How to Be Less Reactive and More Proactive
If you’ve ever reached the end of the workday only to realise that you haven’t done anything on your original to-do list, here’s what you can do about it.
Even if we aren’t saying it out loud, these are statements that every manager can relate to. Startups are non-stop. Every closet is full of skeletons, waiting to jump out and surprise you.
While we might be tempted to shrug this off as par for the course, the reactive pattern of continuous fire-fighting poses a number of risks for leaders:
Given the immense challenges involved in starting a new business, how are founders and managers supposed to find time to be more proactive?
To become less reactive, you have to understand the difference between reactive and proactive time.
Reactive time is spent working on other people’s priorities. Here are some examples:
Proactive time is spent working on your own priorities, such as:
Understanding the difference between reactive and proactive time was a revelation for me. I was drowning in emails, meetings, and reviewing other people’s work. As I looked through my calendar, I realised that almost 90% of my week was spent on reactive tasks.
The only time I allowed myself to be proactive was at night and on weekends. It was exhausting. Now, don’t get me wrong — my team loved me for being responsive to their needs — but somewhere along the way, my priorities had gotten lost.
Reacting promptly to the unexpected is part of any leader’s job description. But so is being proactive. My meagre 10% of proactive time wasn’t enough for me as the CEO of a startup. So I set myself a new target: 50% reactive and 50% proactive.
While there is no universal ratio of proactive to reactive time, if you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, it’s a clear sign that you need to rebalance your time towards being more proactive.
Here are some things that every manager can do to rebalance their routine.
Structuring and prioritising a to-do list can relieve anxiety and help you to refocus on what’s important. However, not all to-do lists are created equal, so here are some ways to improve your to-do lists and make your proactive time as efficient as possible.
It’s human nature to procrastinate on big and scary items. So, when you’re faced with a big task, just write down the next step:
The more actionable the task, the more likely you are to attack it when the time comes:
This will help you identify short, mechanical tasks that can be actioned between meetings, versus longer, more creative tasks that require a larger chunk of time:
Just because it’s on your to-do list doesn’t mean you should do it now. Apply the 1–3–5 rule as a way to de-prioritise less important tasks:
In most cases, securing more proactive time means seizing control of your calendar and blocking time for yourself. If you don’t actively manage your time, other people will manage it for you. Some founders pick one or two afternoons per week as ‘no meeting time’. Others reserve time every morning, or block out entire days for this purpose.
Whatever you choose, I recommend building in uninterrupted blocks of at least three hours. Creative tasks don’t fit into hour slots — it can take me an hour or two just to get into the right mindset to tackle something difficult.
Managers are natural problem solvers. So when a team member comes to you with a big, juicy problem, it’s tempting to jump in and fix it. And let’s face it, the most tantalising problems to solve are exactly the ones that other people find challenging.
However, if you want to regain control of your time, you have to learn how to empower your team to solve their own problems. Rather than jump into the detail, learn to play the role of coach — ask questions that help your teammates solve their own problems to free up your time.
One of the key roles of a coach is to help you take the time to reflect, and follow through, on achieving your goals. Unlike a consultant, a coach doesn’t provide answers. Instead, they ask questions that help you clarify what needs to be done and then help you hold your agenda.
Coaching sessions are pure proactive time. This is why the one-on-ones that you have with your team aren’t proactive for you, but they should be proactive time for them. Likewise, the boss needs one-on-ones too.
Debbie Millman said it best with, ‘Busy is a decision.’ If you’re spending too much time in the weeds, then it’s not a lack of time, it’s a lack of prioritization.
Clarify your priorities, schedule in proactive time, empower your team, and hire a coach. There’s no need to feel guilty about it. After all, if you don’t look after your own priorities, who will?
I’m Dave and I coach CEOs of Series A+ tech companies. Over the last 10 years, I’ve co-founded three VC-backed tech companies, invested in dozens of early-stage startups as a VC and Angel investor, and mentored hundreds of startups as a Lead Mentor for Google. For more info, visit Dave-Bailey.com.
How to Be Less Reactive and More Proactive
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