By David B. Savage, Savage Management Ltd.

“I am all for this and I am too busy right now.”

In this era, we are all guilty of being too busy. For some reason, we embrace “too busy” as a great compliment. Too busy has come to mean “I am important.”

Busyness is an addition. Busyness is a distraction from effectiveness. Busyness is a place to hide and not serve our greater purpose. Busyness is bad for business.

Let that sink in; busyness is a distraction from effectiveness.

We believe that less than 20% of our activity creates at least 80% of the value in our work. To be more effective, we know focusing on what matters most is critical. Not much value in reading and responding to those 150 emails you receive every day. What if we protected two hours out of every 24 to focus on creating better ways of doing our business? During that two hour period, we might give ourselves time to think, collaborate with our organization or collaborate with our peers in business and our community? During this effectiveness focus time, our questions might include; what are the most important three things I must focus on to build my work in my community in a manner that is healthy and sustainable? Two hours each day to start with a clean sheet of paper, without policies, rules or the way things have been done around here; imagine the change that is possible. Imagine the power of effectiveness vs. busyness.

A great deal of attention in business, not for profits and government is currently on Lean Six Sigma. According to Wikipedia; “A Lean manufacturing, lean enterprise, or lean production, often simply, “Lean,” is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service, “value” is defined as any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for.“

Notice that busyness often does not generate real value; busyness most often generates activity, meetings, to do lists and more busyness. Notice that Lean calls us to better understanding the value we create. Lean calls us to focus on the things, relationships, costs and opportunities that matter.

I ask; where does busyness and leadership meet? What is your answer? Where do you choose to lead? What is the value in leadership for you, your family, your community and your organization?

A real life case is the Kootenay Leadership network many of us in the Kootenays in British Columbia have been building. Kootenay Leadership is an organic, evolutionary collaborative that connects, serves, mentors, educates, challenges and celebrates leaders and leadership in the Kootenays of British Columbia. Kootenay Leadership has the potential to contribute to positive change in local communities, the Kootenays and beyond…through nurturing principled, collaborative leaders.

While we now have many (possibly over 100) people in the West and East Kootenays who like the idea and want to be part of this collaborative, we have a mere handful of people who are willing to make the time to lead.

A leadership group is for current and future leaders not for watchers. All of the people who are interested in Kootenay Leadership are busy. All of us must take the lean approach to our volunteer commitments. That brings the question; “how important to me and my work is connecting, serving, mentoring, educating, challenging and celebrating leaders and leadership in the Kootenays?”

I work with professionals and organizations developing their negotiation mastery and leadership strength. Therefore, committing my time to something that is completely aligned with my purpose is natural. Wanting the best for our region’s future is important to me. However, committing many of my hours for no direct ‘value’, according to Lean Six Sigma, is a waste of my resources. Too much giving away Savage is a bad choice when he can be charging good money to consult, coach and train professionals and organizations that want to advance themselves.

I choose to continue to commit/ volunteer two hours every week to connecting, coaching, educating and celebrating leadership and leaders in the Kootenays of B.C. While many stay on the sidelines watching, join us. There is tremendous value in growing our leadership in our region. Participate in a monthly meeting in your area. Share your successes, challenges and time. Learn from others on leadership. Let’s commit our valuable time to supporting our 16 to 40 year old current and future leaders. Let’s reduce the drain of our human capital to Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna and elsewhere. Instead, let’s attract that demographic to live and prosper here.

If you wish to find out more about Kootenay Leadership or about my work for leaders and negotiators, contact me at [email protected].

What do you value? How do you build your value? And where are the people that support you in your purpose?

My question to you, for your work, life and Kootenay Leadership is “where does busyness and leadership meet?  There is little more important to you and your organization than your exploration of that question. And, on the flip side, there is a great value in stopping much of what makes us “too busy”. Busyness is a distraction from effectiveness.

David Savage sees conflict as a door to positive breakthroughs. He has been successful as a leading change agent since 1975. David cofounded Synergy Alberta, the Alberta ERCB ADR Committee, the Company to Company ADR Council, the Global Negotiation Insight Institute, the Professional Enneagram Association of Canada and the Kootenay Leadership Institute. In January 2012, David’s co-authored book Ready Aim Excel: A Weekly Guide to Personal and Professional Leadership became the #1 business bestseller on Amazon. www.savagemanage.com

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