We are welcoming back for the third time on the podcast, because he’s just that good, Dermot Crowley - a maestro of efficiency and author of several productivity books including his latest, Lead Smart.
This episode is chock full of productivity and prioritisation insights that will especially appeal to busy leaders looking to build highly productive teams.
Dermot explains the different productivity types that exist within our teams – and how each brings a unique flavour to how work gets done. Understanding this will be a game-changer for reducing friction and boosting team synergy. We also tackle the ever-present challenge of maintaining personal productivity boundaries as a leader. Dermot shares some golden nuggets on how to protect and honour your time, and we explore a subtle yet powerful shift in prioritisation.
Have you got a leadership philosophy for productivity?
Why you should listen: stop drowning in tasks with some leadership prioritisation
What’s fixed and what can flex in your leadership priorities?
We explore building a culture of productivity
Using archetypes to understand your team dynamics
Ditch urgent for important with a new framework for prioritisation
Where are your leadership boundaries and do they serve you?
Take action
Create an avatar of your project priorities and imagine it when you're looking at bumping them for somebody else's stuff.
Tip of the week
Is from my book, Composure: How Centered Leaders Make the Biggest Impact, and in chapter two, Choosing the Quest, I outline reverse engineering planning by starting with the end in mind. Check it out, it’s very powerful.
Come along to the Leadership Conclave for some deep reflection, planning and yes, prioritisation for how you want 2024 to be.
Never miss an episode. Get the BONUS SECRET RECORDING from People Stuff and
all the latest episodes delivered weekly when you subscribe.
About Dermot Crowley
Dermot Crowley is one of Australia’s leading thought leaders on Productivity. He has over 25 years of experience teaching people to work more effectively in the modern workplace, and has been running his own productivity training business for over 20 years. He is the author of four books, Smart Work, Smart Teams, Lead Smart and Urgent!
Dermot is passionate about productivity and believes that the best way to boost effectiveness is to combine practical productivity strategies with the technology already at our fingertips like MS Outlook and OneNote. Get ready for Dermot to shift old mindsets, inspire new possibilities and change your behaviours around productivity.
Find out more: https://adaptproductivity.com.au/about/
Key moments
Planet Human: We continue to be mired in conflict and that weighs heavily. In better news, Sam Altman returns to OpenAI, and ChatGPT moves forward so I’ll be watching that with interest.
Planet Zoë: From the ski-fields of Japan to the production cycle for my next beek, Olympus Bound, I’m managing both work and play! I now have a pre-order page for Olympus Bound and a cover that I love! Check it out.
Meet Dermot Crowley (00:02:19) Zoë introduces Dermot Crowley, a productivity expert, and discusses his latest book "Lead Smart."
A Productivity Lifestyle (00:03:05) Dermot shares his lifestyle changes during COVID and how it has impacted his productivity.
Evolution of Dermot's Book Series (00:04:50) Dermot explains the evolution of his book series from personal productivity to productivity cultures and leadership.
Productivity Types and Cultures (00:08:48) Dermot discusses different productivity types and their impact on building a productive culture.
Resolving Power Struggles (00:13:07) Dermot and Zoë discuss resolving conflicts and power struggles between different productivity styles.
Challenges in Setting Boundaries (00:18:29) Exploring the challenges leaders face in setting boundaries and protecting their time for priorities.
Managing Fixed and Flexible Activities (00:20:22) The difference between fixed and flexible activities and their impact on productivity.
The importance of time management (00:21:42) Explains the difference between priorities and tasks and the impact of urgency on productivity.
Protecting and honouring time (00:22:51) Discusses the importance of protecting time for important tasks and honouring that protection to maintain productivity.
Personalising priorities (00:24:45) Suggests personalising priorities with avatars to prevent dismissing important tasks for less urgent matters.
Challenging urgency-driven prioritisation (00:26:20) Challenges the flawed prioritisation based solely on urgency and advocates for a more nuanced approach.
Developing a prioritisation framework (00:27:32) Discusses the importance of developing a prioritisation framework beyond urgency and due dates and the equation for priority determination.
Importance-driven culture (00:30:01) Advocates for building a culture focused on importance rather than urgency to avoid reactivity and drowning in urgency.
Balanced approach to prioritisation (00:32:25) Emphasises the need for a balanced approach to prioritisation and the importance of being responsive while also prioritising important tasks.
Executive and EA relationship (00:34:44) Discusses the dynamics of the executive and executive assistant relationship and the importance of visibility and shared planning routines.
Weekly planning routine (00:39:23) Highlights the significance of a joint weekly planning routine for executives and their assistants to align priorities and improve productivity.
Leadership and productivity insight (00:41:10) Shares the concept of "above the line" leadership and its impact on productivity and leadership effectiveness.
Meeting cultures in organisations (00:42:25) Expresses the need to decompress schedules and protect time for important work due to overwhelming meeting cultures in organisations.
👉🏼 Want to share your experience? Ask a question? Share a resource? Jump on our podcast Facebook page here.
Related episodes on leadership productivity
31 Productivity tips on how to boost your leadership performance with Dermot Crowley
84 Leadership strategies to help teams work better together with author Dermot Crowley
A leadership framework for outstanding team chemistry
About your host, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.