X-Ray Your Calendar
Data helps us see what’s actually going on, and then change can happen from the outside in.
The analytics show:
I’ve always been a gadget person, and here are some of my favorites to effectively manage time and more important to help change your behavior to be more strategic. Obvi, rushing isn’t a precursor for executive presence. And rushing conveys a lot of things that aren’t confidence.
That’s why, transforming from the outside in – using tools that accumulate data in the background is another way to create behavior change for leaders.
Take a moment to glance at the extracted Viva Insights below, and imagine it as a window into your priorities, habits, and opportunities for growth. Each data point offers a nugget of insight into how you spend your most valuable resource – time.
Now, here’s a question for you…
…What is one metric you would change in your schedule?
Is it the realization that you join meetings on time only half the time?
Or perhaps it’s the fact that a significant portion of your work hours are spent in meetings without advanced notice.
Maybe it’s discovering that you’re not giving yourself enough downtime, constantly working outside of business hours.
Identifying the data points that irk you the most is the first step in taking charge of your schedule and changing how you lead.
This valuable insight can enhance not only your professional productivity, but your overall quality of life too. So, look within to understand why one, some, or all of these insights bother you. Is it because they go against your ideal vision of how you want to spend your time? Or does it highlight a blind spot that you’ve been ignoring?
Whatever the case may be – here are a few gadgets I use to take a quick inventory:
Toggl: This handy app lets you track your time so you can see exactly where it’s going. By logging your professional and personal activities, you can identify which tasks or meetings are eating up your precious minutes. Once you know where your time is going, you can make informed decisions about how to reallocate it.
Aviva: Aviva is like your personal assistant for scheduling meetings. It helps you find the perfect time for everyone involved, eliminating the back-and-forth email chains that can drain your time and energy. With Aviva, you can schedule meetings more efficiently and free up time for the things that matter most. (see article photo).
Google Workspace: Google Workspace offers a suite of productivity tools that can help you streamline your workflow and collaborate more effectively. From Gmail to Google Calendar to Google Drive, these tools make it easy to stay organized and on top of your tasks. Plus, they integrate seamlessly with other apps and services, making it easy to keep everything in one place.
By using these tools to inventory and change the draining things on your calendar, you can position yourself back in the strategic role you signed up for.
