His to-do list system : Chancellor May doesn ’ t use them . “ I subscribe to the ‘ touch it once ’ rule , whether that means deciding something or delegating that work to an individual or a team . The result is that I don ’ t have to have a to-do list .”
Exercise - 1 hour Family - 2 hours Commute - 0.5 hours Eat - 1.5 hours
Meetings and Events - 8.5 hours
His strategy for setting goals :
“ I set long-term goals for myself and for the institution from the outset . I charged a committee to work on our long-term planning on day one , which resulted in UC Davis ’ s 10-year strategic plan , To Boldly Go . We are in year three , and this plan will help us continue to establish our priorities for the next seven years .”
might be status updates on projects and initiatives ( such as the transition back to in-person learning , a major area of focus ), or items that require his approval , or synch-ups with direct reports .
NOON – He skips lunch . Pre-pandemic , he would catch up on emails and texts at the office . During the pandemic , he returns to his home across the street from the campus and Toomey Field and holds the rest of the day ’ s engagements over Zoom . “ We are encouraging hybrid models for staff ,” says the chancellor . “ As we ease into fall quarter , we ’ ll probably return more to in-person for all of our meetings .”
AFTERNOON – Meets with small groups of students , faculty or staff . In the chancellor ’ s first year , for example , a meeting with student leaders highlighted
Sleep - 6 hours
their concerns over food insecurity , housing issues and mental health . This conversation dominoed into what became the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center , which provides both housing support and food , such as fresh fruit and vegetables .
6PM – In his pre-pandemic life , the chancellor and his wife , LeShelle May , hosted two to four campus-related activities each week , mostly at their residence . “ We also host dinners for noncampus constituents , such as elected officials , in the interest of cultivating strong campus relationships .” But now , during the pandemic , he and LeShelle eat dinner together and then spend the evening catching up virtually with family who live in other parts of the country . “ I continue to be accessible by email and text , but I limit calls in the evening ,” May says . “ I try to work regular business hours from 8 a . m . to 6 p . m ., but I will answer emails until bedtime .”
8PM – Time for family , reading , hobbies and , yes , more email . May is a comic book fan and a Trekkie ( an autographed
Work - 2.5 hours Downtime - 2 hours Errands - 0 hours ( during the week )
photo of Nichelle Nichols , who played Uhura in the original “ Star Trek ” series , hangs on his office wall ), so to wind down he ’ ll read some “ Avengers ,” “ X- Men ” or “ Justice League ” comics before bedtime around 11 p . m .
Jeff Wilser is the author of seven books , most recently “ Becoming a Firefighter ,” from Simon & Schuster ’ s Masters at Work series . On Twitter @ jeffwilser .
Each issue , we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region , providing insight into how they get things done .
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