Your ability to do the right things, at the right time, for right length of time in order to achieve your goals will ultimately be the key element in your success. Staying focused on your high pay off activities is the key to productivity and productivity is the well spring of success.

The introduction of mobile communication, text, voice mail, email etc simply means that we are all just a matter of seconds away from an interruption or distraction. How long does it take between a telephone ringing, and email pinging or some other such alert informing us that somebody somewhere wants our attention.

Technology was developed to aid productivity and to drive efficiency in the work place. Having spent years in automotive and engineering production facilities, during my previous life,

I can add testimony to the success of such developments however I worry that technology is now getting in the way of individuals personal productivity. A key to managing this situation is by managing expectations. If you always respond to an email by return it will become expected, it will become normal. If you always answer your mobile when it rings it will become expected and normal.

Let’s be honest what percentage of communications really demand our immediate attention? If on the other hand you schedule time during the day to read emails and prioritise them, you listen to your voice mail and prioritise them in order of importance you can take control of your own agenda. If you communicate this to your staff, colleagues and clients then their expectations are more informed.

If you say you will call someone back in 30 minutes and you call them back after 60 minutes they will be annoyed, if on the other hand you tell someone you will get back to them in 90 minutes and you call them in 60 minutes they think you are great. You have delivered exactly the same service the only difference being  that you have managed their expectation.

Schedule your day around your high pay of activities and manage the expectations of others, go on be brave, turn off you phone for an hour, turn off your email for an hour…..the world will still be there when you turn them back on!!