Strategic Time Allocation

Your schedule is quietly telling on you. Harvard Business School tracked 27 CEOs for 60,000+ hours to uncover how top leaders actually spend their time. What they found? The highest performing executives spend 72% of their time on strategic work and relationship building. ( not stuck in operational firefighting ) But here’s what I see over and over with newly promoted leaders: ✗  Struggling leaders → 70% operations, 30% strategy ✓  Thriving executives → 70% strategy, 30% operations The difference? Look at most “promoted but not prepared” leaders’ calendars and you’ll find: ↳  Status updates disguised as strategy ↳  Fire drills fixing others’ problems ↳  Endless approval meetings Sound familiar? The Harvard study found top CEOs average 37 meetings/week. The right meetings aren’t about operational control. They’re about strategic influence. Most technical experts get promoted… …and never change their calendar habits. They stay stuck as the answer person for every decision, every problem, every “urgent” ask. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘀? →  𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 (𝟱𝟬%) • Cross functional alignment and direction setting • 1:1 coaching conversations that build capability • Strategic decision making with direct reports • External stakeholder relationship building → 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 (𝟮𝟮%) • Market intelligence and competitive positioning • Strategic problem solving preparation • Uninterrupted planning and analysis • Long term vision development → 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟭𝟱%) • Board communications and investor relations • High stakes decisions only you can make • Crisis management and strategic pivots • Strategic initiative oversight → 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝟴%) • Developing people and organizational capability • Organizational culture and alignment work • Creating processes that scale without you • Building strategic partnerships → 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝟱%) • Strategic reviews and approvals • Required compliance meetings • Essential ceremonial functions When you move from “I lead through what I know” → to → “I lead through what others can achieve”, your calendar transforms on its own. What does your schedule reveal about your leadership? P.S. The leaders who make this shift? They don’t just get promoted. They get headhunted. P.P.S. Their strategic focus becomes their competitive edge.

Controversial take: Stop trying to do more marketing. Start eliminating the 60% of activities draining your resources. Here's the prioritisation framework I use with my clients to make every marketing dollar count: 1. For Strategic Direction: Impact/Effort Matrix Stop treating all marketing activities equally. Plot everything on this grid: → High Impact, Low Effort: Growth Accelerators (Must prioritise NOW) → High Impact, High Effort: Strategic Investments (Schedule with dedicated resources) → Low Impact, Low Effort: Quick Wins (Batch process when possible) → Low Impact, High Effort: Resource Drains (Eliminate or automate) The most successful CMOs spend 80% of their time on high-impact activities. Yet most marketing teams spread resources evenly across all quadrants. 2. For Campaign Selection: The 3C Framework Before launching any campaign, run it through these filters: → Check alignment with business goals: Does this directly support our primary objective? → Calculate potential ROI: Estimate returns using: Reach × Conversion × Value → Consider resource constraints: Rate campaigns by resources needed vs. available I've watched founders chase trendy channels with terrible ROI while ignoring proven channels simply because they weren't exciting enough. 3. For Budget Allocation: The 70/20/10 Rule Smart marketers divide their budget following this simple ratio: → 70%: Core marketing activities with proven returns → 20%: Emerging channels showing early success → 10%: Experimental initiatives with learning potential If you are just getting started, flip this model, pour all resources into experiments until you find green shoots. 4. For Daily Execution: The Eisenhower Matrix for CMOs Your time is your most valuable marketing asset. Protect it fiercely: → Urgent & Important: Campaign emergencies, key stakeholder requests aligned with objectives  → Important, Not Urgent: Strategy development, team coaching → Urgent, Not Important: Most emails, status meetings (Delegate these!) → Neither Urgent Nor Important: Vanity metrics, unfocused competitor research (Eliminate) The best marketing leaders I know spend most of their time in the "Important, Not Urgent" quadrant. The struggling ones live in "Urgent, Not Important." The startups I've seen scale fastest don't have bigger budgets or better tools. They're just ruthlessly disciplined about prioritisation. Which of these frameworks would have the biggest impact on your marketing efforts? Share below 👇 ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost to share with your network. ⚡ Want more content like this? Hit follow Maya Moufarek.

