Rules of Engagement

In the last 15 years, I've had the privilege to work with some amazing people, learn from great leaders and have some really valuable experiences - from the Marines to the FBI to EY. On the contrary, I've also worked for some really bad leaders, difficult personalities and learned many lessons the hard way. I was an infantry Marine after all - I learn best the hard way - some call this learning through experience, I call it the hard way.

That said, through the process, one of the things that has always irritated me is when behaviors (work or otherwise) adversely impact the morale and efficiency of others around us.

For example, when your manager peppers you with non-urgent emails at all hours of the night and weekend just to clear their inbox. What are the downstream effects on your team? I can tell you. They become anxious that you are working and they are not. So I ask...are those emails really necessary at that time? Could you write them and queue them to send first thing in the morning? Are you, as a leader or manager, simply clearing your inbox for your own good but without consideration for your team? Where else are your actions causing your team frustration?

What about if you are an individual contributor? Are you spending too much time distracted while you work? Social media, texts, news, etc. Why not add a little discipline to your schedule so you can be more efficient? I bet your manager won't ask as many questions about progress and status of work.

These are the reasons I wanted to share the rules of engagement I've used with teams in the past.

1) No emails after 6pm, before 7am or on the weekends - unless it's an emergency (and if it is, you should probably call). If you cannot get your emails out between 7a and 6p on weekdays, you probably need to get more organized or plan better. The intent is to reduce stress on the team from getting hammered with emails at all hours and to encourage forward thinking behaviors.

2) Check and clear your email 3 times per day - first thing in the morning, around lunch time and right before the day ends. That way, no one ever waits more than 3 hours or so for a response. I've never had a business email that required a response faster. If it does, they should call you, not email. 

3) Avoid spending time on social media, instant messenger, text messaging, etc. during business hours - it is a total time suck. Not to mention, science shows that it takes 20 minutes to fully focus on your task. If you are constantly interrupting yourself, you never get fully focused, which leads to lack of productivity, frustration and the feeling that you'll never complete all your tasks. 

4) Prioritize your work before getting started each day. I'd encourage you to do it the day before at the end of the day - you know what needs to get done at that time and it's a good feeling to open your laptop in the morning with your priority list already established - you can get straight to work. 

5) Eat the frog first - meaning, do your hardest task first. It's a great feeling if you've accomplished the hardest thing by 10a each day. Gives you a boost of energy and confidence to tackle the next tasks. 

I'm certain there are many more that could be included. Feel free to add to the list or give feedback!

Thanks for reading.