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Published by Texas AGD, 2017-05-26 09:07:26

June 2017 Reduce Overwhelm Feature

June 2017 Reduce Overwhelm Feature

A SIMPLE FORMULA TO HELP
LEADERS REDUCE OVERWHELM

By Dave Fechtman

A s an executive coach, I’m often asked by Today, he finds himself relaxed and in sync with
clients, “How can I better juggle all the his commitments. His productivity has skyrock-
responsibilities I’m faced with in my life?” eted and his stress level has reduced significantly.
My clients are routinely asked to do more to How has he and many others turned the cor-
meet the escalating demands of their business, ner, gaining control of both their schedules and
placing more strain on their personal lives. The demands? They applied what I call the B² formula.
term “work/life balance” is often talked about but THE FORUMULA IS SIMPLE:
remains an elusive concept because busy profes- A. Be present.
sionals aren’t able to dedicate themselves fully to B. Build boundaries.
either work or life. Being present means giving your complete
For example, several months ago an executive of attention to the task or person you are engaged
a large retailer shared with me that he was strug- with. Tasks that receive your full focus tend to
gling with increased demands due to an initiative get done faster and more intelligently. People
that expanded their footprint into new markets. who receive your committed attention tend to
“Jim” found himself buried in budgets, leading respond in-kind, which deepens relationships
both new and legacy meetings, restructuring a and improves results. To be fully present feels
challenging vendor relationship, and putting out both light and agile because you are not weighed
fires related to conflict amongst his leadership down by where you are not. Your mind is free to
team. He also had three kids, who are active in focus and maximize the moment you are in.
sports and regularly volunteers in his commu-
nity. Keeping his head above water had taken an
emotional toll, as he felt that neither spheres of
his life were receiving his best efforts. Ultimately,
he raised his hand for help.

June 2017 TexasGP

WAYS TO BE PRESENT INCLUDE: WAYS TO MAINTAIN BOUNDRIES INCLUDE:
• Unplugging: Put your phone away and step • “Work/life” transitions: “I don’t take work calls
away from your computer. This will allow you to after 6 p.m.,” or “I’ll handle all personal issues
fully engage with the person or task at hand. during my lunch hour.”
• Spending time alone: Blocked time for projects, • Blocked calendar times: For example,
exercise and creative thinking will allow you to Wednesday mornings are reserved for _______.
clear your mind and hold your attention when • Core values: Use your personal or company val-
you reconnect with work colleagues and family. ues to make difficult decisions. If it goes against
• Limiting meetings to 45 minutes: This forces your values — don’t do it.
attendees to prepare and stay focused. It also • Say “no”: Leaders often find themselves a mile
allows you to have transition time between wide and an inch deep. Don’t commit yourself
meetings, which allows you to address potential beyond the “must do” tasks for 30 days. You’ll be
distractions and urgent demands. amazed by the increased productivity and quality
• Being grateful: This will prevent you from of your work.
focusing on yesterday’s regrets or tomorrow’s Combining your full presence with committed
problems. boundaries removes the white noise of anxiety
Being intentional about your boundaries estab- that stresses over what could or should be hap-
lishes clarity and healthy expectations between pening, and frees you to be fully engaged with
you and the inevitable distractions that invade each of your commitments. Simply adopt the
your time. By establishing and communicating B² formula to gain control and optimize your life
healthy boundaries, your time becomes man- both personally and professionally.
ageable because you are distinguishing what’s
acceptable from what’s not. This is hard for many
leaders to remain loyal to, but is essential to arriv-
ing at peace of mind.

Dave Fechtman, CEO of Velocity Advisory Group, has been helping organizations increase results
through leadership development and by creating an intentional culture. He is a contributor for
Forbes Coaches Council where this original article was published on Forbes.com. His company also
serves as a leadership consultant for Texas AGD.

June 2017 TexasGP

REDUCING OVERWHELM &
ACCELERATING PRODUCTIVITY

2

FORMULA

Be Present Build Boundaries

2

Be Present

Unplugging: FORMULA

Put your phone away and step away from your computer.
This will allow you to fully engage with the person or task at hand.

Spending time alone:

Blocked time for projects, exercise and creative thinking will allow you to clear your mind
and hold your attention when you reconnect with work colleagues and family.

Limiting meetings to 45 minutes:

This forces attendees to prepare and stay focused. It also allows you to have transition time
between meetings, which allows you to address potential distractions and urgent demands.

Being grateful:

This will prevent you from focusing on yesterday’s regrets or tomorrow’s problems.

Build Boundaries

Work/life transitions:

“I don’t take work calls after 6 p.m.,” or “I’ll handle all personal issues during
my lunch hour.”

Block calendar times:

For example, Wednesday mornings are reserved for _______.

Core values:

Use your personal or company values to make difficult decisions. If it goes against your
values — don’t do it.

Say “no:”

Leaders often find themselves a mile wide and an inch deep. Don’t commit yourself
beyond the “must do” tasks for 30 days. You’ll be amazed by the increased
productivity and quality of your work.


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