Psychology Today recently published an article about Last-Minute-Itis: the disease of cancelling plans at the last minute thanks to our easy access to technology. With the typing of a few letters and a couple of strategically placed emojis, we can blow off dinner dates, meetings and events with the press of a finger. Often times we don’t even bother sending off the excuse, we just no-show. Consider how many plans you have moved in the past month or no-showed for because you had a long day at work and simply didn’t feel like it, or overextended yourself and ended up being unable to meet all your commitments?
I watch this Last-Minute-Itis with leaders as we overschedule ourselves so that we can’t fit in the things that really matter. Team meetings get deprioritized. One-to-one check-ins are rescheduled. We prioritize things that drive profit over things that engage people and, in doing so, send a clear message to our teams: you aren’t that important. If we want to increase engagement and productivity, we need to prioritize relationships and people. Keeping your commitments matters. One of the most important things to master as a leader is the ability to create boundaries.
What do you need to say ‘no’ to in order to keep your commitments?
Psychology Today article: Last Minute Itis: The Behavior Plague of Our Time | Psychology Today Canada
