Leadership Fire: How to Get Extraordinary Things

Done – Consistently!

Developed and Prepared for: Executive Assistants Spring Conference

Developed and Facilitated by: Jan Dwyer Bang, MBA, CSP

Resources

www.jandwyerbang.com/EAG

OverloadActivity overloadChange overloadChoice overloadCommitment overloadCompetition overloadDebt overloadDecision overloadInformation overloadExpectation overload

Fatigue overloadPeople overloadTechnology overloadProblem overloadWork overload

From Margin, Richard A. Swenson, M.D

What is your Biggest Time Barrier?

Barriers Paper Priorities People Other 

Leadership – is what we do, not what position we hold. Leading is influencing others.

“Whether the value is family, teamwork, hard work, or fun, the truest measure of what leaders deeply believe is how they spend their time.” -The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes & Posner

Leadership Self AssessmentIn your Appendix

Myths of Time/Life Management

Time can be managed.

 More and faster is better.

 People and circumstances can make us act in certain ways.

Life Management Principles

Time must be budgeted.

Your ability to make decisions on your use of time should be based on your life mission, goals, and responsibilities.

You need to understand your own limits.

Life Management Principles

You can seize time when you schedule it far in advance.

The ability to apply assertive communication and say “no” is critical to managing your schedule and your life.

 You must know your own natural rhythms

of maximum effectiveness.

Twelve Dimensions of Life/Self Management

1. Attitudes – Are you an internal or external thinker?

2. Goals – Top time masters develop clear goals and then focus on the activities that will achieve them.

3. Priorities – After setting your goals, then you determine what activities must be done to help you reach the goal. (Important vs. urgent)

4. Analyzing – No one can really master their time use until they know how they spend their time now.

5. Planning – Planning is the only way to break out of the reactive pattern. It is deciding what to do.

6. Scheduling – Is deciding when to do what you have decided to do.

Twelve Dimensions of Life/Self Management

7. Interruptions – Interruptions are a part of your job – accept the uncontrollable and control the controllable.

8. Meetings – Eliminate wasted time in meetings!

9. Written Communications – Learn to trim unnecessary parts and concentrate only on those things that help us achieve results.

10. Delegation – Horizontal and vertical

11. Procrastination – This is doing a low-priority action or task instead of high-priority ones. Things that are unpleasant/things that are difficult/things that involve tough decisions. (SELF-SABOTAGE)

12. Team Time – What’s the best use of OUR time? Respect and help others.

Time Mastery ProfileIndividual Reflection – 15 minutes

1. What did you discover about your time mastery strengths?

2. What did you discover about your areas of greatest opportunity?

3. Identify one time mastery category that you would like to work on and read the pages associated with that category (pages 10-33)

4. Read the pages, including key concepts and start to fill out Action Plan.

Time Mastery ProfileShare with Partner – 15 minutes

1. Share your greatest strengths and weaknesses.

2. Talk about your ideas on improving your time mastery category. Brainstorm other ideas

3. Transfer ideas on Index Cards on your table.

Where to Begin

“If we want to make significant changes, we can’t just change attitudes, behaviors, methods , or techniques; we have to change the basic paradigms out of which they grow.”

-Stephen R. Covey, First Things First

Leadership Fire

“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” – Reggie Leach

Connect your goals with your mission!

Write a mission statement by asking yourself:– What’s most important?– What gives your life meaning?– What do you want to be and to do in your life?

First Things First, Stephen Covey

Laser Focused Goals

• Why do I want this goal?• What will the goal look like when it is

completed?• How will I feel like when the goal is

completed?

M=Measurable

T= Time Bound

GOALS

By April 30th, I will have my office filing system completed.

SAMPLE GOALS

By creating an organized space in my office by eliminating unwanted paper and by designing a system that works, I will feel more productive and energized in my work.

WHY?

• Business

• Career

• Mental/Learning

• Physical

Goals

• Spiritual

• Emotional

• Relational

• Financial

Goals

Plan Weekly• Review your “why”

• Schedule your “big rocks”

• Schedule the week

From First Things First, Dr. Stephen Covey

Plan Daily

• Check today’s appointments

• Make a realistic list

• Prioritize

From First Things First, Dr. Stephen Covey

How to Prioritize

• Is this a High Value Activity?

• What am I doing this morning to reach my goal(s)?

• What am I doing this afternoon to reach my goal(s)?

Quadrant 2 Living

Crisis Preparation/True Recreation

Interruptions? Trivia, busywork

URGENT NOT URGENT

IMPORTANT

NOT IMPORTANT

Systems

• Create a series of activities that you do on a daily/weekly basis

• Set up benchmarks that will help you reach your goals

• Tickler files (43 folders- 31 daily (1-31); and 12 more labeled with the months)

• Daily calendar/Daily tickler folder• Action lists

Accountability: Actions toward or involving others that reflect the integrity of the person you want to be.

Follow-Through

• Just do it!• Start now• Set a timer• Recognize your own barriers

Follow through

To press on in an activity or process; especially to a conclusion

Ideas for Just Doing it!

1.Kitchen timer

2.Delayed gratification

3.Be accountable to someone else

4.Use technology for reminders

Action Steps

• Better manage time, set goals, and accomplish what matter most

• Overcome barriers that hijack your time

Key Goals

• Discover systems, processes, and tools to keep you focused and handle multiple priorities

• Recognize your own responsibility to “light your leadership fire” to move you and your team forward with results

Key Goals

Leadership Fire: How to Get Extraordinary Things

Done – Consistently!

Developed and Prepared for: Executive Assistants Spring Conference

Developed and Facilitated by: Jan Dwyer Bang, MBA, CSP