Time Management In Crisis

I have spent a good percentage of my career in tech in "war rooms". Now I help my CEO and board clients run theirs as efficiently and effectively as possible. Every business hits moments that require urgent, focused action — whether it’s a product crisis, market shift, or existential threat. But a war room isn’t just a room full of smart people reacting fast. It’s a disciplined operating model with three things that matter most: people, process, and exit. Here’s how to run one that works: 1. Assemble the Right People who are: - Cross-functional (Ops, Comms, Legal, Product, Finance) with the seniority and expertise needed to drive a solution - Empowered to decide (no observers, no middle relays) - Clear on roles (strategist, operator, communicator, decision-maker) 2. Ruthlessly Manage Time and Delegation by: - Assigning a war room lead - Delegating all non-critical workflows early to keep war room members focused (and your regular business running) - Keeping a running log for institutional memory and fast reporting 3. Set Clear Exit Criteria by: - Creating the scorecard of metrics or conditions that signal resolution on day one - Implementing ownership hand-off points to BAU teams - Planning time-boxed check-ins to assess wind-down readiness The key? Urgency without chaos. The best war rooms are calm, clear, and decisive. They don’t just react — they resolve. Have you run a war room that worked well? What made the difference? Please comment below! Do you need some help with a moment of crisis or in avoiding a war room all together by designing a preemptive leadership strategy offsite? Feel free to reach out to me here. #Leadership #CrisisManagement #WarRoom #ExecutiveStrategy #DecisionMaking #BusinessContinuity #CrisisLeadership #Operations #HighPerformanceTeams

Land the plane. If you’re in it right now, dealing with a missed goal, a major bug, a failed launch, or an angry keystone customer, this is for you. In a crisis, panic and confusion spread fast. Everyone wants answers. The team needs clarity and direction. Without it, morale drops and execution stalls. This is when great operators step up. They cut through noise, anchor to facts, find leverage, and get to work. Your job is to reduce ambiguity, direct energy, and focus the team. Create tangible progress while others spin. Goal #1: Bring the plane down safely. Here’s how to lead through it. Right now: 1. Identify the root cause. Fast. Don’t start without knowing what broke. Fixing symptoms won’t fix the problem. You don’t have time to be wrong twice. 2. Define success. Then get clear on what’s sufficient. What gets us out of the crisis? What’s the minimum viable outcome that counts as a win? This isn’t the time for nice-to-haves. Don’t confuse triage with polish. 3. Align the team. Confusion kills speed. Be explicit about how we’ll operate: Who decides what. What pace we’ll move at. How we’ll know when we’re done Set the system to direct energy. 4. Get moving. Pull the people closest to the problem. Clarify the root cause. Identify priority one. Then go. Get a quick win on the board. Build momentum. Goal one is to complete priority one. That’s it. 5. Communicate like a quarterback Lead the offense. Make the calls. Own the outcome. Give the team confidence to execute without hesitation. Reduce latency. Get everyone in one thread or room. Set fast check-ins. Cover off-hours. Keep signal ahead of chaos. 6. Shrink the loop. Move to 1-day execution cycles. What did we try? What happened? What’s next? Short loops create momentum. Fast learning is fast winning. 7. Unblock the team (and prep the company to help). You are not a status collector. You are a momentum engine. Clear paths. Push decisions. Put partner teams on alert for support. Crises expose systems. And leaders. Your job is to land the plane. Once it’s down, figure out what failed, what needs to change, and how we move forward. Land the plane. Learn fast. Move forward. That’s how successful operators lead through it.

