How to get out of the weeds
So, are you stuck in the weeds?
I’m asking you this question because too many leaders I talk to feel overwhelmed by their workload.
But, in my experience, this feeling of being overwhelmed can be diminished dramatically.
How?
By focusing your time and energy on the RIGHT tasks.
I had an illuminating discussion on this exact topic with my client Sophia, the Vice President of Human Resources in her organization.
She told me that every Executive on her Senior Team is stuck in the weeds.
So, I asked her, “What is the impact of this behavior?”
She explained that the entire business is reactive and shared these examples:
- Instead of proactively taking the time to draft a staff engagement strategy, they now have to react to low engagement.
- Instead of taking the time to strategically focus on developing a technology plan, they now are reactively trying to catch up to their competition.
Being in the weeds is an epidemic that has to stop.
Leaders need to spend more time being strategic.
Here are 3 things that you can do to get yourself out of the weeds:
- Get focused on your priorities. Write a list of your key priorities for this quarter. Every time you look at your to-do list, ask yourself if this task aligns with your priorities. Get super committed to spending your time on your priorities rather than tasks or meetings that are not critically important or aligned with your key goals.
- Let go of the work you should no longer be doing. So many leaders hold on to work that they are good at, like doing, or needed to do in a past role. When you get promoted to the next level of leadership, there will be many tasks, meetings or projects that you need to let go of doing…even if you like doing them!
- Delegate more. In order for you to spend more time being strategic, you need to delegate all of those tasks that you should not be doing anymore. Create a delegate strategy and slowly start developing your team to take over these tasks.
So, what do you need to do to get out of the weeds?
Which tasks, meetings, or projects do you need to let go of today?
Pick one key task.
Delegate it now.
Don’t wait.
Get it off your to-do list immediately to focus on more strategic tasks!
You’ll feel so relieved when you finally let it go!
