Remembering A time

I was reminded ot 'A' time yesterday.  The day was an endless succession of calls, emails, and texts all of which were urgent.  At the same time I I really wanted to scope out a new product - but there just wasn't the time.

I finally rushed out of the office to a meeting with a service provider because my client wanted some interface software written.  It turned out that there were already packaged solutions out there, but my client thought they were a bit expensive.  Repeat after me slowly - Packaged solutions are alway cheaper than bespoke. I left quickly and got to my next meeting very early, and the client was out  of the office.  I had to wait 40 minutes in reception until he turned up.

40 minutes with no phone, fax, email or MSN.  When the client turned up he was full of apologies, but he had done me a big favour.  In that 40 minutes I had scoped out the new product.  He had in fact forced me to take 40 minutes of 'A' time.

The idea of 'A' Time is simple.  You designate an hour a day when the phone is on voice mail, MSN and email are shut down, and everyone knows to take messages.  During that hour you focus on what is important rather than what is urgent. 

The problem with most managers is that the urgent always gets in the way of the important.  In the end the important stuff never gets done - or gets done in the evening when you are not at your best.  'A' Time should be taken when you are at a peak in your daily cycle -  if you are a morning person (like me) you take it in the morning. 

There is a book about it but I can't find it.  Repeat after me slowly Never give a book a title containing words that appear in zillions of sentences throughout the web.