Slow Down to Speed Up

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Your cell phone rings. Your laptop alerts you that you have a new email just as you login to participate in an online meeting, while eating a sandwich you purchased from the shop down the street about three hours ago. Does this sound like a typical day during your week? If so, you’re not alone. According to Tony Schwartz, 25 to 50% of people report that they feel burned out at work. Read this post, The Magic of Doing One Thing, to learn more about the consequences of splitting your attention between the sandwich, presentation slides and the sounds of your cell phone.

The concept of focusing our efforts and attention on the important things is not new. Years ago, Benjamin Franklin understood the magic in prioritizing tasks and making purposeful choices. “Never confuse motion with action,” he said. Check out the 14 life tips from Franklin that remain relevant today.

While Benjamin Franklin didn’t experience the tug of technology that we have available to us today, other leaders such as First Book’s Kyle Zimmer understand what it means to lead a team with technology at her fingertips. But rather than spending all day in front of a computer screen, in this New York Times interview, she lauds the importance of spending time with people.

“There is no substitute for people spending time together. All the technology in the world doesn’t replace that. You have to interact with each other. You have to trust each other. And that doesn’t happen through e-mails,” says Zimmer.

As you schedule your priorities for the next week, consider stepping away from the computer and taking your team to the park to build some trust…while flying kites, of course.
Other resources of interest:
Want to earn trust and respect? Ask these questions (Article from SmartBlog on Leadership)
Moving from managing to leading (Video from SmartBlog on Leadership)
The Steve Jobs Way (Article from Strategy + Business)

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