124: Q & A #7: Priority Cagematches, Cultivating Diversity, and Troubleshooting Too-Intense Plans

Summary: Angela joins Charlie as they tackle another question & answer session, exploring the priority cage match, how to bring in more diversity into your company, and what to do when your plans are too intense.   Key Takeaways: [0:54] - Can you elaborate more on the priorities cage match? How do you allot time to things in the middle? [2:41] - When you work on several things, it’s easy to see that some things may not hold as much urgency. As the cage match illuminates your priorities, there’s a middle section of projects and goals that aren’t the most important, but they’re also not at the bottom. [6:18] - Put these projects in the schedule and devote time to them, and don’t allow yourself to get distracted by other things. The progress might not look the same as with the first-priority projects, but that is okay. [8:07] - Do you stack functions or devote certain days to certain tasks? The more you can stack in the productive areas of your life, the better off you are. [10:57] - Some of these projects get stuck in the middle because we don’t give ourselves permission to do things that make us come alive. [12:45] - As a company which has started to incorporate more diversity into our leadership, how can we grow in this aspect, and groom people from more diverse backgrounds to become leaders in our company? [13:32] - Don’t be reactive about diversity. Be proactive about getting engaged with the communities you want to be diverse in. [16:53] - Diversity by design: Your organization becomes diverse because you design it that way, rather than hoping it will become that way. Be strategic about how you approach groups and market yourself as a diversity-friendly company. [21:07] - Make sure people from the diverse backgrounds have the awareness of, and same access to the professional development opportunities that everyone else does. [23:53] - How do you decide whether your plan is too intense-activity heavy? Do you have tips for noticing you’re doing this while planning? [24:45] - We don’t have as much of the high-peak creative time as we would like. We often under-account for how taxing mental activity is. [26:02] - Think about your work more like a fitness regime: you have to balance the sprints with the jogs and the walks. It’s better to put three solid points on the board every day, rather than some days where you have none because you tapped out the previous day. [29:33] - Working at a good 85% with 100% focus, and being okay with the additional margin, is a good place to be in because it gives you space to spend with whatever else comes up in your life. [30:39] - When you look at your list, really sort by how heavy of an activity is going to be. If you notice they are all very involved, look at how you can spread them out.   Mentioned in This Episode: Creative Giant Campfire Facebook Group Productive Flourishing: Project Cagematch