You are exhausted, drained, stressed, unhappy, and feel like you just can't get on top of things. No matter how hard you work, you are always playing catch up. You can't even contemplate a vacation because the sheer volume of tasks would sink your portfolio in your absence so you stick it out. But there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Ultimately something will give, and this is a huge reason for the burnout and turnover rates experienced in retail facility management.
The key to getting ahead of things, and creating a system with long-term sustainability, is to spend your time working on higher level matters that prevent issues from arising. Unfortunately, many facility maintenance professionals instead spend their time constantly putting out fires, and never manage to catch up.
The need to work in Quadrant 2.
Covey's time-management matrix stakes the claim that the most effective and successful people spend their time in Quadrant 2 working on matters that are important but not urgent. Here are 5 reasons that you as a facility professional should pay attention to this great advice:
Money
Letting things move into Quadrant 1 (Urgent and Important) means that you are now dealing with fires that need to be put out. This controls your time, prevents you from getting ahead of your challenges, costs you more money, causes store downtime, and unnecessarily increases everyone's stress levels.
Time
If you let tasks move into Quadrant 1 (Urgent and Important) they now need to be dealt with immediately and your schedule is now being externally controlled. Your time is eaten up, you aren't able to strategize to get ahead of your challenges, and you are constantly putting out fires.
Stress
Having to deal with things at the last minute can be extremely stressful, especially when unforeseen challenges come your way. If you are putting out fires at the last minute you will be paying more than you should be, there might be challenges associated with sourcing vendors and materials, and your store associates, and ultimately your supervisors, will be on your back. You are working extremely hard but aren't getting anywhere. You feel like a dog that is chasing its tail but is never actually able to achieve the goal. To make matters worse, as you are working on all of these urgent matters, other tasks on your plate are now sliding into the urgent category and the cycle continues. Unless you start making changes soon, this cycle will perpetuate and you will never be able to get your facilities to the point where you would like them to be.
Efficiency
By focusing on Quadrant 2, it means that you are addressing issues before they become urgent. They can be handled in lower pressure settings, and challenges can be averted before they start taking over your life. Spending anytime in Quadrants 3 and 4 is a complete waste of time as the tasks located here are Unimportant and consequently should be eliminated! Focus on the Important and Not Urgent, and watch your productivity and success skyrocket!
Sustainability
If you are constantly putting out fires, sooner or later something is going to have to give. You will become burned out, your budget will disappear faster than anticipated, your stress levels will become dangerous because you are having to handle a higher number of emergency and after-hours calls, and you could also lose your job due to poor performance. You and everyone around you recognize that you are working extremely hard, but are you working on the right things? Is your MO sustainable and scalable? Is it healthy? Just remember that timing is critical to success and if you are doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, it doesn't matter how hard you work, it is going to end negatively.
If you are not working in Quadrant 2, it's a miracle that you even managed to find this blog, let alone read it! Kudos to you for recognizing the unsustainable nature of your current methods, and for making a change that is going to positively impact all areas of your life.
Schedule a consultation today and we will provide you with 6 simple steps that will allow you to leave Quadrant 1, and never return! Taking 30 minutes out of your schedule today, will save you thousands of minutes in the long run. Contact us today and take control of your schedule once and for all. We look forward to sharing these strategies with you, and watching your transformation as your daily tasks become manageable, sustainable and enjoyable!