If your exec asks for “strategic time”, they’re asking for clean headspace, not empty hours. After nearly three decades supporting and advising CEOs and Chairs, I’ve seen how often that time gets filled instead of used. These days, I train executive assistants to think and operate at that same strategic level. What that request really means is this: 🌀 “I’m stuck in the day-to-day and need space to think like a leader again.” It’s rarely about blocking out hours. It’s about creating the conditions for perspective. Strategic time is when an executive zooms out to ask: 🧩 Are we working on the right things? 🧩 Are we moving at the right pace? 🧩 Is what’s in motion truly driving performance? It’s time for deep thinking, innovation, and scanning the horizon, the kind of work that shapes direction, not just manages today. The quality of that headspace depends on the ecosystem around the leader, especially their EA. Here are a few practical ways I used to protect and enable that space: ⭐ Engineer thinking time around board rhythm ⭐ Build agenda space at executive committee meetings for a short board debrief: what’s on the board’s mind, what reassurance they’ll need next. ⭐ Keep the week before and after board meetings lighter. It gives your exec room to digest insights, refocus priorities, and reconnect dots. ⭐ Maintain a live “strategic watchlist” ⭐ Track emerging trends, internal friction points, and projects drifting off track. ⭐ Use it to fuel your exec’s 1:1s with their direct reports, shape the CEO report, or sense-check whether what’s on the radar still matters. ⭐ Champion clarity over activity Genuinely strategic EAs aren’t just protecting time; they’re protecting thinking. Time without clarity doesn’t create strategy. It creates motion. Strategic time isn’t a luxury. It’s leadership hygiene. And EAs need space to consider the big picture too. Build that space into your own weekly ritual and notice what shifts. 📌If this post was helpful save it and come back to it as a quick pulse check that the “strategic time” in your week is more than just a calendar hold. 💬 Tell me: how do you protect genuine thinking space for your executive so it stays strategic, not just scheduled?

Most entrepreneurs sacrifice everything for their business. Their health deteriorates. Their relationships crumble. Their minds become obsessed with work. Their souls feel empty despite external success. I decided to do the opposite. Here's the daily formula that lets me build a successful business while staying physically strong, mentally sharp, spiritually grounded, and personally fulfilled. The 8-Hour Allocation System ✅ 1 hour for your body ✅ 1 hour for your soul ✅ 1 hour for your mind ✅ 3 hours for your family ✅ 2 hours for yourself The rest goes to work and sleep. This isn't just a nice idea. These are non-negotiables that I protect fiercely. Notice something important: Only the REMAINING hours go to work. This forces extreme efficiency and focus during work time. Gone are the days of needing 18-hour workdays. With AI and smart systems, I can accomplish more in focused work hours than most people do in twice the time. When work demands more time, I don't sacrifice the 8 non-negotiable hours. Instead, I: 👉 Cut back slightly on sleep (not dramatically) 👉 Increase productivity using AI and better systems 👉 Focus more intensely during designated work hours Counterintuitively, this balanced approach has made me MORE successful: -Physical training provides energy and stamina for long-term performance -Spiritual practice gives meaning and resilience during challenges -Mental development creates better strategic thinking and decision-making -Family time provides motivation and emotional support -Personal time prevents burnout and maintains creativity This isn't just about today or this month. It's about being able to perform at a high level for decades. The hardest part isn't finding the time. It's treating these hours as truly non-negotiable. When a big opportunity comes up, the temptation is to "just skip the workout today" or "work through family time this once." But that's how the system breaks down. Non-negotiable means non-negotiable.

