Time Management In Crisis

I've tried 100s of time management techniques.  This is by far my favourite: I used to work 80 hrs/week and call it "productive." When really I was: - Attending pointless meetings - Fighting countless small fires - Being involved in every decision Now I work less than 70% the time and get 4x as much done. The Eisenhower Matrix helped me get there.  It teaches you to categorise tasks by importance and urgency. Here's how it works: 1. Do It Now (Urgent + Important) Examples: - Finalise pitch deck before investor meeting tomorrow. - Fix website crash during peak customer traffic. - Respond to press interview request before deadline. Best Practices: - Attack these tasks first each morning with full focus. - Set a strict deadline so urgency fuels execution. 2. Schedule It (Important + Not Urgent) Examples: - Plan quarterly strategy session with leadership team. - Map long-term hiring plan for next 18 months. - Build a personal brand content system for LinkedIn. Best Practices: - Protect time blocks in advance. Never leave them floating. - Tie them to measurable outcomes, not vague intentions. 3. Delegate It (Urgent + Not Important) Examples: - Handle inbound customer service queries this week. - Organise travel logistics for upcoming conference. - Update CRM with latest sales call notes. Best Practices: - Build playbooks so your team executes without confusion. - Delegate with deadlines to avoid wasting time. 4. Eliminate It (Not Urgent + Not Important) Examples: - Tweak logo colour palette again for fun. - Attend generic networking events with no ICP fit. - Review endless “best productivity tools” articles. Best Practices: - Audit weekly. Cut anything that doesn’t compound long-term. - Replace low-value busywork with rest, thinking, or selling. If you are always reacting to what feels urgent,   You'll never focus on what matters. Attend to the tasks in quadrant 1 efficiently,  Then spend 60-70% of your time in quadrant 2.    That's work that actually builds your business. Which quadrant are you spending too much time in right now?  Drop your thoughts in the comments. My newsletter, Step By Step, breaks down more frameworks like this. It's designed to help you build smarter without burning out. 200k+ builders use it to develop better systems. Join them here:  https://lnkd.in/eUTCQTWb ♻️ Repost this to help other founders manage their time.  And follow Chris Donnelly for more on building and running businesses. 

The most expensive moment of your day costs nothing. But missing it costs everything. I'm talking about transition moments. Those 30-90 seconds between meetings, tasks, or contexts that most leaders rush through without a second thought. I see it constantly. Leaders pride themselves on packed calendars and back-to-back efficiency. But what looks like productivity is actually a performance killer. Microsoft research confirms why this happens. When measuring brain activity, researchers found the transition period between meetings creates one of the highest stress spikes in your entire day. Jumping directly from one context to another causes dramatic increases in beta waves…the ones associated with stress and anxiety. But here's what's fascinating: when leaders took even a 5-minute intentional break between meetings, they not only prevented these spikes but actually experienced a noticeable dip in beta activity. This isn't just about feeling better. Transition moments directly impact: 🔹 Decision quality (your brain needs time to reset) 🔹 Creativity (insights emerge in mental space, not mental clutter) 🔹 Leadership presence (scattered attention dilutes your impact) The highest-performing leaders I work with haven't added more to their plates. They've mastered the spaces between commitments. Try these three transition practices that take less than 60 seconds: 1. The Context Clearance Before leaving a meeting, take 20 seconds to write down any remaining thoughts or follow-ups. Close the mental tab completely. 2. The Arrival Reset Before entering your next context, take three deep breaths. Feel your feet on the floor. Name the single most important thing ahead. 3. The Intention Bridge Ask yourself: "Who do I need to be in this next moment?" Not what you need to do, but WHO you need to be. The paradox is clear: The moments we think matter least often determine how effective we are in the moments we think matter most. UC Irvine research found it takes an average of 25 minutes to truly refocus after a significant shift in attention. By rushing transitions, you guarantee you'll never bring your full capacity to ANYTHING. Great leaders don't work more hours. They bring complete attention to each moment. And that starts with how they transition. —- Follow me (Jon Macaskill ) for leadership insights that blend science with practical wisdom for today's pressure-filled world. And feel free to repost if someone in your life needs to hear this. 📩 Subscribe to my newsletter here → https://lnkd.in/g9ZFxDJG You'll get FREE access to my 21-Day Mindfulness & Meditation Course—packed with real, actionable strategies to lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose.

