#movetodevelopothers

It’s hard to believe that six months have already passed since I launched my weekly blog, Derek’s Dose. I’m beyond thankful for all of you who are reading, as our loyal community keeps growing daily. You’ve taken the time to share encouraging comments, which means more to me than you’ll ever know.

Now I’m asking you to share what’s on your mind. While my mental log never seems to run out of content and topics, I only want to deliver what you’re most interested in… the best of the best! So this week I’m going to pause and ask you to share your feedback.

Within the next 48 hours, please reply to this email with your answers to the following 2 questions…

What type of blog content do you prefer to read about?

What specific topics interest you the most?

My Top 5 Posts

If you’ve recently joined Derek’s Dose, below I’ve included the links to my “top 5 posts” from the past six months…

“What Are You Putting Off That’s Bothering You?”

Eat The Banana, Not The Frog

“It Must Be Nice To Start Work So Late.”

When A Leader Gives, Everyone Grows

“Daddy, That Was The Best Day Ever.”

Want more of Derek’s insights? Sign up yourself or a friend for complimentary updates! Derek’s Dose Archive

When you receive a meeting request, is the agenda usually one hour?  When you initiate planning a meeting, do you always block off one hour?  Do you notice a pattern?  I do, and apparently, so do most digital calendars. Whenever I schedule a meeting or appointment on Google calendar, the default setting is one hour.  Evidently, our society has adopted "one hour" as the norm. Can you guess what happens when you schedule that whole hour?  Yup, you manage to fill all 60 minutes with *something* whether it’s truly needed or not.

As I've Grown, My Calendar Has Grown

Just like you, my calendar is full. Thankfully, my days are mainly filled with things that I want and choose to do. A couple of months ago, however, I found myself dreading a 90-minute bimonthly manager meeting that I had actually set up.   I scheduled one more 90-minute session to evaluate if my feeling of dread was just a one-time thing or a long-term issue.  This time, instead of focusing on myself and my agenda, I concentrated on observing the participants’ energy, tone and body language.  Quite frankly, it seemed like they were all thinking exactly the same thing that I wanted to say, "Are we really going to be here for 90 minutes?"   After I had that “aha” moment, I told myself that there has to be a better way!

A couple of weeks later, I made one major change. I shortened the meeting from 90 minutes to 29 minutes.  So far, I would rate our new meeting results with five pluses and zero minuses.

Five Pluses Of 29 Minute Meetings

We're more decisive. We don't hem and haw on decisions for days, weeks, months or even years. We make confident decisions and then, if necessary, tweak things day-to-day.

We're more focused. We walk in more prepared and focused on agenda items top of mind. We're not checking our phones, running to the restroom, filling our water bottles or leaving for other interruptions. We only talk about the necessary "must do's.” We zero in on the meat and potatoes right away before our minds get a chance to become distracted.

We're more prompt. We start and end on time. If you've been wondering why I say the meetings are 29 minutes and not 30, it’s because we always end early. In the past, by the time I'd set everything up, run the meeting, and do the wrap-up, the amount of time that we all had to block off was about 2 hours. With 29 minute meetings, there is no more 2-hour delay in our days.  Caveat:  You will never please everyone on ideal days or times as we're all different. Earlier in the day/week could set a positive tone for the rest of your work week, but later in the day/week could be less chaotic.

We're more flexible. We have more time to keep our doors open for drop-in questions, work on day-to-day operations, think about our priorities and enjoy group workouts together.

We're more profitable. Believe it or not, it costs a lot of money to hold a meeting.  Just think about how much more money your organization could make and keep if you cut the minutes in half and only invite the necessary people...and even get better overall results.  Caveat: Just because the meeting is shorter doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be canceled if you don’t have anything critical to discuss. 29 minutes are worth saving! [If you want to dig deeper, check out my post from December: "Does Your Meeting Cost As Much As A Wedding Banquet?".]

Don't Ever Cut Out These Three Things

To ensure zero minuses, it's important to realize that there are three very important items that you simply can't cut out. First, start your meeting with a few minutes of success stories that tie directly to your mission and core values. Don't cut out what's most important to your organization. Second, end your meeting by going around the room to give each participant an opportunity to say something.  Don't deny your leaders a chance to provide quick department updates or mention something that happened in their personal lives. Third, continue to have in-depth off-site meetings two to four times per year.  It’s impossible to work on the big picture "should do's" of your business, enjoy a meal together and engage in team-building activities in 29 minutes.

