1-2-3 Rule for Managers

Picking what task to do first can often take just as long as actually completing one.
And as managers, we just don’t have that time to waste.

Enter the 1-2-3 Rule: A streamlined way to structure your day in just 3 minutes.

Here's how it works:

1. Deep Work on Your Top Priority (3 hours)
• Define what success looks like at the end of this block
• Break it into smaller chunks to ensure steady progress
• Take a mid-session break, but don’t open Slack or email

2. Break the Bottleneck Meetings (1 hour each)
• Schedule these later in the day during collaboration windows
• One meeting focuses on unblocking one of your priorities
• The other helps a team member move their work forward

3. Urgent Clear-Out Sprint (1 hour)
• Spend 30 minutes knocking out pressing tasks
• Use the next 30 to diagnose why it’s urgent and fix it

Why it works:
• You’re forced to prioritize the truly important work
• You get a balance of strategic and tactical tasks
• You help prevent the next wave of urgent fires

Pro tip: Use this method with your team. Have each member share their 1-2-3 plan.
It's a super quick way to align priorities and spot potential bottlenecks.

Remember: the goal is never perfection. It's progress.