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You are forced to deal with email every single day, most of it arriving at odd moments. At the same time, you need to be effective, but it seems that there’s invariably a slew of messages getting in the way. You want the problem to go away so that you can just focus on doing your job. This is a common sentiment, but is this frame of mind a help or hindrance?

To see other articles and columns, see  https://blog.fwconsulting.com

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Each day you go into the office, you want to be inspired by your work. Elevated by what your organization can accomplish. But if that’s not your daily experience, does the quality of strategic leadership have something to do with it?

Check out my prior columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe

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You want to make improvements to your system of task management. You want to intervene at just the right place to have a positive overall effect, but you don’t know where to start.

You already understand that you use a system to manage your tasks from the moments of creation to the point where they are completed. Some people say that making changes is easy, but you’re not so sure. The system you use is full of idiosyncrasies – those places where you do things your way…different from anyone else.

How do you use this knowledge to make the right improvements? Can you make things worse by tinkering in the wrong place? Is it anything like trying to fix a car or an appliance where the wrong intervention can make things go terribly wrong?

In this solo episode, I’ll be sharing my thoughts about this problem and where we need to take ourselves so that the confusion disappears.

Get full access to Francis A. Wade at 2timelabs.substack.com/subscribe

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As the top leader, it’s your responsibility to create sound succession plans. But how do you ensure that there is a pipeline of leadership talent available at all levels, such as the board and executive suite?

 

Check out my other columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe

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You’re a time blocker to some degree. This means you put tasks in your calendar…Not just appointments with people which can’t easily be changed, but solo time you commit to doing a particular task.

In other words, you make a promise to yourself that non-one else knows about to do something at a particular time and place.

It’s an easy concept to explain, But…most people who seem to start the practice have a rough time taking it to the level they want. Once they get past the beginner stage, when they are experimenting with a few tasks they want more.

And for a while, they schedule more tasks…and more…and more. Until they have too many and their time blocking becomes a problem. It should be easy, they think, but it’s not.

What are some of the best solutions available?

Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Mike Vardy, as we solve this challenging problem together.

 

Henry Cloud – Necessary Endings

Stack Method – Prasanth Nair

Stop doing productive.Start BEING productive. (productivityist.com)

Get full access to Francis A. Wade at 2timelabs.substack.com/subscribe

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Have you ever played a part in crafting a useless strategic plan? You thought it was a good product, but it ended up languishing on the shelf or in unread email. However, you believed in the process followed, but something was missing… maybe from the final step which condemned the entire plan to the scrap heap.

Click here to read my past articles from the Gleaner newspaper: https://blog.fwconsulting.com

fwconsulting.com

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe

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Each year, managers in your company sit down to devise budgets for the next twelve months. As a participant in the process, you see that each department’s spending reflects certain priorities. Where do these come from? Are some correct in calling them “strategic”? Should they be reconciled in some way?

Click below to read all my past articles.

https://blog.fwconsulting.com

 

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe

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You use lots of apps on a range of devices. Many of them have built-in notifications which are jostling for your attention. But if you leave them all on, you end up with a mess –  a cacophony of alerts which do more bad than good.

What do you really want? To orchestrate them somehow into a perfect symphony that interrupts you at just the right moment, with the right degree of force.

Is that too much to ask for? In this solo episode, we’ll go past the work we did on Episode 11 which focused on the principles of skillful interrupting and look at the practical actions we must take to retain our sanity. 

Get full access to Francis A. Wade at 2timelabs.substack.com/subscribe

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You are someone who time blocks. A quick glance at your calendar would show that you have put some thought into each day’s plan. But what happens when you get to the end of the year and realize that you haven’t accomplished your most important goals?

For example, some gurus at marriagebuilders.com recommend that you spend 15 hours per week in solo time with your spouse. You may block the time in your calendar with a recurring appointment, but realize after a year that you fell far short. Why does this happen? Is it even avoidable?

Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Trevor Lohrbeer, as we solve this challenging problem together.

Get full access to Francis A. Wade at 2timelabs.substack.com/subscribe

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In general, you want to be responsive to those who wish to reach you. Consequently, each morning, before doing anything else, you scan your email inbox for new messages. However, if you have ever questioned the wisdom of this habit, your concerns are justified. The most effective professionals refuse to process email first. Instead, they start the day differently: they plan the time in their calendars.

Read more articles like this from my Gleaner column https://blog.fwconsulting.com

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit longtermstrategy.substack.com/subscribe

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