I’m curious.
Why?
Why do I get the impression that you aren’t doing what you know you should, but are resisting?
In his book “The Success Principles”, author Jack Canfield defines complaining as ‘seeing a better way but being unwilling to do anything about it.’ I know that’s true because I do it, too. He adds that we don’t complain about things we know we can do nothing about, because we ain’t daft. We only complain about things we could affect – but won’t/don’t.
(I was about to add can’t to that short list, but that would be a lie. We just use can’t as an excuse.)
Canfield suggests that our resistance to acting on our complaint is essentially a case of our being risk averse (ironically something we ALL complain is the case with the police service!). the risk is that we may have to commit and, in some cases, be open to criticism, have to change our firmly-set minds, put on a sweat, or experience some other discomfort.
In a lot of cases, we avoid all those things even when what is on their other side is something we know is better.
Question: At any time in the past month, in a personal or professional sense, have you said, “I don’t have time for…..” in the firm knowledge that you really DO have time – but simply aren’t willing to find it?
And yet….
If I followed that question up with, “What training or study into the management of time, or personal productivity, have you undertaken, been provided (and not implemented), or even considered?”
I was on a coaching call the other day, and someone mentioned how they had a goal of better managing their time. I asked, “What books or methods have you studied on time management, up until now?”
None. Not one. No wonder they couldn’t manage their time, they hadn’t taken the time to read even one of the many books on the subject. I recommended my current favourite, an immensely practical book (not mine).
So I ask another question: Are you complaining that you have too much to do and no time to do it – but haven’t done anything about your own ‘time management’, other than make that ever-expanding To Do List on a sheet of A4 or your smartphone?
That’s the ‘you’ equivalent of an administration saying that the new method WILL WORK even though they haven’t actually asked you – the expert – if it will work in your own situation. As once happened to me when, in a room full of desk-focused workers we were told that hot-desking would work. No it wouldn’t, no it didn’t. They hadn’t even assessed our working practices to see if that was so. So they pretended we were doing it, and left us alone.
So here’s a thought. If you are busy and complaining about it, consider doing something about it, even if it’s only spending a couple of quid on learning a better way.
There is no physical, reputational or organisational threat to doing so. I promise.
A book on time management specifically directed towards police officers and staff is available HERE at Amazon, only £12.99, as big as a Blackstone’s, with website support.
Police Time Management 