I am never too busy for you

The feeling is somewhere between guilt and anxiety. I think most of us have experienced it, maybe even a few times this week. It happens when your to-do list is overflowing, your schedule leaves not one minute to spare, and a teammate is frantically messaging you with an urgent question. Whatever you call it, the feeling is not pleasant. Should we dub it "guiltxiety"?

Every day is busy. It can often seem like there is never enough time and we are drowning in calendar clutter.

The unpleasant feeling is real. But all that busyness is usually a mirage. Several years ago, I wrote about this phenomenon in an Aha! blog post. I shared that many folks see "being busy" as a badge of honor — a sign of importance and being essential. Take a closer look at what occupies your time, though, and you might not like what you see.

The double-booked meetings are not moving anything forward. The stacked to-do list is filled with routine reviews. For those of us in a leadership position, there is a propensity for others to want your involvement to help move work forward and get high-level feedback. That is incredibly important, but there is a catch-22 as well. You cannot be an engaged and impactful leader if you are equally mired in empty work.

Being busy only matters if what makes you busy is actually meaningful — actions that lead to tangible value.

We all get the same 24 hours in a day. You cannot make more time to do everything. So it is up to us to use that time wisely. You can create space for what truly matters: what is top priority based on the intersection of your skills, the company and team's needs, and where your influence will be most valuable.

In many ways, what I prioritize has not shifted greatly since Aha! was an early-stage startup. I spend most of my days working closely with the team, having conversations with customers, and planning for the future. Things pop up along the way, but there are a few activities that I know need my attention and are deeply meaningful for the long-term health of the company — things I will never offload or delay.

For example, I am never too busy for:

• Guiding our strategic planning process

• Meeting with direct reports at least one hour a week

• Attending key product team meetings

• Engaging with customers on new product concepts

• Meeting all late-stage job candidates

• Conducting a training session for all new hires

• Spending two hours with new teammates at their first Aha! onsite

Now is a good time to get your priorities in order — especially as we head into a new year, which will bring with it many unknowns. What will you always make time to do? What will you deprioritize or delegate?

I am able to quickly answer these questions because I have a rubric for vetting what comes my way. Here is how I approach it:

What are my goals?

Center on what matters most. Values influence decisions and actions. Goals signal desired outcomes. You need both elements to truly know where you can guide and support the team's success.

Note that the grandiosity of the activity does not matter here. It is about using values and goals to understand the context surrounding what the activity can lead toward. For example, many of the priorities on my bulleted list above are 1:1 interactions with teammates at critical points in their Aha! journeys. I know this level of engagement is vital for building a sustainable company.

Am I the best person for the task?

Know where you are needed. Even if something does fit into your values and goals, it does not mean you are the best person to do it. Obviously, some work is yours for a reason — guiding strategic planning is core to leading a company. But step back and objectively evaluate the rest.

Someone else might do a better job. Someone might be eager to learn a new skill. Someone might be ready to take on more responsibility. Not doing a task yourself does not mean you cannot still support as a leader.

What are the consequences of skipping?

Gauge the urgency. You have to be clear on the cost of skipping or delaying something. At Aha! we follow The Responsive Method (TRM), which encourages responding to requests as quickly as possible.

But you can still "be TRM," as we say, and postpone an activity (or even say no to it). The difference is that you have answered the questions above and are able to explain why.

What has to go?

Cull the list continuously. You cannot keep adding action items and to-dos without eventually removing something to make room for what is new. How do you make those trade-offs so you can be sure you choose wisely? Well, you just go back through these questions.

The best leaders are the most engaged leaders. Showing up for what matters most helps you build empathy and model desired behaviors to the team.

So as we close out 2024 and gear up for 2025, whether you are a leader in title or action, I have a challenge for you: Make time. Do the work. Engage more deeply. Start with goals and the team.

Staying close to the work's details and the people doing it builds your empathy — especially when that work is challenging. You will find opportunities to help others contribute because you understand what it takes to do certain work really well. This makes it possible for others to step into leadership roles. And it highlights to the team the value of everyone's contributions.

Now, go get busy.

Want to learn more about how Aha! works? Get to know the team.