EOS - Traction for Your Workplace Goals with Michele Mollard

(EOS Episode 17) Have Time for Other Passions

• Michele Mollard

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In this episode of EOS-Traction for Your Workplace Goals, Implementer Michele Mollard digs into how to create real time for other passions by using intentional choices, disciplined scheduling, and the EOS tools that turn personal capacity into organizational capacity. 

We challenge the “I’ll do it all” myth and show how delegating, trust, and structure unlock growth without sacrificing weekends.

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EOS-Traction for Your Workplace Goals is a Livemic Communications production.



Richard Piet:

I'm Richard Piet. This is EOS Traction for Your Workplace Goals. Welcome back. Hopefully, you found us and you've followed us a little bit. Maybe listen to some of the other of our EOS traction episodes with Michelle Millard, EOS Implementer. We have a whole series that we've done prior to this. So if this is the first one you're hearing, look back because there are some others. In fact, if you scroll down in those show notes, you'll probably see the others. So check them out. Today we're talking about time for other passions. Hello, Michelle. Hello, Richard. Man, this one, you know, the last conversation we had was difficult conversations. That one's a little bit, a little bit of anxiety in that one, maybe. This one, maybe not. The notion that you don't have to have your business run you. It can be the other way. Isn't that what people think will happen sometimes when they have their own business? I'm going to make my own schedule. I'm going to go fishing when I feel like it. This is some of the things that go through our minds, and we find out sometimes it doesn't happen that way. Is that right?

Michele Mollard:

Oftentimes it doesn't happen that way, Richard. And you're absolutely right. So many times I help startups in some conversations and saying, like, I'm going to start my own business because I can have my Fridays off, or I can have leisurely Mondays, and then I can just crank into it on Tuesday, Wednesday, right? And all this time off. And Richard, you're a business owner. You and I started this gig five years ago, each of us going in the trenches of this. And so I know neither one of us thought that because we had been in other opportunities and other small startups and things of that sort that we knew that. But there is so much of that. And so sometimes I have to say that is not the case, especially in startup, right? But even not even in startup, like five years in, I also find myself, even this time, going, oh, I should do that. Oh, I should do that. And Saturday morning I wake up with a brilliant idea and say, hey, I need to do 12 more podcasts with Richard Pyatt. And I crank right in there and I consume my Saturday, not with my family, consume my Saturday with what are the things that I want Richard and I to talk about, which is kind of fun and help organizations get really strong. It is what happens, it's how we're wired. And so I want to talk about what we call the EOS life, right? And so part of that EOS life, and I think Richard, we're gonna have them in the show notes. There's a great little poster, but the bottom one of that, that last one, is time for other passions. And what do I mean by that? Is when you're on vacation, saying to your family, hey, I have to work until noon. You guys go play, I'll catch up with you, right? The business is running you. I'm gonna go have birthday cupcakes with my kid, right? On their birthday at noon. And the business says, No, you're not, and you don't make time for that. That's what we're talking about. And so I've I've heard many people say, you know, I don't mean to go doom and gloom, but on their tombstone, it will not say, She wished she worked harder. It won't say that, right? It might say, I missed out on my children's childhood, I missed out on family time. Ouch. You might have those regrets. And that's not what we want.

Richard Piet:

No. Yeah. Yeah. So there also could be some, and you described it a little bit, talking about us, in fact, the notion that we have an idea, we want to go execute it, like you know, right now, even if it is Saturday. But just generally speaking, we always feel like there's something else that needs to be done that needs our attention, and we just keep on keeping on. And uh that's not a bad thing except when it gets excessive. Is that uh fair description?

Michele Mollard:

Fair description, and we have control of it. We just haven't figured out why, right? Or how. And so a little bit of the how is control or time for other passions is gained by intentional choices and discipline. And so that sounds really great, Michelle. Like, woo, utopia, right? But intentional choices, right? So, in my example, I have this idea, and then I would say, okay, if my intentional choice is to not do it right now, my intentional choice is to look at my calendar and saying Friday at three o'clock, right? It's it's Sunday, right? Or it's Saturday. It's a whole week from now. But Friday, discipline at three o'clock, I'm gonna block out two hours of time and I'm gonna put all my effort into what Richard and I should be recording for podcasts. And so making an intentional choice to not do everything instantly right now, and to say, what's gonna happen if I just wait till Friday? Nothing. Right? Because you and I are just starting on this journey. Now, if my recording with you is on Tuesday and I'm not prepared, then something happens. That is a little right, but the intentional choice would be why are you not prepared? Right. But discipline. And so those two pieces together are really, really catalyst in the ability to make time for other passions or have white space, as I say, right? It's a marketing term, have white space, breathing room.

