Time Leadership

Jim Estill, CEO

SYNNEX Canada Limited
 QUOTES
 “Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed nothing else can
be managed. Peter F. Drucker

 “Life is short, art long, occasion sudden.” Hippocrates

 “To save time, you must know where you are losing it.”
John Randolph Sauer
 “Time goes, you say? Ah, No! Alas, time stays, we go!”
Henry Dobson
 “Those who dare lose a day are dangerously prodigal; those
that dare mis-spend it desperate.” Joseph Hall

 “Everything comes to he who hustles while he waits.”

Thomas Edison
 MORE QUOTES

 “Sense of urgency wins.” Jim Estill

 “Time stays long enough for anyone who will use

it.” Leonardo Da Vinci

 “You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow

by evading it today.” Abraham Lincoln

 “Killing time is really murdering opportunities”

Richard Elmes
 WHY TIME LEADERSHIP?
 Leadership is doing the right things
 Management is doing things right
 Management comes after
Leadership
LEADERSHIP VS MANAGEMENT

 Leadership focuses on effectiveness

 Management focuses on efficiency
 Time Leadership is about Quality

 If time is about quantity – it is scarce

 Think of your highly productive hours/days
in the last year
 The key is to raise the number of Quality
hours
 “Things which matter most should
never be at the mercy of things which
matter least.” Goethe
 WHAT WE WILL COVER
 Writing a Book
 Goal Setting
 Figure out how you spend time
 Organizational systems
 To Do List
 Procrastination
 Delegation
 The Powers
 Tricks
REPLACE YOUR CLOCK WITH A
COMPASS

 What direction do you want to go?

 Do you have clear goals?
 GOALS

 You will get what you strive for

 Anything you focus on will improve
 GOALS ARE DREAMS

… with Action
 GOALS SETTING
 What - specific
 Why
 When - start, completion, milestones
 How
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Appropriate
R - Realistic
T - Timed - milestones
 GOAL SHEETS

Values
Life time
6 months to live
1 year goal
 GOALS
1 - Career
2 - Earnings
3 - Personal relationships
4 - Family
5 - Health
6 - Spiritual
7 - Personal appearance
8 - Education/learning
9 - Free time/hobby
10 - Vacation
11 - Improve your home
 GOALS

1 - Remind daily
- re-write
- speak
- listen to them on tape
2 - Tell others - get support
3 - Visualize
 GOALS

Delete any goal that you are not

prepared to spend 1 hour on per week
 GETTING TO GOALS

 Willpower is power
 Set out the why - Motivational
 Link all Actions to Goals
 Break them down
 Track them
 Write them; read them
 GOALS
 Plan - Action Plan
 Deadlines/check points
 Block time to work on them
 Select space
 Get Tools
 Full attention
 Clean up
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR
TIME?
 Does it need to be done?
 Change frequency
 Change quality
 Change method (phone)
 Delegate part or all
 THE 5 WHY’S
 Why
 Why
 Why
 Why
 Why
 TIME LOG

Energy
L
D
6:00 - 6:15
6:15 - 6:30
6:30 - 6:45
6:45 -7:00
7:00 -7:15
7:15 - 7:30
7:30 - 7:45
7:45 - 8:00
8:00 - 8:15
8:15 - 8:30
8:30 - 8:45
8:45 -9:00
9:00 - 9:15
9:15 - 9:30
9:30 - 9:45
9:45 - 10:00
 ON TIME SHEETS

L/D - Like/Dislike
Energy - High/Low
Productivity - High/Low
 ORGANIZE

 To reduce stress
 To know your limits
 To be reliable
 To feel good about your job
 THE BASIS OF
TIME MANAGEMENT
 The “To Do” list
 Prioritize
 Make it yours
 Make it simple and effective
 Don’t let the simplicity fool you
 YOU NEED A TO DO LIST

 To know what to do
 To be reliable
 To be able to prioritize
 To know your loading
 TO DO LIST
 Put the item plus the first action step
you can take
 The act of thinking of the next step
can move you forward quickly
 TO DO LIST
 Write down the time to complete each
task beside each item.
 TRAPS TO AVOID WITH
“TO DO LIST”
 Overwhelming list - make a small
list of items
 “Crossing off” syndrome
 Over listing - over planning
 PROCRASTINATION
 Set goals - limit time
 Do the pleasant part of a goal
 Tell someone
 Do it with someone
 Break it down - instant tasks
 Get more information
 Choose between 2 tasks
 Reward/Punish
 Written contract
 Chart progress
 PROCRASTINATION
 Successful people do tough things
 Repeat that often
 PROCRASTINATION
We take action when it is more painful than not
taking action