Was The Change Stressful?

Looking back, I thought this change was going to be very stressful, but there was no stress at all. We're more decisive, focused, prompt, flexible, and profitable. We have freed up more time and improved our meeting results.

Moving forward….

Click to Tweet: It only takes 30 seconds to shrink a "one hour" meeting in a digital calendar to save everyone 30 minutes. @derekdeprey #movetobeteams

ACTION: If you lead a team, shock your team. Schedule a 29 minute meeting. After the meeting, email the participants the following two questions: What did you like? What didn't you like? Be sure to reflect on the meeting and to really contemplate their responses. Finally, make a decision on whether you want to continue the shorter meetings or go back to former longer ones.  Every team’s needs are unique, but I think exploring the shorter, laser focused meeting is worthwhile. You may be surprised that you don’t necessarily need the default “one-hour.”

Want more of Derek’s insights? Sign up yourself or a friend for complimentary updates!

A couple months ago, I was on a flight to Florida to speak at a leadership development and time management event. As soon as the plane landed, I sent a text to the person who had booked me, so that he knew I had arrived and was available to help with setup. “Thank you! I’m at the tram to pick you up and will give you a tour of the area right away,” he replied, “Perfect!” I said. He went on to say, “I have off today, but I have to work most of the day…so let’s check the room that you’ll be speaking in right away.” I read his reply again to make sure I hadn’t misread it or misunderstood it. Nope, he meant it. He had to work all day on his day off.

I’ve been thinking about his statement for quite some time. Then, this past week, I led a quarterly off-site meeting with all of my managers, team leaders, and sales reps. During that meeting, it dawned on me and really amazed me, that four of the twelve people were supposed to be “off” that day. They had still attended with energy and enthusiasm, because they are passionate about what we do.

Think to yourself for a moment. Have you ever spent most of your “day off” working? I have, you have, and so have many other professionals. Do you often work during your vacation days? I must admit that I do. In fact, I used to think that working on vacation was a cool thing to do.

So, is it good or bad to work on vacation? Is it actually helpful, or could it be harmful? Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy answer. I strongly believe that the answer greatly depends on the person and his or her situation. There may actually be a time when working on vacation will help you catch up at a crucial time when work needs to be done. Or gives you back some family time so you’re not working late every night when the vacation is over and you’re back to work. With that being said, given that most of us have very limited vacation time, I would suggest that you avoid working during a vacation, so that you can be totally present with those that you spend leisure time with. Let me share my thoughts.

6 Myths About Working During Vacation

Myth #1: You need to work on vacation because you’ll get interrupted less.

Myth-BUSTER #1: Schedule blocks of uninterrupted time during your normal work-week. You can get big projects completed before and after vacation.

Myth #2: You need to work on vacation because it’s your passion.

Myth-BUSTER #2: Give your family and friends your time and attention during vacation. They might see your passion as work. Instead, be present, and make them your passion for this time.

Myth #3: You need to work on vacation to show your coworkers how hard you work.

Myth-BUSTER #3: Stop checking your email every five minutes during vacation. Don’t create the culture at your organization that you have to stay connected 24-7-365.

Click to Tweet: Working during vacation is pointless. Building lasting memories during vacation…priceless. @derekdeprey #movetolivewell

Myth #4: You need to work on vacation to get ahead at work.

Myth-BUSTER #4: Think again. If you’re one of the best in your profession, your plate will always be full…before, during, and after vacation.

Myth #5: You need to work on vacation to avoid potentially losing your job.

Myth-BUSTER #5: End the mind-game that you’re playing with yourself. If you’re great at your job, you won’t have to worry about your future. You receive vacation because you earn it.

Myth #6: You need to work on vacation because you don’t think that you’re coworkers can do your job.

Myth-BUSTER #6: Get real. The best leaders are secure, trusting of their teams, and willing to share responsibilities.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll be leaving on a family vacation to Disneyworld! I’m going to heed my own advice and for the first time ever, I won’t be checking my email. If there is an urgent matter, I can receive a phone call or a text. I won’t be posting a blog that week either.

I’m really grateful that I have actually experienced this wake-up call before our trip. It’s worth repeating…

Click to Tweet: Working during vacation is pointless. Building lasting memories during vacation…priceless. @derekdeprey #movetolivewell

Want more of Derek’s insights? Sign up yourself or a friend for complimentary updates!