Land the plane. If you’re in it right now, dealing with a missed goal, a major bug, a failed launch, or an angry keystone customer, this is for you. In a crisis, panic and confusion spread fast. Everyone wants answers. The team needs clarity and direction. Without it, morale drops and execution stalls. This is when great operators step up. They cut through noise, anchor to facts, find leverage, and get to work. Your job is to reduce ambiguity, direct energy, and focus the team. Create tangible progress while others spin. Goal #1: Bring the plane down safely. Here’s how to lead through it. Right now: 1. Identify the root cause. Fast. Don’t start without knowing what broke. Fixing symptoms won’t fix the problem. You don’t have time to be wrong twice. 2. Define success. Then get clear on what’s sufficient. What gets us out of the crisis? What’s the minimum viable outcome that counts as a win? This isn’t the time for nice-to-haves. Don’t confuse triage with polish. 3. Align the team. Confusion kills speed. Be explicit about how we’ll operate: Who decides what. What pace we’ll move at. How we’ll know when we’re done Set the system to direct energy. 4. Get moving. Pull the people closest to the problem. Clarify the root cause. Identify priority one. Then go. Get a quick win on the board. Build momentum. Goal one is to complete priority one. That’s it. 5. Communicate like a quarterback Lead the offense. Make the calls. Own the outcome. Give the team confidence to execute without hesitation. Reduce latency. Get everyone in one thread or room. Set fast check-ins. Cover off-hours. Keep signal ahead of chaos. 6. Shrink the loop. Move to 1-day execution cycles. What did we try? What happened? What’s next? Short loops create momentum. Fast learning is fast winning. 7. Unblock the team (and prep the company to help). You are not a status collector. You are a momentum engine. Clear paths. Push decisions. Put partner teams on alert for support. Crises expose systems. And leaders. Your job is to land the plane. Once it’s down, figure out what failed, what needs to change, and how we move forward. Land the plane. Learn fast. Move forward. That’s how successful operators lead through it.

How a 250 bed hospital turned a 4 hr emergency delay into a 30 min turnaround, using predictive analytics. This hospital was struggling: - Emergency surgeries were delayed due to unavailability of blood units - Critical care beds were full, with no visibility on patient discharge - Inventory spend was skyrocketing, yet they often ran out of essentials - Staff burnout was rising due to mismanaged scheduling They were losing patients and trust. That’s when they decided to act. We helped them implemented a predictive analytics platform built on historical patient data, seasonal demand patterns and supply chain analytics. Within 6 months, here’s what transformation we bring in: 1) Emergency response time dropped from 4 hours to 30 minutes 2) 28% decrease in wastage of medicines and surgical tools 3) ICU bed utilization improved by 35% 4) Staff schedules aligned better with actual patient flow A report by McKinsey highlights AI, traditional machine learning and deep learning are projected to generate net savings in the U.S. healthcare sector of $200 bn to $360 bn annually In a sector where seconds matter, prediction is the edge. In healthcare domain, your hospital doesn't need to be the biggest. It needs to be the smartest to expand and impact more lives! Agree? #Healthcareinnovation #Predictiveanalytics #Hospital #Healthtech