I recently sat down with the CEO of a nearly 8 billion company in his office, and I was struck by his deliberate approach to time management. All executives keep a full schedule and must master effective time management. However, he took "hyper-scheduling" to another level—but with a thoughtfulness that transformed what could be an oppressive system into a powerful tool for effectiveness. Every minute of his day was accounted for. And I mean every minute. The real kicker? This was all printed out on a sheet on his desk and on the white board in his office. A constant visual reminder of his time allocation. What struck me the most about this approach was the intentionality. By having every commitment visibly mapped out, he gained complete awareness of his time allocation. This transparency made it impossible to ignore when he was overcommitted, forcing conscious trade-off decisions rather than simply cramming more into an already full day. Time as a Fixed Currency He viewed his calendar as a fixed budget that couldn't be exceeded. When a new opportunity arose, he would have to open his calendar and ask, "What am I willing to remove to make room for this?" This forced immediate prioritization decisions rather than defaulting to "yes" and figuring it out later. So, I know what you’re thinking, that this is a cool story, but what’s the benefit to this approach? → Strategic Focus By pre-deciding where his time goes, he prevents reactive work from dominating his day. → Reduced Decision Fatigue The system eliminates hundreds of small daily decisions about time allocation. → Psychological Clarity Having a visual representation of time commitments creates clear expectations. → Improved Meeting Quality Unconventional meeting lengths force preparation and focus. → Value-Based Time Allocation The system makes it easy to reassess if time allocations still match priorities. The transparency of the system makes it impossible to fool himself about where his time actually goes versus where he claims his priorities lie. Most people's relationship with time is passive. This system forces an active relationship with one’s most limited resource.

Question: If you stripped 30% of the meetings from your week, what would actually break? Years ago, a senior leader confided in me: "I'm in meetings for so many hours, I don't have time to pause, reflect, or plan." So, we did a calendar exercise. Looking at his schedule, a pattern emerged: The more meetings he attended, the more decisions got delayed. The more he tried to stay in control, the slower his team moved. Here's the conundrum: Leaders often overestimate how much control they need and underestimate how much speed their teams could gain from less interference. Think about it: - How many decisions are waiting for "one more meeting"? - How much energy gets drained in status updates that could be emails? - What if your team had more uninterrupted time to execute? The cost isn't just time. - It's momentum. - It's innovation. - It's trust. Try this: 1. Look at next week's calendar 2. Sort your meetings into 3 buckets: Must attend (strategic decisions, key relationship moments) Can delegate (with clear accountability) Can skip entirely (status updates, FYI sessions) Ruthlessly protect your calendar Use that time to think strategically Watch what breaks (spoiler: probably nothing)🧠 Your team might surprise you with how much faster they move when given the space to lead. 👉 What would you do with 30% more strategic time in your week? ♻️ Share with a leader who needs this reminder today ➕ Follow Shirley Braun , Ph.D., PCC for insights on leadership, scaling, and transformation that sticks.

Everyone talks about planning or strategy, but rarely both. Ignoring their link makes both weaker, not stronger. A plan is the how. Strategy defines what and why. There's no doing one without the other. Strategy comes first and must be rock-solid before planning. Too many leaders jump straight to "how" without nailing "why." 70% of your time should be on strategic thinking, and 30% on planning. And they should be done consecutively If you're doing it right. To be successful at both, you have to understand their differences. I built a framework to bridge that gap. Here's the elements of strategy and planning in eight steps. STRATEGY: Step 1: Define the Arena - Where will you compete? - What game are you playing? The competitive dynamics - What's your aspiration? The measurable outcomes Step 2: Competitive landscape: - Who are the players and what are their moves? - Market forces: What trends, disruptions, and shifts create opportunity? - Internal capabilities: What are your unique assets and competencies? Step 3: Choose Your Approach - Where will you play? Select specific battles you can win - How will you win? Your differentiated value proposition - What won't you do? The deliberate choices to focus your resources Step 4: Challenge assumptions: - What must be true for this strategy to work? - Stress test scenarios: How does your strategy perform under different conditions? - Validate differentiation: Why can't competitors easily replicate your approach? PLANNING: Step 5: Break Down the Strategy - Strategic pillars: 3-5 major themes that support your strategy - Key initiatives: The big bets and programs that advance each pillar - Success metrics: Leading and lagging indicators that measure progress Step 6: Sequence and Resource - Timeline: Logical sequence of initiatives with dependencies mapped - Resource allocation: Budget, people, and assets assigned - Quick wins: Early victories that build momentum and credibility Step 7: Build Execution Systems - Governance structure: Decision rights, meeting cadence, escalation paths - Progress tracking: Dashboards, reviews, and course-correction - Communication: How strategy translates through organizational levels Step 8: Launch and Adapt - Implementation sprints: Break execution into manageable phases - Learning loops: Regular assessment and strategy refinement - Cultural alignment: Ensure behaviors and incentives support direction The Integration Imperative Strategy without planning is wishful thinking. Planning without strategy is busy work. The sweet spot is when both work together. Master this framework, and you transform your team from someone just creating plans into a team that drives strategic planning. ----------- Please share your thoughts in the comments. Repost if you feel this will benefit your network. Follow me, Beverly Davis, for more strategic finance insights.

