Assertive Training: A Lesson in Availability Management
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About Azriel
A Lesson in Availability Management
by Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP
What are you, the airlines? Why do you book yourself solid? Think of your time
as a commodity.
Just as there are a limited number of flights, you have a limited amount of time.
You must figure out where to spend it. It's a simple math equation—an issue of
supply and demand.
What do you do when you're "sold out"? Add another flight? That's basically
what you're doing right now—if you're willing to dole more time out to
anyone who wants to fly free.
If you don't value your time highly enough, people will constantly demand
it.
To reduce demand (interruptions), you must increase the cost (value) of
your supply (time). If the cost is too high, people will think twice about
buying some. Simply put, when people try to spend too much of your time,
you must stop being so darn available.
Yes, you need to be available sometimes, but where is the line between a
team player and a sucker? Perhaps you could use a lesson in availability
management.
One woman asked me, "I'm an admin, so I'm essentially in a customer
support role, and my job is to give people the information they request.
How can I not be available?"
You aren't necessarily going to say 'no,' but you must ask questions. When
someone asks you to do something, when do you assume they mean it?
Usually, we think "right now" when others ask for things.
Instead say, "Do you need that today, or will Monday be okay?" Or "Here's
a list of the things I'm working on today. Does this take priority?" Or "I'll be
happy to stop working on (x) project and work on (y). Is that what you
would like me to do?" Have your boss or colleagues help you prioritize the
order, rather than always being immediately available to the non-important
tasks and staying late to complete the important tasks.
However, sometimes not being available does mean saying 'no.'
Interestingly, the more I say 'no' to prospective customers, the more they
want me. Many offer me a stipend below my usual fee, which of course I
politely decline. If they really want me to speak at their meeting, they
miraculously find the extra funds.
Many ask me to come in and meet with them in
Ther fact that I turned person before they hire me. With 120+ speaking
down their request engagements each year, I simply don't have the
actually made me time to do that (and have a life and a family). I
more valuable in their
explain to prospective customers I would be
delighted to have a conference call with them. I've
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actually had people tell me, "We aren't going to

eyes hire you if you don't come out to meet us first." I
tell them I'm disappointed to hear that, and I wish
them the best in finding another speaker.

It's amazing how many of them come back, tail between their legs, saying
"Okay, never mind, we'll arrange a conference call." The fact that I was NOT
available and turned down their request actually made me more valuable in
their eyes. My actions communicate, "I'm a successful person with or
without you, and here are the conditions under which I will be available to
you."

I'm polite and respectful, but I don't allow other people to dictate my
calendar to me.
CLICK HERE
FOR FULL INFO Do you have any conditions? Over the years, you have trained people how
to treat you. Every time a colleague pops his head in your office and says,
"Do you have a minute?" you're giving that person a lesson in your
Why availability.

Men If your behavior says, "I'm available any time you need me, so bother me
randomly!" you will never have a moment's peace; everything and everyone
Leave will be vying for your attention. By managing your availability, you will gain
the space of time and mind to complete your most important tasks and still
be perceived as a valuable member of the team.
And Other
Unexpected
Surprises Try these practical steps