In one of my recent career coaching sessions with working professionals who have decided to pursue higher studies, a learner shared his challenge of balancing work, family, and study. He felt overwhelmed by the demands of his job, academic responsibilities, and personal life. This is a common concern, and it's essential to address it to achieve a healthy work-life balance. 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤-𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 1. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬: Begin your day by listing tasks in order of importance. Focus on high-priority tasks first to ensure critical work gets done, reducing stress later in the day. 2. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Define specific work hours, study time, and personal time. Communicate these boundaries with colleagues, professors, and family members to avoid interruptions and maintain a clear distinction between different aspects of your life. 3. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬: Leverage tools like calendars, to-do lists, and time-tracking apps to organize your day efficiently. Apps like Trello, Asana, or Google Calendar can help manage tasks and deadlines for both work and study. 4. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬: Incorporate regular breaks into your daily routine to recharge. Short breaks during work or study hours can boost productivity and prevent burnout. 5. 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬: Don't hesitate to delegate tasks when possible. Sharing responsibilities at work and at home can free up time and reduce your workload, allowing you to focus on essential tasks. 6. 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: Focus on one task at a time to enhance productivity and reduce errors. Multitasking can often lead to decreased efficiency and increased stress. 7. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: Schedule time for hobbies, exercise, and relaxation. Prioritizing self-care is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Implementing these time management techniques can significantly improve your ability to balance work, family, and study, leading to greater satisfaction and well-being. Remember, finding the right balance is an ongoing process, and it's okay to adjust your approach as needed. 💙 #worklifebalance #timemanagement #productivitytips #selfcare #boundarysetting #focus #stayorganized #careercoaching #professionaldevelopment #lifetips

The harsh truth? You chose big goals, so you can't expect it to be easy. Your feeling overwhelmed, I get that. Here’s the good news: ↳ It means you’re on the right track. Your plate is full... that’s a sign of ambition. But burnout is real. And you can’t afford to ignore it. If you handle your workload wisely you: ↳ Protect your well-being. ↳ And set yourself up for sustainable success. Here are 5 simple strategies that helped me: 1. Gratitude: Why it matters: → It rewires your brain to focus on positives. → It turns challenges into growth opportunities. → It keeps you grounded in the chaos. How to: Morning Reflection: • Write down 3 things you’re grateful for. Gratitude in the Moment: • Pause and find something to be thankful for. End-of-Day Recap: • Review your day and note what went well.   2. Prioritization: Why it’s crucial: → Not every task is of equal importance. → Effective leaders focus on what matters most. How to: The Eisenhower Matrix: • Divide tasks into Urgent and Important categories. • Use Trello or Asana for task management. The 80/20 Rule: • Identify the tasks that drive results. • Use data analytics to track true impact. Time Blocking: • Allocate time for high-priority tasks. • Use Google Calendar to protect those blocks.   3. Delegation: Why it’s key: → You can’t do it all—nor should you. → Trusting your team lightens your load. How to: Identify Strengths: • Know your team’s strengths and weaknesses. • Assign tasks using Slack or Teams. Communicate Clearly: • Provide clear instructions and expectations. • Use project management tools for clarity. Follow Up, Not Micromanage: • Check in to offer support as needed. • Use task tracking to monitor progress.   4. Mindset: Why it matters: → The journey is mental as well as physical. → Being positive turns obstacles into stepping stones. How to: Reframe Challenges: • See obstacles as learning opportunities. • Use e-learning platforms to upskill. Visualize Success: • Spend time visualizing your goals daily. • Map out steps with visualization apps. Practice Self-Compassion: • Be kind to yourself when things falter. • Reflect using digital journals.   5. Balance: Why it’s non-negotiable: → Sustained success requires both hard work and rest. → A burned-out leader can’t lead effectively. How to: Set Boundaries: • Define clear working hours and stick to them. • Use RescueTime to manage screen time. Prioritize Health: • Make time for exercise, sleep, and health. • Use fitness trackers to meet goals. Schedule Downtime: • Plan breaks and vacations as you would meetings. • Relax with apps like Calm or Headspace.   Now, it's time to put them to use. Because you can cry about having a lot on your plate... But you don't have to. What’s one tool that helps you manage a full plate? 👇 Share your tips in the comments!