Your calendar is wide open for the year. Last year, I made one tiny tweak that changed everything I started blocking off 2 hours every Monday. Not for client calls. Not for content creation. Not even for sales. Just for thinking. Here’s what happened... Before, my calendar was packed with doing. Every minute was "productive." But I never had time to think strategically. So I made one small shift. Every Monday morning, I block off Strategy Time. - No notifications. - No meetings. - Just me, a notebook, and these 4 questions: 1️⃣ What’s working that I can double down on? 2️⃣ What small changes could have a big impact? 3️⃣ What am I overcomplicating? 4️⃣ What opportunities am I overlooking? Results after about a month? ✔️ Spotted 3 untapped opportunities. ✔️ Simplified 2 overcomplicated processes. ✔️ Identified the most profitable offer in my business. And here’s the real insight - Sometimes, the best work isn’t doing. It’s thinking. If your calendar is wide open, now is the time to schedule Strategy Time. You’ll be amazed what can happen.

I Tracked Every Minute of My Workday. The Results Were Brutal. 📊 47% of my time? No measurable business impact
 🧠 68% of decisions? Could’ve been made by someone else
 🎯 Just 14% focused on true strategic priorities I was leading in a way I’d never accept from my team. The hard truths my audit exposed:
 ❌ My calendar was filled with other people’s priorities
 ❌ I was the bottleneck in countless decisions
 ❌ I was “busy,” but not impactful Here’s what changed everything:
 ✅ Rebuilt my calendar around strategic time
 ✅ Delegated decisions I was hoarding
 ✅ Eliminated or automated low-leverage work Leadership revelation:
 Your calendar is your actual strategy—
Not the slide deck. Not the offsite. After the shift:
 📈 Strategic time: 14% → 37%
 ⚡ Decision velocity: Up
 💪 Team performance: Way up My 24-hour leadership audit broke it down:
 🕒 22% → Useless meetings
 🕒 14% → Decisions others could own
 🕒 11% → Admin work that should’ve been delegated What gets measured gets managed—especially your time. Be real:
 What % of your day is spent on strategic work? Most leaders overestimate it by 3x. #salesmanagement #salesstrategy #salessuccess #salescoach #salestraining #entrepreneur #business #management #B2B #businesstips

One of the hardest things about working in CS is finding time for strategic time vs. living in reactive time. Hard truth - you’ll never have enough time for strategy. You have to make it. The inbox is always full. A renewal is at risk. Your product is down. A team member needs coaching. The exec sponsor from your top account just left. All of it feels urgent. But here’s the cost of only operating reactively: You end up serving the chaos instead of shaping the future. I’ve made this mistake (and continually fight against it). Early in my leadership journey, I thought being available and responsive to everyone made me a strong leader. What it actually did was burn me out—and stall progress. So here are a few things I’m learning: Block time every week to work on the business, not just in it. Make the time sacred and protected. Give your team one full day per quarter to build and refine customer strategies—no meetings, no Slack. Let the company know this is CS Strategy Day and to give your people space. Make “What are we building for the future?” and “How is our work shaping the business?” a standing agenda item in your 1:1s or team meetings. Keep your people focused on where you’re going and what you’re building. You knew this was coming - build custom GPTs to optimize your strategic time by doing some of the research and planning for you. It’s not easy, but if CS is going to be a growth engine—not a service center—we have to lead like it. How do you protect strategic time in CS?