Richard Piet:

Yeah, it's so it is making a conscious decision to schedule that somewhere within the work week. Yeah. And is that what you're saying? Is that the core of not having time for other passions? We haven't managed this well.

Michele Mollard:

Yeah. So yes, and uh there's also the and part of it is let's just say, so we have a tool called Delegate and Elevate. And in that exercise of delegate and elevate, we ask teams to define what their 100% is. So I'm a 55-hour work week girl. I have never worked 40 hours. I don't like working 40 hours, I love working 55 hours. It is what my life, my husband, my time will allow. That is my 100%. And so to your point, is oh, just schedule it next week. But if that week's already at 55 hours, what do you mean? And so then I can look at that in my week and saying, okay, I can only record these podcasts with Richard. My EA cannot do this. And so, what in my week, if I need two hours, what in my week can I delegate to her? So I create intentional choices and discipline to create that opening for me to do the work that I can only do. And so delegate stuff off your plate so you can elevate your game into what we call your genetic encoding. Uh, strategic coach calls your unique ability. What can I only do that no one else can do? Right. I could do these podcasts, Richard, you know that. But you're phenomenal. And I'm delegating the greatness of you and this ability for me to just show up and not have to worry about all the editing and all the right. It's a choice. It's a it's an intentional choice that I made with discipline that allows me to show up for one hour, get these done with you, how many ever we get done, and then I walk away. And you are masterful at taking the rest. So I have delegated the rest to you.

Richard Piet:

Makes sense. And thank you for the compliment. That's exactly what we do is try to take that off of your plate. So I think part of this too, then is saying Saturday and Sunday is part of the schedule, but not for this, not for the work part. Yeah. And that's a conscious choice too.

Michele Mollard:

Yeah, for sure. Absolutely a conscious choice. Like, and I think I think what I'd like to also share, it's a conscious choice, but we have to also understand that not getting things off our plate stalls growth. Right. And so if I was to do those things and not have time, you know, do the editing, or in this case, whatever, right? Then I am saying yes to that, but I will be saying no to a potential networking event that could lead to business development, which I can only do, my EA can't do, you can't do for me, right? These podcasts are in some way looking at marketing. But so having that mindset to say, like, if I can delegate and elevate, I can grow. I mean, grow personally as far as my knowledge and things of that sort, but my business can grow. And so sometimes we have leaders in three and four seats, right? I'm the founder and then I'm a head of sales and I'm the head of operations. Well, you start to be the bottleneck. You start to slow the organization down when you are the person that is there, right? So it's stalling that growth, right? Slowing it down. I shouldn't say stalling it, right? That may that might be a little bit too extreme. But the more we can wrap our head around intentionally designing things, time, and holding it sacred, right? Like I joke, a very important doctor's appointment, we are not gonna miss. We're just not gonna miss it, right? So your personal time with your children, with your family, with your spouse, your own personal thinking time is sacred. Hold on to it, right? We can go hold time management. I think there is actually a podcast that we've done before about delegated, really digging into that. So check that one out. But it really is setting up a system for everything. There is you have the ability to systemize everything. And so I think you've heard me say this systemize the predictable so we can humanize the exceptional. So anything that you can do, how do we systemize, make a process around it so that I can humanize my Saturdays and Sundays, right? If you're a leader, how do I systemize the process so that when my employees do great, I can humanize the exceptional of what they've done? So just kind of getting that mindset around protecting time and not letting the business run you, that you're running the business, you're running your time, you're running your calendar.

Richard Piet:

We're talking to some people who might be challenged by this. You've met them, I'm sure. And by that I mean people who also are of the mind that they need to be touching everything in the business and they need to know everything that's happening. And oh, we're gonna do that now. Well, I'll do it. And they want to add it to the pile. That slows growth down too, doesn't it? And I presume potentially challenges this whole notion of delegating and elevating and scheduling and freeing up time for other passions.

