Home 24/7
Higher ed. leaders are not used to being home 24/7. Their work days have structure and different segments such as getting ready for work, driving to the office, having meetings, answering e-mails, walking across campus to go to other meetings, etc. then driving back home and spending the evening in a different environment than the office.
Physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing most of us to be home almost 24/7. As a result, days seem to blend together, and the lack of structure and segments can cause some leaders to work non-stop, or others to feel somewhat disoriented and to waste hours not being sure how to best utilize their time.
1. Create structure
To avoid falling under the illusion that you have a lot of time available, it’s essential to set daily goals and create structure. Once you see on your calendar what you have to do and how much time you’ll need, you will soon realize that days are still only 24-hour long. You may be saving time by not having to commute, but regardless, treat each hour as a precious resource not to be wasted.
2. Know your priorities
Creating structure and being self-disciplined can still leave you feeling like you aren’t accomplishing enough if you don’t take the time to clarify your priorities. Do not skip this step. Once you know what must get accomplished each day, versus what can get done another time, you will have more realistic expectations and you will feel more in control and more accomplished.
3. Budget your time
Whether you are working on a report, answering emails, making phone calls, or having zoom meetings, always decide what your time limit needs to be, before you start. That way, you will be less likely to allow any task to consume your day unintentionally. Don’t skip this step either! It’s critically important.
4. Avoid distractions and interruptions
Working from home, we sometimes lose the sense of urgency because we don’t have to plan to leave at a specific time. You’re home. Later you’ll still be home. If you don’t finish by 5 pm or 6 pm, you may think it’s fine because your day doesn’t have a predetermined end time. Don’t fall into this trap. Avoid distractions and interruptions because your work day should have an end time and you owe it to yourself to stay focused during your work hours. Obviously, you will sometimes need to work late when something urgent needs your attention, but it shouldn’t be because you were scattered all day.
5. Engage in self-reflection
It’s possible to be a busy bee all day, even to the point of exhaustion, but still not feel accomplished because you’ve been putting out fires and haven’t made progress on strategic goals or larger projects. I invite you to take a moment each morning to reflect on what is important so that you can be intentional throughout the day. Do it first thing in the morning, before you read emails and lose track of the clarity you felt at the beginning of the day. Also, please take five minutes at the end of each day and ask yourself what you would do differently if you had to do it over. Learn from each day so that you can keep improving how you lead from home.
6. Don’t push back important considerations
Interestingly, many of my one-on-one coaching clients have asked me the same question “How can I get my supervisor and the rest of the leadership team to make time for important projects that don’t appear urgent, while they are is in crisis mode?” Being in crisis mode for a couple of weeks is understandable given the circumstances, but it would be unwise to push back projects that are critically important. Make sure you keep an eye on your priorities and don’t find yourself struggling in May and June because the end of the fiscal year is near, and you’ve fallen behind. Also, please make sure to be available to your direct reports. They still need your guidance and no matter how busy you are, you have to keep helping them succeed.
7. Reassess your decisions
It’s been fascinating to see how different leaders at different institutions created such a wide range of solutions regarding communication with their teams and accountability. There is no cookie cutter method that works optimally for everyone. I trust that the decisions you made when the crisis began made perfect sense at the time, but it’s important to evaluate and reassess. You may be able to reduce the amount of time spent on zoom and conference calls. Or perhaps you need to keep in touch with your team members more regularly. You might take a look at activity reports and realize that you could eliminate some tedious reporting requirements. Think about it and ask your team members to provide feedback. There is no shame in correcting what is not working.
This is quite possibly one of the most challenging times in your career. If you’d like to optimize your leadership style, keep your teams empowered and motivated, and have someone who can give you perspective and share best practices, consider working with me. Click here to schedule a complimentary call and we’ll discuss how we can partner to empower you to thrive as leader.
About the author: Dr. Audrey Reille has empowered thousands of professionals through one-on-one coaching, group coaching, speaking engagements, and online courses. Audrey is the go-to coach for leaders in higher education administration. She empowers them to thrive by reducing stress, optimizing strategies, improving professional relationships, and developing a strong and empowered mindset.