We take action when it is more rewarding than not

taking action
Make the Pain/Gain more real

List Pros/Cons

Reward/Punish
 PROCRASTINATION

 Goal review
 To Do List review

Great for keeping on track

 PROCRASTINATION
 The power of having someone start the
job.
ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION,
“Would you like to have…
 Accomplished
 Worked out
 Finished it, etc.
Consider journaling
 HOW TO DELEGATE
 What needs to be done?
 When does it need to be done by?
 How should it be done?
 Who should do it?
 Why it needs doing? (background)
 Oral, written - both is best
 E-mail, voicemail - dangerous because
it is impersonal - unable to sense person
 Ask - don’t demand (get feedback)
 WHO TO DELEGATE TO
 Your employees
 Your peers/supervisors (if they can do
the job more easily or better)
 Suppliers
 Customers (thanks is even more
important)

DELEGATION IS A LOT LIKE NETWORKING

 DELEGATION
 When someone else can do the job
significantly faster, better and more easily
than you
 When you are overloaded (you will only
know this if you have a To Do List)
 Don’t delegate unless it is necessary (you
waste brownie points!)
 Don’t over delegate - find a balance - don’t
alienate people
 HOW TO DELEGATE
 Respect the person you delegate to
 Attitude is everything
 Do they understand the “What, When, Why &
How”?
 Treat them with respect
 we all have strengths
 accentuate these and try to coach on
weaknesses
 Sometimes it is a long-term investment - it takes
time to train
 RECIPROCATE
 Accept jobs delegated to you
 Do them well
 Give feedback to delegator
 Be cheerful and considerate
 Ask for clarification if required
 Be reliable - have a “To Do” list
 WHEN DELEGATING...
CHECK BACK IF...
 You lack confidence in the person
 The job is very important
Remember - it is still your job/responsibility!

FEEDBACK
 Thanks
 Training/give feedback nicely
 At the time, can this person handle it?
 People will respond better if they feel you
are pulling your weight
 THE POWER OF WHILE

What can you do while…

 driving

 exercising

 watching TV
 IN THE CAR
 Drive safely - hands free cell phone
 Listen to motivational tapes (also while
exercising/doing things around the house
etc.)
 Use dictaphone - another great time saver
use bullets
“dictated but not read”
 WHILE WATCHING TV
 Exercise
 Read
 Stretch
 WHILE EXERCISING...
 Listen to audio books
 Do it with a friend
 Read
 TIME WASTERS AND SAVERS
TIME WASTERS
 Busy work
 Jobs not suited to you
 Re-doing work
 Handle paper only once
 Extra steps/motions
 Bits of paper and sticky pads
 Computer games/ Internet
 Identify your TIME WASTERS

TIME SAVERS
 Voice mail/E-mail
 Fax
 Form letters
 Hand written notes
 Do not reinvent the wheel - it is not cheating in business to copy
 A place for everything, everything in its place
 AN ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEM
THAT WORKS FOR ME
 To Do list
 To Do today
 Tickler files - next week, next month
 Project box
 Microsoft Outlook - networked
 RIM pager - Synced
 In Box
 Slush drawer
 Reading material/files - always carry. Tapes/CDs in
car
 Person files
 Phone call organization
 DOING YOUR JOB
 PERFECTIONISM - can waste time


DIRFT - Do It Right the First Time

Accuracy Pays

 Is good enough - good enough?
 SAYING NO
 It’s okay to say no
 Explain why not
 Be diplomatic
 Suggest someone else who may be able to
help
 Don’t always say no - you may need their
help one day
 Let your supervisor know your limit
 Be realistic in what you can do in what time
 BALANCE
BE HEALTHY
 Eat right
 Sleep well
 Relax
 Exercise

DETERMINE YOUR DAILY RHYTHM

 Schedule creative work
 When is your high energy time?
 THE AIRPLANE ANALOGY
 50,000 ft – 3 - 5 years
 20,000 – 3 months
 Runway – the urgent now
 We travel farther faster at 50,000 ft
 TIPS
 Efficient people use every minute
 There is no waiting time, it is
always used
 e.g., Empty the dishwasher while
waiting for the toast to pop up.
 e.g., Read eight pages of a

magazine while waiting in line.

