Leverage – the art of doing more with less

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review has asserted that traditional techniques in dealing with time management are no longer effective in the radically different working environment of the 21st century.

Consider these factors:

• these days everything seems “urgent”;
• the lure of the internet at our finger tips even when the office door is closed for quiet time;
• the fast pace of email and social media traffic causes ‘defensive’ strategies;
• paper lists or To Do Lists are getting too long;
• there are constant distractions;
• we are spending too much time multi-tasking.

The author concluded that the solution can be found in clarity around role priorities rather than specific task priorities.

“With requests coming from all levels inside and outside the organisation, it’s easy for employees to get caught up in being reactive all day. But when they are clear about the most important parts of their job and the direction of the company, they gain clarity over what to prioritise.”