A REVOLUTIONARY Need some more ways to reduce your availability? Try these:
NEW PROGRAM
WHICH PROVIDES Block out your calendar (or schedule yourself) until a.m., so
YOU WITH FAST others can't schedule morning appointments with you. Make sure
AND PROVEN you're not "free." Check the "private" box in the appointment window;
MEANS OF all anyone needs to know if you're not available. Save these early
CREATING JOYOUS
AND DEEPLY morning hours for your high-energy periods when you can knock out
SATISFYING your high-importance tasks. Similarly, block out your calendar starting
RELATIONSHIPS. at 4:00 p.m., so you don't get roped into a meeting that drags on past
your departure time.
For people
with Avoid saying the words "I'll look into it." These words are the kiss
troubled
marriages, of death. If you're trying to concentrate on a task and say this phrase
and are to get the intruder out of your office, that person is laughing all the
seeking way down the hall, since a task was successfully off-loaded to you.
marriage Refuse to take it on. "I'll be happy to review your project outline once
help
you have it planned out, and I will be available as an advisor if you run
For singles into trouble. Good luck."
who
repeatedly When a coworker pop his heads in your office and says, "Hi,
find gotta minute?" You can reply, "I have just one. Will that be
themselves enough?" And DO NOT smile. Look at them with eyebrows raised, as
in hurtful
relationships if you are truly expecting an answer to your question. You'll get a
stammering, "Oh, uh, well, actually I probably need fifteen." Then you
For dating can say, "In that case, please send me a meeting request." Or "I have
couples my back up against the wall on a priority project (or a meeting in thirty
seeking to minutes, or whatever); can I call you tomorrow at 9:00?"
save their
relationships
Be very careful with your body language and words. If you're
For couples interrupted right in the middle of a task with "Can I ask you a quick
who are question?" and you say, "Sure, what's up?" and lean back and rock in
currently your chair, you're done working on that task. Instead, try "What can I
happy, but
seeking new do for you?" or "How may I help you?" or "Is there something you
ways to need?" while holding your pen poised above the paper. Other times,

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improve when you're not focused, you can certainly take the question. Just
their don't be available all the time.
relationships
even further Cue others of your non-availability before you're interrupted.
CLICK HERE Agree upon a signal with your team to leave you alone unless it's an
FOR FULL INFO emergency. I worked with a group at Coca-Cola that wore red baseball
hats during periods of unavailable time. What might work? Installing
curtains across the cubicle door? Turning your nameplate around?
Wearing orange armbands? Putting yellow police crime scene tape
across a cubicle entrance? Using retail "Be back at" clocks?

One group I worked with found that co-workers respected the signal
about 80% of the time. When I questioned the people who said others
weren't respecting their signals, it turns out they never took down their
signals. They were never available to their co-workers, so their
co-workers simply ignored their signals. If you use this system, make
sure you don't abuse it.

The majority of incoming email is unimportant, so do not check

it as it comes in. If someone needs you in an emergency, teach them
to call your cell phone instead of emailing you. If you check email
messages as they are coming in, you will distract yourself from less
important tasks than the one you're working on. If you want to ramp
up into a state of intense focus, you must turn off your incoming email
alerts (Tools, Options, Email options, Advanced) and discipline yourself
to only check, process, and respond to email every two hours at a
minimum (four hours is better).

Question the wisdom in attending certain meetings. Push back.

Can someone attend a meeting in your place? Do you even need to be
there? Can you be placed first on the agenda and then leave? Perhaps
the information can be exchanged via email and the meeting
cancelled? Would a team member tape the meeting, and you can listen
to it in the car? Question a face-to-face meeting, if you think a
conference call will suffice. Focus not only on the time spent in the
meeting but what you could have accomplished if you weren't there.

When a phone call, face to face, or meeting is wrapping up, cue

the person that time is running out. "It was nice having talked with
you." "In summary, before we head out, I'm going to..." or "Before we
finish..." or "Before we wrap things up..." "If that is all, I will get
started on this..." or "I see that our time is almost up...is there
anything else?"

The lesson here is really about setting healthy parameters for yourself and
recognizing the reality of the consequences of "always available" time.

Saying "yes" to everything and always being available will compromise your
energy level, your overall productivity, your sanity and your health. Accept
your limitations and focus on what's most important by decreasing your
availability.

Make it a productive day! ™

Copyright 2007 Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP.

Laura Stack is a professional speaker and the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc. She's the
bestselling author of Leave the Office Earlier and Find More Time. Laura presents keynotes and
seminars on time management, information overload, and personal productivity. Contact her at
303-471-7401 or visit: http://www.TheProductivityPro.com.

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Some Related Articles:

Three Steps to Asserting Yourself

Teach Yourself Assertiveness
Having a Value Focus
Tools for Enforcing Personal Boundaries
Don't Be Intimidated By The Overly Persistent
Saying No - Without Making Enemies or Getting Fired
Becoming Self-ful: Assertive Communication in the Workplace
Balanced Thinking Leads to Assertiveness

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