🧠 Decide fast. Speak slow. The two most underrated crisis skills In a crisis, most people either freeze, fumble, or turn into a walking Slack notification. But here’s the truth nobody tells you until it’s too late: The leaders who win in chaos aren’t the loudest—they’re the clearest. They make decisions fast. & speak… slow. Because when the house is on fire, the last thing anyone needs is a manager running around with gasoline & a megaphone yelling “STAY CALM!” 🏃♂️ Fast decisions save the day. Fast words usually ruin it. In a crisis, time is oxygen. McKinsey research found that companies that made rapid, bold decisions during disruption outperformed their peers by 40% during recovery. Speed isn’t just competitive—it’s survival. But here’s the nuance: Making decisions fast doesn’t mean talking fast. Panic is contagious. So is composure. 🧠 That’s where neuroscience backs this up: Your tone, cadence, & non-verbal cues regulate your team’s emotional state. Speak slow = You transmit safety. Speak erratically = You light the fuse. Now let’s be clear—this is not easy. In fact, it’s very hard. & it’s always hard. Keeping your voice steady when your brain is screaming? That’s the work. That’s leadership. 🔄 Decide like fire. Speak like water. Let’s break it down: • Decide Fast: Don’t wait for perfect information. Choose the 80% solution & course-correct later. In high-stakes moments, indecision is worse than imperfection. (As the Marines say: “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week.”) • Speak Slow: Not slow-motion slow—deliberate, calm, measured. Think Morgan Freeman, not auctioneer. That tone tells people: “We’ve got this.” 🚫 Avoid the “Reverse Crisis Reflex” Most leaders do the opposite: • They delay key decisions (“Let’s schedule another sync…”) • Then over-explain everything in a 13-paragraph email no one reads • Then wonder why morale tanks That’s called reverse leadership. If you’re slow to decide but quick to talk, congratulations—you’ve become the corporate version of Twitter during a blackout. 🎯 How to build the muscle Here’s how you embed this into your leadership DNA before the next meltdown: • Pre-decide your crisis principles What do you always prioritize in chaos? Safety? Speed? Stakeholder trust? Know it in advance. • Train pressure reps If the first time you practice crisis leadership is in a real one… you’re already late. Simulate. Role-play. Debrief. • Adopt the “3-second pause” rule Before you speak in tension, pause. Let your tone catch up with your intention. • Script your first 30 seconds In crisis comms, the first 30 seconds set the temperature. Write it down now, not during the fire. 🧨 Crisis doesn’t build leaders. It exposes them. Anyone can sound smart on a good day. But on bad days, the real leaders make moves, not noise. So next time chaos hits, remember the golden ratio: Decide fast. Speak slow. Fire in your actions. Water in your voice. #Leadership #Crisis

The moment a crisis hits, an organization needs more people making fast, good decisions than ever before. That is the exact moment most leaders pull every decision up to themselves. The instinct feels responsible. The stakes are high, so the leader stays close to everything. Decisions that were made three levels down now need approval, and managers who had the space to decide last week start waiting for direction. Then the queue builds. Ten decisions reach the leader's desk, then fifty. Many could have been handled by the people closest to them, but everything waits in the same line while the leader gets overloaded. And once people learn that their decision will be overridden, they stop putting judgement into it. They escalate instead of resolving. In a crisis, that pushes decisions away from the people seeing the situation change first. Handling this well requires readiness to be built earlier: 1. Centralize intent, not every decision. Make the priorities and non-negotiables specific, and let the calls stay close to the people with the best information. 2. Set decision rights before the pressure comes, so nobody is working out who owns what while the clock runs. 3. Use the crisis to grow judgment. Ask emerging leaders what they would do before you answer, and hand them ownership where the downside is recoverable. A crisis doesn't build an organization's decision-making capability. It shows where that capability was sitting all along.

