I saw a graphic the other day that said, “My brain has too many tabs open!” Do you ever feel like that, where you’re juggling so many things that finishing seems elusive? You either don’t finish a project, don’t finish on time, or don’t finish with the quality you want. Trying to manage one of those problem, let alone all three at the same time, can be overwhelming!
The good news is that there’s an answer to project overload, and that is to use batch time. Using batch time is tip #3 in the September series, Finish Strong.
The concept of batch time seems straightforward: You simply block out time to complete similar tasks. But the trick to successful batch time is to focus so you can stay on track, and that takes soft skills. Let me tell you how Charlotte’s batch time went haywire.
Charlotte is a Marketing Manager with a crazy busy job. She usually clocks 4-5 meetings a day with a hundred mails or more in-between conference calls. So, she was excited to try batch time. An hour or two set aside to power through work so she wasn’t constantly underwater? She was in!
But batch time didn’t work as planned. A natural night owl, she thought the last few hours of the workday would be an ideal spot. Even then, she found herself jumping from one project to another. She complained, “I wind up with 25 half-written mails in my Drafts folder, so I fall even further behind. Why isn’t this working?!”
Charlotte’s experience taught me a powerful lesson: Quiet time is only part of the equation. For maximum results, batch time requires a plan.
Think back to a boss you’ve had who pushed you, thinking every task would only take a few minutes. Remember how their unrealistic ideas drove you crazy? Don’t imitate their bad start/stop habits! Instead, think like a creative, wise CEO—a Soul Boss—and map your strategy with realistic tactics. Your plan doesn’t need to be a complicated, drawn-out thought exercise—it can be as straightforward as backing up a big What with a few clear-cut How tactics.
Here are four practical examples of how you can create quality results and make batch time work for you:
| What | How |
| Draft my staff meeting presentation | · Gather analytics
· Identify three points I’d like to make |
| Practice my presentation from start to finish | · Time my rehearsal
· Check to see I’m spending the right amount of time on each slide |
| Finish critical communications | · Draft important mails
· Send mails by the end of my batch time session |
| Clean out my in-box | · Every Friday afternoon, archive old mail
· Flag or color code outstanding projects so I can start fresh on Monday. Say good-bye to a sea of unread mails! |
It’s time to leave behind the anxious, nervous feeling that happens when you have undone projects. Instead, start feeling the self-confidence that bubbles up when you’ve managed your day like a boss! You can finish strong by pulling out every skill in your soft skills toolkit to make batch time effective.
Let’s go back to the examples above—can you spot all the soft skills at work? More importantly, how will you apply them this week? For instance:
* Make smart choices about what needs urgent attention vs. what can wait a day or two
* Be creative in your approach
* Treat yourself the way a smart boss would—set reasonable, compassionate expectations
Making yourself multi-task is like saying yes to constant pressure. Before you try to do too much at once, block out some batch time.