Michele Mollard:

Right. Absolutely. And I think too, the next step to that is what are we doing for our employees? Meaning, how are we affecting? I mean, right, right that the set of better. How are we affecting our employees when you say, I got that, I got that, I got that. So does that feel? I know that I have in my early my career, it felt like they didn't trust me. They felt like I didn't know what I was doing, and so they couldn't let go. I took it as it was me. Sometimes people are taking it because it's them and they want to be the head cook and the head bottter washer. They want to be the answer guy, the fire guy, right? They want to have, they want to be that person. It's everyone has an ego, and I don't mean this in a bad ego way, but it fills their ego. They started this organization as the one person, right? That has all the answers. And so it's hard to let go of this. It's a skill that we have to work on.

Richard Piet:

Yeah, and this is part of what may come up in these conversations. But I presume that the notion of time for other passions is a powerful one. Uh, the idea that you could have this business, run it smoothly, reach the goals you want, and have your Saturday and Sunday. Absolutely. Or what maybe half a Friday or whatever it is you're dreaming about.

Michele Mollard:

Absolutely. I mean, I tell teams, some people say, I want to grow, but I'm already working 60 hours, Michelle. I don't want to go from 3 million to 5 million because I just have to work more hours. And that's not true. And so the idea of delegate and elevate is putting people around you that you trust, that you train, that you have clear expectations around, that will then own it, right? So I we talk about letting go of the vine. How can you let go of the vine to somebody who will take that, right? Take the rope, take the vine, take the reins, take the whatever analogy you want to use and run with it. And so having that around you to be able to do that, it's a whole mindset shift. And until you're ready to let go of the vine, you will not be able to grow to that capacity because you can't just work more. It does not work. It will never work. I shouldn't say that. It might cost you, might cost you your health, might cost you your marriage, it might cost you a lot of things. We've seen it all. And so if that's what you want, then do it. But that's not what you went into business for. You went into business because you love your widget, you want to deliver great stuff, right? And you have to have other people to help you deliver great stuff in order for you to deliver great stuff.

Richard Piet:

Or you've seen it all, as you said. Think about those things that Michelle just listed health, marriage, whatever the case is. Boy, when we're being excessive about hanging on to the vine, that's what we're talking about.

Michele Mollard:

Absolutely. And it sometimes rightly so. There's some reasons to hang on to the vine because you don't have the right people below you to let go. And then you have to make a hiring decision. Again, another podcast with that. But if it's you and it's your ego, I'm a pot calling the kettle black here, right? Like I am a control freak. I had to work through this to let go of those seats. And it took time, but I am happy, I am joyful, I have plenty of time, I have all those things, and so it's what I wanted. I don't, I love 55 hours, but I don't like 70. And I don't like missing out on things, and I don't like making those decisions to be like, oh, should I go see my aunt and uncle in Cleveland or should I work? What?

Richard Piet:

Yeah, tough, yeah. Tough uh choice that really isn't or isn't supposed to be. Right. And the notion of EOS with all the check steps in place, the rocks, the focus, the goals, it should allow you to loosen your grip on the vine. Absolutely. And there's your time for other passions.

Michele Mollard:

Yeah, right. We've got to build an accountability chart. We talk about tools, accountability chart, because you've got to have the right people in the right seats that get their job, want the job, and have the capacity. We have to have them. So many organizations want to build a vision, and it's built on a house of cards. We got to find the people first. We got to do the structure of the organization first. What does it look like if we're at three million for three million to about four million? What does the structure look like? And then we build the vision to that three or four million, and then we have the people, we have the structure, and then we have all the pieces of accountability, like you're saying, of data and rocks and traction and meeting pulses and same page meetings and all these things that we're all on the same page about. And then you can honestly reach out and be like, hey, you guys, I need some help. I am working hard and I I've missed my kids' baseball game twice this week. I'm not doing it. Can somebody help me? And people will rush to your help. You just gotta speak up. And again, ideal situation, EOS run companies 100% strong in that. That's what happens. Like people will say, I got you, right? Let go of the vine, I got you. And they do.

Richard Piet:

If that sounds like you, uh missing the baseball game or the weekend to Cleveland, uh maybe this is a conversation you can have with Michelle and she can give you some perspective on that, and maybe even more. The info is in the show notes. Just reach out, and uh as Michelle likes to say, she's uh ready to have a conversation. It doesn't mean a contract, but if that's what you want, that's there too. So the point is if we've piqued your interest because this is a challenge you're having, then by all means reach out. Again, show notes, take a look there, including that graphic that Michelle referred to. And we'll be back again soon with EOS traction for your workplace goals. Until then, Michelle, take care.

Michele Mollard:

Thank you, Richard. You too.