Make people earn your time.

Here’s a recent conversation:

 

Client: I think it was wrong to take this new job and I need to quit.

Lea: Tell me more about that.

Client: I’m in over my head. I sit in meetings all day and then come back to 300 emails.

Lea: Why do you sit in meetings all day?

Client: Because… I’m invited to all these meetings.

Lea: Why do you attend?

Client: Because they need me in them.

Lea: Why do they need you in them?

Client: Because I’m just starting and I need to learn all this stuff.

Lea: Why is being in a meeting the best way to learn all that stuff?

Client: Hm. Well… Huh.

 

You get the idea.

 

Too many workplaces, and the people in them, have lost the ability to differentiate essential work from all other work.

 

The story above is a perfect example. Often this shows up in the volume of meetings that are deemed important, with little regard to whether they actually are or not.

 

I’m calling out meetings, but you could end up in phone calls, video conferences, business dinners, side projects or other events that don’t serve your most important needs and priorities.

 

Many people sign up and trudge along, because a meeting invitation or other such was extended. Your first reflex may be to check the calendar and click the “Accept” button.

It’s like we process work as a transaction, rather than a critical, top down, priority driven decision about how to spend our time.

 

Then, like my client above you sit in endless meanings, wonder why, and stress because of the work you are not getting done.

 

• Instead of clicking the “Accept” button, stop and ask yourself WHY. And keep asking “why” until you come up with very clear reasons you should participate.
  
  
• Check for ALIGNMENT; are you clear about why it supports your key goals and priorities?
  
  
• Is there a clear agenda, purpose, list of attendees and desired outcomes of these kinds of events? If the organizer can’t produce these, it’s not a meeting you should attend or a project you should jump in to.
  
  
• Will the attendees be able to accomplish the outcomes?
  
  
• Is the outcome reasonable given the time allotted?
  
  
• What is the alternative to you attending the meeting? Is there another way you could contribute your input or get an assessment of the outcomes?
  
  
• Does it make sense given the workflow, deadlines, commitments and priorities you already have?

 

I doubt you’ll see a memo forthcoming about how, from now on, you must only accomplish the most important work. So you will need to lead from where you are. You need to be assertive about what is and isn’t a key priority for you, and negotiate your invitations accordingly.

 

When in doubt, take a tip from the top. 

Do you think key executives give their time away to whomever asks? Heck no! They carefully vet the allocation of their time and ensure that a meeting they take is essential to whatever they need to accomplish. In short, they make people earn it. You can too.

 

When you stop giving your time away, and start asking people to earn it, you are building life-long Career Strategies!