How CFOs complicate their focus

Last week I said business is easy, and it's us who complicates it. This week I want to show you how to catch yourself doing it.

Here's something I do regularly with my CFOs. I ask them what their most important focus is right now. They tell me. Then I ask to see their calendar for the past 2-3 weeks.

What I'm looking for is alignment between the focus and the calendar.

What do you think I see?

A calendar full of meetings and 'to dos' that are important, but don't reflect the required focus as previously described. I see executive meetings, staff 1:1s, I see steerco meetings, lunches. I see very little focused time carved out for the 'most important focus'.

If you've followed me for awhile, you'll be aware of my obsession around calendar management and playing calendar Tetris. I have learned that this is how many CFOs typically run their calendars:

• The default 'time available' is around meetings other people have booked.

• This gets gradually filled with other meetings that need to be had to make progress on decisions. Then a flurry of 'meetings before that meeting' to make sure everyone's up to speed.

• Time required to prepare the presentation for the meeting.

• That leaves a bit of empty space which gets chewed up by others dropping in to 'pick your brain' or help fight fires in the business.

Even without the detailed diagnosis, by this stage, you already know something's not right. You can feel that something's 'off'. But often, you can't see clearly what it is.

That is, my friend, by definition, a blind spot. Picture standing on one side of a small island, convinced you're alone...not realising there's a whole party happening on the other side, in plain view of everyone there. Except you.

That's not a capability problem. It's not a discipline problem. It's physics.

You cannot see your own blind spot...because you're standing inside it.

Next week, I'll show you how we do this with our CFOs.