Operating with a Flow-Based Work Style

I always get asked how I balance the chaotic schedule of a technology
executive at a fast-growth Internet company. Not to mention, my myriad
of other projects and engagements in my portfolio approach to
business.

From internal planning meetings, to major client engagements, to
partnership calls, to press and analyst interviews, to speaking gigs,
to industry and community cultivation, to startup advising and
non-profit boards, to interpersonal relations and daily requests for
communication, collaboration, alignment and leadership… my schedule is
demanding and packed.

Without my executive assistant, better defined as my personal business manager, Ashley Goodwin, I honestly don’t know how my calendar would survive over my Dyn run — she’s been with me for five years of my eight year run.

From face to face sit downs, to texts, to phone calls, to Google
Hangouts, iMessage, GChat, Slack and Skype… there is simply no
shortage of information overload and context switching in my daily
work life. And I’m not even accounting for family and friendships in
this post, as those ALWAYS trump anything work related in priority and
can be unexpected, often through calls, text and social media
engagement.

I operate in what I call a Flow-Based Work Style.

This style is not for everyone. I never have an unread email, I never
have an unresponded to text, GChat or Slack. Those are meant to be
real-time engagement, so I treat them as such. I try to answer my phone and/or call people back. Accessibility, communication and prioritization is key to this approach.

It’s also a major skill being able to connect seemingly unconnected topics or discussions, and being an encyclopedia of business memory, trends, relationships and dialogue to make it all seemingly sing. I work hard at this.

How do you manage your time and schedule? How do you ensure you’re on
top of your game when it matters most. I simply operate in flow.