly available for incoming messages—electronic, by phone and in-person—distracting you and causing your use of time to suffer? Time management experts advise us to limit the distractions by turning off the chime that announces incoming email and set specific times to read email, return voice mail messages and respond to snail mail. One of my former colleagues actually left her desk and worked in the conference room when the distraction of over-availability interfered with her effectiveness. Maybe those measures are too drastic for your work environment but I invite you to be creative in thinking about how to limit the intrusive and disruptive messages. For Chloe, a treat will usually get her re-focused on the purpose of the walk—what will work for you? What structure would help you organize your response-ability to reduce distractions and increase focus? How could you apply Chloe’s lesson about time management? Click on comments and offer your thoughts, ideas and opinions. Don’t worry—if you disagree with Chloe, she can take that feedback as well. She just loves to hear from you!
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