Reflection Point – Beware the dreaded “drift”

The start of the year is often a wonderful time to view things afresh and to get clear on your responsibilities and KPI’s.  In your leadership role you may call these something different – your strategic priorities, key business results or critical outcomes.  Regardless of the language, what really matters is slowing down long enough to assess how these priorities align with how you are actually spending your time.

Read that sentence again slowly:

How well do your priorities align with how you are actually spending your time?

For many leaders I am working with, their responsibilities and KPI’s, or the business results they must deliver, can easily get lost between a schedule packed with meetings and an overflowing inbox.  They lose sight of where the priorities are for their time, and the most crucial focus areas. They simply lose time to “do their job” as their days are full of meetings, and then responding to hundreds of emails.  I call this the dreaded drift…

Thinking about your schedule – two simple questions can support rigorous scrutiny of your days and weeks  – WHY, and FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

Why do I need to be at this meeting, and for what purpose, or outcome?

And the question I have asked myself – is how I am spending my time moving me towards the most important priorities in my work and business?

Getting clear on your key priorities for 2026 is critical.  Even in days packed with meetings, it will then provide crucial focus for the small windows of opportunity you have to connect with the work that matters most (and ensure that those around you also stay focussed on these!).

Carve out some time in your week to consider the following questions.

Question 1

What are your most important priorities for 2026?

Question 2

a)  Look across your next four weeks.  Is how you are spending your time at work supporting these priorities?  Look ahead in your diary and find windows of time you can allocate specifically to working on these priorities on a weekly and monthly basis.

 b) Consider if there are any conversations you need to have at work to support how you spend your time, including with your teams and how they spend their time!

Question 3

  Our previous Reflection Point talked about creating deeper connections at work.  If this is important for you in 2026, how might you incorporate time or focus for this within your schedule over the next four weeks?