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Slice & Dice Your Way To The Top: Be ruthless in axing tasks that waste time

BY: MICHAEL STERN November 21, 2007

What do you do about all the other projects, functions and time-wasters that confront busy executives? I recommend a power tool: a chainsaw.

Once you've made up your mind what your priorities are, and how much time you are willing to give to other non-core activities (say, community service, or working with your industry association), you must ruthlessly cut away at all other entanglements. My 25 years working with senior executives have convinced me that the most successful business people are well-rounded and community-minded – but they fiercely protect their time to make sure they accomplish their key priorities.

It’s not always easy. Often it seems that everyone at work wants a piece of your day – and sometimes the office structure is rigged against you from the start.

For instance, managing your direct subordinates is a crucial CEO task. These may be the busiest, most accomplished people in your business – and they deserve quality time and well-considered feedback.

I believe CEOs should directly supervise more than six to eight people. Yet in my experience, probably a third of CEOs have too many subordinates. I have seen organizations where the president had 12 or even 15 direct reports!

When you're monitoring this many people, you're monitoring no one. You can't possibly review the accomplishments and understand the challenges of so many people – and you certainly can't give them the support and counsel they deserve.

Long lists of direct subordinates often indicate no one has been willing to make the tough decisions by restructuring the organization chart. Someone has to end the madness by telling three, four or more senior managers that they will report to a new boss.

If you have too many direct reports, you can do them all a favour by reassigning some of them to other overseers. No one likes to have their reporting status downgraded; but your primary concern is to help your organization succeed and prosper.

The best course is simple honesty. Tell the affected parties that you've had to restructure your duties, and have no choice but to reduce your number of direct reports. Let them know this is no reflection on their importance to the organization. In fact, this will probably help their career – they'll get more face time with a different boss.

Another bottomless consumer of executive time is serving on industry and non-profit boards. Few CEOs get to the corner office without giving back in some way to their industry or community. But you have to keep your time commitment in check.

Identify how many hours a week you are prepared to give up to these good works – and keep the number of ongoing commitments to three or less. Let colleagues know your time is limited, but that you will do the best job you can in the time available.

If you're trying to untangle yourself from outside commitments, let people know you've made a choice in life: rather than take on lots of projects and do none of them well, you prefer to do fewer things and do them right. No one can argue with a commitment to excellence.

Finally, my executive-coaching clients tell me that another huge time-trap is meetings: weekly updates, last-minute client lunches, “we-really-need-you-there” meetings.
Resists attempts by subordinates to drag you into unnecessary meetings. Even when they're customer meetings, only attend those where you can add value by being in the room. If in doubt, stay out.

And make sure that you're wanted at the meetings you do go to. I knew one CEO who insisted on attending regular marketing committee meetings – even though no one else needed him there, and he would often highjack the agenda by focusing on one or two small details in excruciating detail. Can you say “counterproductive”?

It’s easy to get distracted. But it’s also easy to get back on track. I once sent a coaching client an email twice a day for two weeks, asking “Are you working on one of your top three priorities right now?” This annoying reminder did the trick: the client became much more aware of the need to focus his efforts, more accustomed to asking himself that question.

Prioritizing and focusing don't sound difficult. But when the world starts clamouring for your help and attention, extricating yourself can be tricky. It’s the most successful people who know when to say No.