⏳ Your calendar isn’t just a schedule, it’s a strategy. One of the most overlooked leadership skills? 
👉 Time regulation. Not just managing tasks, but protecting your energy, prioritizing wisely, and using tools (like AI) to work smarter. Here’s what it looks like in action: 🧠 Value your energy, not just your hours.
 You don’t get bonus points for burnout. Productivity peaks when you build in time to recover.
 Emma, a senior marketing director I coached, began treating her time like an asset. She blocked 90-minute “deep work” windows twice a week, no meetings, no Slack. Her creative output soared. 🤖 Use AI as a force multiplier.
 Emma used AI to summarize decks, prep agendas, and analyze campaign data. These actions gave her back hours to lead and think strategically. I am improving my performance by using ai tools like Perplexity to accelerate my search, Speechify to listen to business and academic articles and books while I commute, and Grammarly to minimize rework! 🌱 Recharge with intention.
 She stopped skipping lunch. It sounds small, but it gave her afternoons back. Energy is a performance driver, not a luxury. 📅 Audit your calendar regularly.
 Emma color-coded hers into “strategic,” “operational,” and “noise.” After two weeks, she cut 30% of her recurring meetings and empowered her team to step up. 🎯 Measure what matters.
 She shifted her weekly check-ins to focus on what moved the needle and what still needs attention. 💬 Thought bubble:
 Time isn’t just what you spend—it’s how you lead.
If you don’t protect it, no one else will. As a leadership coach, advisor, and L&D professional, I empower business leaders and their teams to become more effective, cohesive, and adaptive to thrive in an AI-driven workplace. #Leadership #SelfRegulation #TimeManagement #Productivity #AI #FutureOfWork #LeadershipDevelopment #Coach #Advisor #JennyFernandez #Thinkers50 #MG100 #BestAdvice https://lnkd.in/eBcfga7Z

𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫, 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 24 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞? 😱 I've been there too. 😢 Initially, as a one-man army, and even after expanding my team, time always seemed scarce, leading to postponed tasks and increased stress. After years of juggling responsibilities, I've honed in on three powerful strategies that have consistently helped me maximize my days, and I'm excited to share them with you: 💁♀️ 168 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 - 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: Remember, every week has 168 hours. Start by blocking out personal activities like sleep, family time, and self-care on your calendar. Then schedule fixed meetings and carve out 2-4 hours for your most productive periods to focus on strategic planning, lead generation, and sales conversion. Use the remaining time for lower-priority tasks or simply take a break. 📈 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱 (𝐄𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱): This tool is invaluable for prioritizing daily tasks. 🔑 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨: 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭: Immediate tasks crucial for your business. 😷 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭: Tasks that are vital for long-term success but don't require immediate action. 🤗 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭: Delegate these to free up your strategic bandwidth. 🤔 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭: Eliminate or postpone to focus on what truly matters. 😪 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲: Embrace the calm of the morning. If waking up early is challenging, try adjusting your alarm 5 minutes earlier each day. Within 12 days, you’ll find yourself starting an hour earlier, less stressed, and more capable of tackling your key tasks head-on. 🌄 Using these strategies, ✌ I've transformed my workdays from overwhelming to highly productive. Whether you're leading a large team or just starting out, integrating these approaches can significantly boost your efficiency and reduce stress. VC : Social Media Unknown 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨-𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞? 𝐋𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰! 📑 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭, 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴. #TimeManagementTips #ProductivityHacks #MaximizeYourDay #TimeBlocking #coachishleenkaur #businesscoach LinkedIn News LinkedIn News India LinkedIn for Small Business

Missed deadlines can cost you more than money. Here’s my framework for handling delays proactively. Deadlines are never as simple as they seem. You set a date. The client agrees. It’s all written in the contract. But then reality hits. • The client delays feedback. • A third-party vendor misses a critical delivery. • Your lead developer takes an unexpected leave. Suddenly, that deadline is not fixed anymore. But you know what the problem is? Most contracts treat deadlines as if they exist in a vacuum. But projects aren’t linear. • They’re messy. • They rely on moving parts - many outside your control. Rigid deadlines leave no room for inevitable hiccups. What happens next? 1. Unrealistic Expectations Clients expect delivery no matter what - even if they caused the delay. 2. Penalties and Disputes Missed deadlines can lead to financial penalties or clients abandoning the project. 3. Burnout Your team works late at night to meet impossible deadlines. Quality suffers. Morale dips. But then what's the solution? You build flexibility into your contracts. From the start. 1. Add Buffer Periods If the project is estimated at 3 months, set the deadline for 4. Better to deliver early than scramble to finish late. 2. Plan for Contingencies What happens if the client delays feedback? What if there’s a tech issue? Have a process in place for revising deadlines. 3. Keep Communication Open Always keep your client in the loop. If there’s a delay, inform them ASAP. Those are some of the ways you can build flexibility in your contract. Make sure you are never too rigid with them, otherwise it hurts the brand image. —— 📌 If you need my help with drafting custom contracts for your high-ticket projects, then DM me "Contract". #Startups #Founders #Contract #Law #Business