Some say PM & PO is too much work for a single person. Have similar doubts? You might reclaim 15–20 hours/week. And it's not rocket science. - Before we dive in, I spent 10 years in product. I talked to, advised, and observed hundreds of PMs. And made all possible productivity mistakes myself, including working 520 extra hours/year. As a rule of thumb, if you have 1-2 teams, anything above 35-40+ hours should be a warning sign. - Here are 10 tactics to get back your time: 1. Leverage the Pareto principle According to it, 80% of outcomes result from 20% of actions. Identify and double down on that 20%. Consider eliminating the rest. No one will remember them 6 months from now. So why bother? - 2. Respect your strategy You can't be everything to everyone. Strategy requires tradeoffs that amplify the value and make strategy difficult to copy. Some customers will be delighted, others disappointed. And that's a good thing. - 3. Apply timeboxing Per Parkinson’s Law, your work will expand to fill the allocated time. So, set a timebox for every task you start. I also find it extremely helpful to group similar tasks (e.g., interviews) into larger blocks. - 4. Work in a single-threaded mode Multitasking is a myth. According to the research presented by Gerald M. Weinberg, each additional project or task is a loss of ~20% of productivity. Single-threaded teams are one of the secrets of Amazon's success. - 5. Prioritize ruthlessly Many things busy PMs do don't matter. Will anyone ever read this 20-page-long document? Do you need this 2-hour meeting? Can you make it in 15'? Or async? - 6. Apply the Last Responsible Moment (LRM) strategy Decisions made too early are risky. They often result in work that needs to be thrown away. Delay decisions until the cost of not making a decision is greater than the cost of making it. Similarly, avoid taking action too early. - 7. Delegate more than you are comfortable with Providing baby-step instructions might result in a positive feedback loop. Others start expecting even more detailed information. Instead, communicate the vision (WHY), strategic context, and objectives so people can make better decisions. - 8. Don't promise too soon Nobody likes committing to a date. But sometimes, it might be necessary. Don't make those commitments too soon. Ask for additional time to perform Product Discovery. Also, it's better to underpromise and over-deliver. - 9. Automate If you don't use LLMs and AI agents (n8n, Cassidy) virtually every day, you're lagging behind. As a rule of thumb, most repeatable, time-consuming tasks you could delegate to a graduate can also be delegated to AI. - 10. Take care of yourself Take breaks, get enough sleep, and exercise. Find a hobby unrelated to your work. The quality of the hours you work is way more important than the number of hours. --- Hope that helps. I'm still learning and don't know everything. What would you add to that list?

The more your calendar fills up, the more your energy runs out. And you're acting less like a human and more like a meeting robot. Leaders need to start breaking the habit of optimizing every second of their day. When we talk about protecting our time, it's often through the lens of being super productive at work. But our careers don't exist in a vacuum. When you protect your time as a whole, you feel more energized for all parts of your life. Protecting your calendar isn't as big of a task as you might think: 1️⃣ Guard Your Best Hours ↳ Back-to-back meetings leave no space to think clearly or do meaningful work. → Schedule deep-work around when you have the most energy. → Organize your space so you have no distractions. 2️⃣ Use the Eisenhower Matrix ↳ Urgent requests drown out what actually matters long-term. → Evaluate meeting requests based on urgency and importance before accepting. → Focus on high-impact work that moves your goals forward. 3️⃣ Set Boundaries & Buffers ↳ Your day is one continuous sprint with no time to breathe. → Define clear working hours and communicate them to your team. → Build 15-minute buffers between meetings to reset. 4️⃣ Automate the Small Stuff ↳ Admin eats away hours you could spend on work that energizes you. → Connect your calendar to booking tools. → Set up automatic reminders for recurring tasks. 5️⃣ Color-Code & Label ↳ You can't tell what truly deserves your attention from your calendar. → Assign specific colors to different event types. → Adjust time allocation based on what matters to your focus. 6️⃣ Review & Refine Weekly ↳ Time-wasting patterns repeat because you never stop to notice them. → Block 20 minutes every Friday to audit what did and didn't work. → Aim to clear out one thing next week that won't be useful. 7️⃣ Start-up & Shut-Down Rituals ↳ Work bleeds into your life with no clear beginning or end. → Use the first and last 10 minutes of your day to prioritize and focus. → Close your laptop at a set time and don't reopen until morning. 8️⃣ Gatekeep Meeting Invites ↳ Other people's urgency becomes your entire day. → Ask whether each meeting moves goals forward before accepting. → Set clear agendas and time limits for meetings you do accept. Yes, protecting your time gives you space to be more productive. And it also allows you to manage your energy for different parts of your life. You think more clearly. You feel more present in conversations. And you finish days feeling more fulfilled instead of drained. How do you protect your time each day? (Or do you just give it away to anyone?) For more posts on feeling energized in and outside of work, follow Clif Mathews. ---- 📨 Every week, 19,000+ execs learn how to define their own success via socials and in my newsletter, Second Summit Brief. Sign up here so you don't miss out: bit.ly/SecondSummitBrief 🔁 Repost to help another leader reclaim their time during the day.