 TIPS
 Think on paper
 The splatter diagram
 TIPS
 3 pages at a time
 12 curls at a time
 4 stretches at a time
 TIPS
 Stand up while on the phone
 TIPS
 Avoid clutter
 TIPS

 Take speed reading course –

and read tons
 Read first and last paragraph
 TIPS

 Always carry reading for waits

 Tips
 Reduce your interactions by 20%
 Tips

Microactions inch-by-inch
One More Thing…
 THE POWER OF MANTRAS

 What the heck go for it anyways

 I am very healthy; I heal very quickly

 Successful people do tough things

 THE POWER OF MOMENTUM

 Success breeds success

 Small success lead to larger ones
 THE POWER OF ENERGY
 Be inspired
 Eat light
 Exercise
 Breathe
 Meditate
 Analyze what gives you power and what
drains
 THE POWER OF INSPIRATION

 This can create frictionless productivity

 Flow
 Brainstorm on the why
 THE POWER OF BREAKS AND
CHANGES

 Change from one productive task to

another
 THE POWER OF NEW YEARS
RESOLUTIONS

 Jan 1; Sept 1
 Write them
 Publicize them
The Power of 3 Goals
THE POWER OF BEING THANKFUL

 Develop an attitude of gratitude

 Mantra – “I lead a charmed life”
THE POWER OF LEAVING THE ROOM
NEATER
 Always leave the room neater than before
 POWER OF TYPING
 Take a course
 TIPS
 Move closer to work - 15 minutes
each way saves 2 weeks or 100
hours/year

 @$20/hour , 1 hour/day costs

$12,800 after tax
 TIPS

 Build a “Don’t Do List”

 TIPS

 ROA – Return On Attention

 TIP
 2 minute rule
 Drop to 15 seconds in tight times
 TIPS
 Do the most difficult job first thing
every day
 Do the worst thing – first thing
 Swallow a frog
 TIPS
 The better I know myself; the better I
am able to spend my time
 TIME SAVING TIP
 Group similar tasks together
 Reduces learning time
 Reduces clean up time
 Reduces time to find things
 VOICEMAIL TRICKS
 Forward to assistant
 Leave real message - draconian
 Give alternatives
 Give email address
 When leaving voicemail, leave real
message and number
 EMAIL TRICKS
 Dictate e-mails

 Make sure your contact info is included with your email (company, address,
telephone & fax numbers)

 Get off lists

 Use mail folders well

 Use filters
 TRICKS

Eliminate Temptation
 No TV
 No Food
 Pack car with workout clothes
 TRICKS
2 P’s
 Perfection/Procrastination

2 T’s
 TV/Telephone

Control them all

 PLANT THE SEED
 Most solutions and “polish” come to me
when I am not thinking about it
 I set myself in a situation which spawns
problem solving
 TRICKS
 Plan errands
 Plan route
 Plan common stuff
 TRICKS
 Cut sleep by just one hour a day
 14.5% increase in productive time
every year
 You can always sleep when you are
dead
 TRICKS
 Personal Coach
 Email Friend
 TRICKS

Be a minimalist
 cost of storage
 have space for everything

Owning things costs time and causes

stress
 TRICKS
TOTAL FOCUS
100% in the Moment
 TRICKS

Lakein’s question
What is the best use of your time right
now?
 TRICKS

Be Punctual
 Moral Power
 Less Stress
 TRICKS
Meetings
 Max one hour
 Agenda
 Standing up
 Before lunch/dinner or another meeting
 Learn to run a tight meeting
 TRICKS

Use an Assistant
 Can more than double output
 Delegate appropriately
 High responsibility
 Not personal
 TRICKS

File in only one place

 Why have two places for the
same thing?
 TRICKS
 Close door
 Hide
 TRICKS

Self-discipline
 Forms a habit - 21 days

 Success in small goals

 e.g., exercise
 TRAPS
 Motion is not action
 Motion is not always effective
 TRICKS

Create a “SPACE”
 outfit it with the tools – pen/paper etc.
 TRICKS

Have multiple common use items

 stapler

 scissors

 screwdriver
 TRICKS

Live off Peak

 Shopping
 Rush hour
 Avoid lines
 TRICKS
 Schedule phone calls
 Plan content
 TRICKS
 When leaving a voicemail, say the
number as if you are writing it, and say
it twice
 TRICKS
 Time Blocking
 TRICKS

TV
 tape shows
 speed watch
 TRICKS
 Talk fast
 Walk fast

 Speed up

It’s healthier
 TRICKS
 In reading newspapers and magazines,
read the first and last paragraphs
 TRICKS
 Track things you want to do
 Track things you want to stop
 TRICKS
 You cannot stop a habit
 You can only replace it

We are the product of what we repeatedly

do
 TRICKS
 Audio books
 Listen only once
 IN THE END
 Be effective (Goals)
 Efficient (time use)
 Leadership (direction)comes before
Management (efficiency)
 SET A PACE
 Set a pace that you can maintain
forever, but sense of urgency wins
Time Leadership

Jim Estill, CEO

SYNNEX Canada Limited
http://jimestill.blogspot.com/