I feel overwhelmed at times: - Overwhelmed by the thought of slowing down. - Overwhelmed by the fear of missing deadlines. - Overwhelmed by concerns about not being productive. - Overwhelmed by the feeling of losing control of the schedule. I rarely take time to think and reflect in the midst of balancing my packed schedule. Here are some targeted strategies to manage overwhelm and find balance: ➡ Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time in your daily schedule for focused work, breaks, and personal reflection. Use a tool like Google Calendar to visually organize your day. ➡ Daily Review: Start each day by listing your top 3 priorities. Focus on completing these high-impact tasks first to maintain productivity without feeling overwhelmed by a long to-do list. ➡ Reflective Journaling: Dedicate 5-10 minutes at the end of each day to jot down your thoughts, challenges, and successes. This helps in processing your day and planning improvements. ➡ “Do Not Disturb” Periods: Implement periods during your day when you turn off notifications and avoid checking emails to concentrate fully on tasks or personal time. ➡ Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work in 25-minute intervals followed by a 5-minute break. This technique helps maintain focus and reduces feelings of being overwhelmed by breaking tasks into manageable chunks. ➡ Weekly Planning Sessions: Spend 30 minutes each week reviewing upcoming deadlines, tasks, and goals. Adjust your schedule to align with priorities and reduce last-minute stress. Incorporate one or more specific strategies might work for you and create a more balanced, reflective approach to your busy schedule. Take that needed break and Enjoy your Weekend 😊 #Timemanagement #Productivity #Balance #Reflection

𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐣𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱. As the pressure mounted, I noticed the telltale signs of stress creeping in – sleepless nights, short temper, and that ever-growing mental checklist. In the midst of this chaos, a mentor shared a simple yet profound piece of advice: "Pause, breathe, prioritize." Skeptical at first, I decided to give it a shot. 🧘♂️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: Instead of plunging headlong into my to-do list, I took a mindful pause. A few deep breaths later, I prioritized tasks based on urgency and importance. I also took short breaks to stretch, hydrate, and recalibrate my focus. Surprisingly, this intentional approach not only improved my productivity but also had a ripple effect on my team. By managing my stress, I created a positive atmosphere that encouraged open communication and collaboration. 🚀 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞: In the face of deadlines, take a moment to collect your thoughts. A few deep breaths can work wonders.💭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲: Break down tasks, prioritize them based on urgency, and tackle one thing at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all!🌐 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬: Incorporate short breaks for self-care – whether it's a brisk walk, a cup of tea, or a quick mindfulness exercise. Remember, it's okay not to have it all figured out, but it's crucial to have strategies in place to navigate the challenges. Here's to a stress-resilient and thriving workplace culture! #StressManagement #WorkplaceWellness #ProfessionalDevelopment #MindfulnessAtWork #CareerSuccess

The Trap of Urgency 🚨 and the Power of Prioritization 🚦 Urgency can feel like the “One Ring” of productivity; it demands your attention, promising quick results but often leading to burnout and inefficiency. The more you rely on urgency, the more it “corrupts” your ability to focus on what truly matters. Here’s how to take control: 📌 Recognize the trap: Urgent tasks often feel critical, but they’re not always important. 📌 Use a prioritization tool: Leverage tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to separate: - Urgent & Important: Do these immediately. - Important but Not Urgent: Schedule them. - Urgent but Not Important: Delegate or minimize. - Neither Urgent nor Important: Eliminate or ignore. 📌Focus on impact: Prioritize tasks that align with long-term goals, not just immediate demands. 📌 Reflect often: Regularly review your priorities to avoid slipping into reactive mode. 💡 Remember: Not all that’s urgent deserves your attention. Prioritize wisely, and you’ll reclaim your time ⏳and energy 🔋. Picture 🔝from Roberto Ferraro