An Hour of your Time!

What’s in an hour?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always arrived at work early - usually right around an hour early. It’s “my time” and I encourage each one of you to find a slice of the day that is your time.

So, what’s the hour for?  That first hour in the office - alone - allows me to plan the day and clear the desk.  Literally, during that first hour, I ensure that there are no appointments on my calendar and I limit which calls I answer.

I use this time to review my calendar for the day, set daily objectives and to give myself prep time for any last minute items I need to complete so that I’m ready for the day.  More importantly, this simple hour allows me to step outside the normal tactical day to day decisions and gives me a slice of time to think more strategically.

One of the things that my team has always heard from me, is that we must constantly be looking at what it is we are doing, we must ask ourselves what it is we need to change, so that we are ready for where the company will be tomorrow.  Our organization has made significant changes over the last five years - our processes have matured and we have worked hard to open the lines of communication between the various departments.  With all of that, there are still further improvements to be made if we are going to continue to support the strategic goals of the company.  I’ve discussed in recent blogs the changes that my teams are making related to testing.  That didn’t come because of some epiphany I had in the shower one morning - the seeds of those changes began out of research that I was doing during “my time” and that blossomed during conversations with my teams.

Occasionally, my boss will stop by during “my time” and we actually have a chance for a more casual conversation.  Yes, we talk regularly, but what do you talk about with your boss in your scheduled meetings.  More often than not, you’re talking about the tactical - how to move the ball forward on a given effort, what roadblocks need to be removed, departmental issues that he or she needs to be aware of.  When there is that moment of unscheduled time where the two of us can sit down together - I learn a lot.  One, he has been with the company for many years and he is able to provide me the history and background on why some things operate the way that they do.  Two, he is able to give me insight into some of the strategic decisions that are being made, which gives me a firmer foundation when I go out and discuss with my team.  Three, he has very deep knowledge of how the industry operates and the key players within the industry - it is a great learning experience as I continue to evolve as leader within the organization.

Another important reason for this time - is my team.  They all know I’m in the office early.  If there is something on their mind that they want to talk about, they all know that they can catch me during that first hour.  It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally, someone will stick their head in my office and ask me if I have a minute.  There isn’t a lot of open slots on my calendar during the day and it can be hard to catch me moving between meetings.  People know that if there is something pressing they can catch me during this time and I’ll be there to listen to whatever it is that is on their mind. Sometimes they just need a sounding board, sometimes they need my assistance.  Either way, they know that is a guaranteed time that they can catch me.  Don’t get me wrong - I’ve always told people, I will clear time on my calendar if they have an issue, but for some people, it’s just easier to catch me without having to formally schedule something.

This has been a familiar pattern in my career.  Arriving early, and using that time to prepare - both at the tactical level and the strategic.  I’m always trying to answer that question of what needs to change.

How are you making sure that you have time in your day to take care of yourself?

Tags: #SDLC #softwaredevelopment #metrics #lifecycle #timemanagement

If you'd like more information on my background: LinkedIn Profile