The age-old desire to have more time can be partially achieved using “timeshifting” technology.
It's rare that you meet another person who doesn't wish they had more time. It has been called the most precious possession and cited as more important than money. Time is also one of the few things that no one can acquire anymore no matter how much power or importance they have.
In an increasingly complex world, where many of us collaborate with colleagues in different time zones and where the world between home and office has always been blurred, it can constantly feel like there isn't enough time.
This is especially acute for technology leaders. We often work with employees and partners around the world and bounce from one virtual meeting to the next. What seems like a wonderfully productive day is suddenly lost to video conferences, emails, and chats that disrupt our best intentions to focus on important activities and individuals.
We could argue that technology is largely responsible for this non-stop parade of disruptions. There is undoubtedly some truth in the fact that we can now be contacted virtually anywhere, at any time and through half a dozen digital channels. However, technology can be combined with some smart practices to provide potential cures for this apparent lack of time.
Remembering TiVo
You may remember TiVo or even VCR before if you are of a certain age. These devices were revolutionary and cultural milestones, as they allowed individuals to change an activity from one moment to the next.
In the dark ages before ubiquitous streaming entertainment, if you wanted to watch a television show, you were forced to “tune in” at the designated time or hope that the network would reair the show at a more convenient time. My kids still can't mentally process a time when “every show was like a sporting event” and you could freely pause and rewind.
TiVo and VCRs allowed people to engage in activities on their schedule rather than someone else's . This is an extremely valuable proposal. Despite this, TiVo and the VCR now seem quite strange – we subject ourselves to dozens of pre-scheduled meetings during the workday, spending most of the day “tuning in” to the pre-ordained “schedule”, like a consumer of television in the 1950s.
You can apply similar time-shifting technology to your current meetings through a two-step process. First, just as you wouldn't allow any employee unrestricted access to the company treasury, you shouldn't allow anyone unrestricted access to your time .
This doesn't require you to be rude or difficult. Instead, quickly call the requester when your schedule allows if a meeting request doesn't seem relevant. They will be surprised by the quick and personal reach. Most importantly, you will find that most of the time it is not necessary for the meeting to be successful or you can resolve the request with a 5 minute chat instead of a 45 minute meeting.
Second, for video conferences of questionable value or primarily informational in nature, ask the host to activate the recording feature present in major video conferencing tools. Other participants, or even the host, can tell you if there are areas that would be important to you, or you can watch the recording at your leisure. You can even play it back at 1.5X-2X speed, compressing the information into a shorter time window.
Master asynchronous work
Many activities at work are synchronous, requiring several people to be involved at the same time to perform a task . Working asynchronously, on the other hand, allows you to work at multiple speeds and with multiple people.
If you've ever done asynchronous development in a language like Node.js, you've seen the power (and necessary prediction) of asynchronous programming. Just as this requires some extra work, asynchronous work also requires some additional management to free you from being subject to someone else's schedule.
Most competent managers do some form of asynchronous work. They delegate tasks to multiple team members, manage any conflicts if any work remains unfinished, and trigger additional work when a job is completed. If you can perfect this skill, you'll find yourself orchestrating how you get through your day instead of feeling like a pinball constantly being bounced between the flippers someone else is operating.
Focus your “engagement time” with other team members on equipping them with the information, tools, and data they need to perform some distinct activity. Instead of large meetings or endless “stand-ups” that devolve into little more than gossip sessions, focus for 10 to 15 minutes with colleagues on the distinct activities each person should perform and the interdependencies between those activities. activities.
Allow team members to perform these tasks. If they have difficulties, ask them to contact you via chat for minor clarifications, email for more elaborate communications or by phone for urgent or complex queries. Please note that none of these alternatives include scheduling a meeting !
Every hour or two, check your email and chat tools and answer any questions to keep team members working. These discrete bursts of synchronization should occur on your timeline, and ideally through non-real-time tools, so that you can enable your collaborators to work asynchronously as well.
This may seem logistically complex, but just like learning a new programming approach, learning a new work system requires some initial productivity loss and learning curve in exchange for long-term rewards. Making this transition successfully will put you back in control of your schedule and make the technology that seems to have stolen all of our time return work to our terms.
