Slow down - it will pay off

By JULIE MIDDLETON

Busyness is the curse of the thinking-too-much classes - a state of frenetic, though not necessarily productive, activity.

"It looks impressive and it looks like real drive," says Ben Renshaw, author of the book Successful But Something Missing (Random House, $29.95).

"But when you look for longer it's clearly a lot of noise and not that much achievement.

"Busyness can become a drug, and we can get addicted. If you wean yourself off you can be a lot smarter."

His tips:

* Drop the guilt. "The first thing is being honest about it," says Renshaw.

"The whole thing of looking busy is often driven by guilt - guilt that you won't look productive, that you're not committed to the cause."

Busyness can lead you to stay at work far later than is productive because everyone else is still there, too.

* Prioritise. After a day's work, note down what you think are your six key tasks for the next day.

* Be realistic about meetings. "How important is it?" asks Renshaw. You may not need to be there.

"Communication is the key. Find out how important it really is that you be there."

If you decide it's not worth your time, ensure someone passes on any relevant information.

* Time your phone calls. Decide how important a call is, how long you want to give that call, and stick to that time.

* Enlist your employer's support. "Get the buy-in of the boss," says Renshaw.

"Tell him or her you want to work smarter, not harder - which includes giving up looking busy - and ask for support."

* Find role models who look as cool as a cucumber while polishing work off effortlessly. "Ask how they do it," suggests Renshaw.

* Time out. "Take one to three hours every two to four weeks where you take yourself out, and sit in the lobby, in a cafe, and give yourself strategic thinking time," says Renshaw.

"You'll come back with a fresh perspective."