In a crisis, the first 24 hours rarely feel like 24 hours. It feels like five minutes. After decades of leading businesses through crises, from product issues to regulatory issues, here’s the simple truth: Minutes matter. Silence is costly. Clarity is everything. In the first 24 hours of a business crisis, here’s what you should do: 👉 Build the war room immediately: You need the people who know the facts and execute quickly. And for heaven’s sake, make sure you have at least one tough thinker in the room that’s willing to push back and say the uncomfortable truths. 👉 Know exactly what requires CEO engagement and what doesn’t: Pulling the CEO in too early can escalate the perceived severity; pulling them in too late can undermine credibility and cost you time. 👉 Scenario-map all paths: Fully outline the best case, worst case, and most likely scenarios, detailing the impacts of each so you’re well-prepared for any outcome. Some will tell you not to worry about the worst case. Worry about it. Know it. Map it all. 👉 Control the narrative before it controls you: Companies that get front-footed, even with imperfect information, recover faster. That is fact and real-world scenarios. Not opinion. If you don’t engage quickly, people will make up their own story. For those who’ve sat in a crisis war room: what’s the most overlooked step in those first critical hours? What would you do differently if you had a do-over? #CrisisManagement #ReputationManagement #BrandReputation #CEOs #BusinessStrategy

High-achieving women have their fatigue underestimated. (2025 forbes data) Read that twice. That's the painful truth. We were sold a lie: Success = sacrifice. We played the game: Stayed late. Took the stress. Pushed through burnout. The system is rigged. It demands your time, then credits you less for the effort. As a leadership strategist, I see this daily. You don't need to push harder. You need a new strategy. The shift is from Sacrifice to Intentionality. Here are 4 actionable solutions to end your sacrifice This is how you rewrite your equation: 1. Set a hard stop boundary. You are not paid to be available 24/7. Your time off is non-negotiable. 📌 Block your exit: Put a "focus time" or "family time" block on your calendar 30 minutes before you plan to leave. Treat it like a client meeting you CANNOT miss. 📌 The script: When you log off, use a simple, confident statement: "I'll pick this up tomorrow morning." No apologies. No excuses. 2. Define your value by impact. Stop letting your hours or lack of them define your worth. 📌 Report outcomes: When you talk about your work, speak only in results: "We secured the q4 deal," or "I streamlined the hiring process." Never say "I spent 20 hours on..." 📌 Delegate ruthlessly: If a task doesn't require your core genius, get it off your plate. Delegation is a strategy for promotion. It is not an admission of weakness. 3. Stop masking your effort. The 2025 research shows that playing the martyr backfires. Lead authentically. 📌 Model self-care: If you need a day, take it. When your team sees you prioritize well-being, you give them permission to do the same. This builds a better team. 📌 Stop explaining: Your value is set. Don't justify your lunch break, your time off, or your efficient 40-hour week. Your results speak for themselves. 4. Audit your "YES." Every time you say "Yes" to one thing, you say "No" to something else (usually your rest). 📌 The pause: Never agree immediately. Use this phrase: "Let me check my bandwidth and priorities. I'll get back to you by 2 pm." 📌 Say "No" gracefully: Use "I can't take that on right now because i need to deliver on x." You anchor the "No" to a higher goal, not to exhaustion. Stop settling for less than you deserve. Lead with intention. Are you ready to rewrite your leadership equation? ♻️ Reshare to help women stop sacrificing. 📌 Follow Julia Snedkova for more career strategies.