Time Management - Drive to Improvise

In our last time management message on 22 October 2021 we looked at the Drive to Complete.  If you are Driven to Complete you may well have stored this in an orderly fashion!

If, however, you are Driven to Improvise (and especially combined with resistant Complete) the possibility is that you “scanned” it and put it somewhere to absorb later, being “under the pump”!

Now we look at the last of the “use” Drives – the Drive to Improvise.  (If you are Driven this way - stay with me – it won’t take long to read this and absorb the tips for greater efficiency)!

As before, let’s first review the overall view on time management featured in Stephen Covey’s “First Things First” providing a simple framework for time management based on a quadrant prioritising workload (attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower).

This is especially relevant for the Improvisers among us where the tendency is to be working under pressure with most if not all things being urgent and important! (Quadrant I)

For a more personalised ID approach to time management for “Improvisers” the following are great strategies to be aware of and use.

• Attach deadlines to everything – deadlines that stretch your capabilities as they challenge you to deliver your best! And impress!

• When you are “on a roll”, don’t stop! – adrenalin is a powerful motivator for you! For example, if you planned to finish work at 6pm but are “on a roll”, keep going as that is when you will perform best.  You work best when energised and passionate.  If you left the task intending to complete it the following day, it may be almost impossible to recreate the level of energy you had earlier.

• Make a list of 6 or 7 positive things to tackle at the start of each day.  This ensures that you get your day off to a good start with positive results and energy.  This will help inspire you through the rest of your day.  I see this as a very valuable it not essential thing to make a habit.

• When working with others, use longer time frames than those that first come to mind.  You automatically (naturally) initiate and/or commit to tight deadlines which others then naturally resist.  This leads to you frequently doing the task yourself when, in fact, you could have delegated it to others if you had allowed a longer time frame.  This issue also impacts negatively on your credibility when the tight deadlines you originally set are not met or need to be moved.  When Driven by Improvise everything’s possible: beware of “over-promising” and “under-delivering”.

• Alternatively, set tentative deadlines (when the task will involve others) and confirm the deadlines once you have discussed them with your other team members – knowing what is possible! You are then recognising a vulnerability and strategizing accordingly.  Starting the day with negativities does not enable your energy and can affect the rest of your day.

• Slow the delegation process down.  This will speed up the actual “task-processing time”.  You are vulnerable to handing over tasks too quickly (especially combined with resist Authenticate).  Your natural sense of urgency and desire to move onto the next thing means that you automatically find the quickest and simplest way to “pass the baton”, (often when the other party has not had sufficient time to fully understand the nature of the protect, or what you really require them to do).  A Verifiers nightmare!

• With delegation, those to whom you are delegating may nod their heads in agreement which suggests that they understand your request at the time.  They only do so because they sense that you are wanting to move onto the next thing and they don’t want to make you uncomfortable or slow you down.  Or, they understand the concept of the task but not all of the components that are involved. 

However, they don’t know that until they “think things through in their own quite time”.Thus, it is better for you to spend a little more time up front (to avoid being reinvolved several times later) or, split the delegation process into two parts.The first part is to flag the project and the second part is for a discussion once the other party has studied what is involved (especially if that person is Driven to Verify and has gained some expertise in the subject!)

• Be conscious that you easily say, “yes” to new things.  especially those that are likely to give you an energy boost, have perceived benefits or a real sense of urgency – all of which gets your adrenalin going.  These things may be enjoyable for you but may not be as important or as valuable as other things you should or must do!  This again can lead to overpromising and under delivering.

• Tackle priorities by getting an early start to get focused on the important things to be achieved for the day.  This will also help you:

1. get many of the more boring things out of the way quickly.  Then use the time when people normally get started as your deadline for completion and;

2. stay aware of the bigger picture goals as the other “distractions of the day” unfold.

By the way, if you think that you are not a morning person, think again!  The benefit of starting very early is that you ensure your day gets off to a positive start.  If you tried to use your creative energy only at night, there is the chance that other negative things will have occurred throughout the day, blocking you from being at your best by the time evening arrives.

Essentially, you take control of your life by getting started early!  Improvisers with resistant Complete remember - procrastination is the thief of time!

If you have any comments or would like to discuss this or other ID and Connection Matters call or text me on 0417 952 183 or email mike@leaderconnect.com.au.

“To know yourself, you must sacrifice the illusion that you already do”

Vironika Tugaleva