So you get caught in the vicious cycle of crisis management. Even though crises may spring up during the day, at least you have the comfort of knowing you're doing something to prevent these problems from reoccurring. In other words, doing strategic project work gives you a sense of control and a feeling that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A lot of managers and business owners love putting out fires because it makes them feel like heroes. When I speak at seminars about the hour and a half of uninterrupted strategic project work, I often hear a chorus of audience protests.
People talk about the emergencies that require their attention.
Realistically, you'll accomplish more in those 90 minutes of strategic project work than in the other seven hours of crisis management combined. That's what you're in business for. Ironically, most managers don't do it. It's fine to work on projects with urgent deadlines, but at least spend the first hour on the long-term profit project. Then work on projects with critical deadlines.