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. 

Shownotes

See more at: http://www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-prioritisation-dermot-crowley

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.