Travis looked at me over the rim of his glasses. I had just explained the time management principle of working through a task completely before starting the next task. He was skeptical. “I can’t ever get anything finished before I have to start on the next thing,” he lamented.
“Of course you can’t. The modern American manager gets interrupted every nine minutes. It is not unusual for you to have multiple tasks going on simultaneously. But the principle is still the principle. At the end of the day, how many tasks are still left hanging?”
“Want to know the truth?” Travis continued, assuming that I did. “If I start ten things today, only two will get finished and eight will be left hanging for tomorrow. So, then I will have eight things to start with, plus ten more things tomorrow. Two things will get finished, so I will have sixteen things to carry over to the next day. It’s no wonder I am always behind.”
“So, do you think that no one else has this problem?”
“No, I guess not,” Travis replied.
“Then why do some people get things accomplished while others get mired down and hopelessly behind?”
And that’s the question for today. How do you get things accomplished while others get hopelessly behind? What is your discipline of time management? Best idea gets a signed copy of The Power of Attitude by Mac Anderson. -TF
I’ve been trying to follow the “Getting things done” methodology from the book of the same name. It’s great.
The idea behind it is that a lot of the things we think we have to do aren’t really action items at all, and that we spend too much time remembering things rather than doing things. The GTD system uses lists, a calendar, and file folders to track everything and ensure that the things we’ve got to do are clearly defined and actionable.
One of the things about GTD that makes it popular is that you can apply different technologies to it. There are groups that wrote up ways to do GTD on the Palm pilot, OS-X, and my favourite, the “Hipster” — a stack of 3×5 index cards held together by a clip.
While I’m nowhere near organized, starting down the GTD road showed me that once you stop trying to keep a mental list of all you have in your head, and once you can define what it is you have to do, it’s easier to prioritize what’s left, and you lose that swamped feeling.
Sean
Delegate with Deadlines. Even if you think your staff is busy, delegate. Use the 3 scream rule, when you here someone scream 3 times you know they are busy! I know it’s not scientific, but it works.
I try to identify “time-eaters”, those individuals or situations that absorb inordinate amounts of time and result in a loss of productive time. Usually, well meaning faculty members who want to “chat” or students who occupy your time with questions better answered by other staff or management personnel. The key, for me, is to re-direct those individuals in a positive manner, without hurting feeling.
I keep lists of everything that needs doing on my PDA. The items that I cannot work on today get moved to a day when I expect I can work on them. The items that I can work on get prioritized as I do them.
For example, if it is morning, and I’m still a bit groggy, I will look at the list and select a task that doesn’t require much concentration.
As I complete tasks throughout the day, I re-evaulate my list and choose a task that matches my energy level.
As I work on a task, I break it into five minute micro-tasks, so that I can 1) get the satisfaction of completing something, and 2) if I get interrupted, I can get back to where I was more easilly.
I always plan on working late on Fridays. This gives me the time to review any remaining items on my list and complete tasks or move them into the next week. I then write a status report for the week. This gives me time to focus on what I have accomplished and what I need to accomplish next week. It also gives me an empty list so I can enjoy the weekend.
The discipline is focused multi-tasking. First clearly and methodically identify the tasks (if more than two tasks – write it down); next, prioritize (what comes first by order of importance); third, focus on what you need to accomplish – focus on the task at hand and as interuptions make their way in between, address them and continue where you left off until complete. It’s not hard, it’s a matter of forming the habit. If you become angry about interuptions or if you allow pressure to work its way in then your energy with be redirected and you will not be effective at meeting your goals. It’s up to you just like the planning a picnic – are you going to let the weather get in the way? Who said that you can’t have a picnic indoors if outdoors doesn’t permit? Permit is what and who we allow to get in the way and it is self-directed.
What is your discipline?
Busy people have busy tasks: however at the same time they need to practice Time Management. Technology is great but not all people can handle the PDA thing. As the Student Director of college I am busy all day long. Students are continuously in and out of my office. Staff members stop by and I have activities to do and places to visit and employers to speak with and graduates to place “Talk about overload HELP!â€
However there is light at the end of the tunnel.
First find your down time: what is down time? It is the quietest time in the day or evening when business is at a snail’s pace. You must find this time, this is your “leave me alone timeâ€. This is the prefect time for paperwork, filing, and data entry. Twice a week is my late night 10am – 9pm. From 6pm – 9pm is a really great down time for me. During this time I do my reports for my VP and anyone else who needs weekly data from me. Thursday evenings is my data entry clean up my office and file day. It is amazing what I can get accomplished from 6-9pm in the evening that I can’t get accomplished during the day. On Fridays there are only a few students so I try to put up bulletin board items, make additional calls and complete more of my data entry and clean up my office. I do this so that when I come into my office on Monday I don’t feel overwhelmed just by walking in the door. No matter what straighten up your office on Friday. Just make it look neat. To walk in on Monday and see a mess is just a de-motivator. Not to mention that it is emotionally and mentally depressing. So why would you want to start your work week in this manner?
OK “Take a Messageâ€: this means during certain times (preferably quiet time) I use the technology of voice mail or have the receptionist hold my calls and take messages. I mean unless the Pope or President calls me for lunch or dinner I do not answer the phone. You can absorb almost 40-60% of your most valuable time telling people that you are busy right now. But for some reason we will click over and answer every single incoming call.
Handle it right now: there are items that come to you during the course of the day that can be taken care of right then and there. They take like a second ok maybe 5 minutes and you’re done. But because it is a quick fix you put it off and off and off and off. So before you know it you have hours of work to do that you could have accomplished so easily in less than five minutes. For example, “Ms. Leonard I came by to have you schedule that interview for me with the employer regarding the internship programâ€. I know your first instant is to say “I will†send him or her on their way and push it on the “to do list†actually just stop make the call and schedule the appointment. It’s a done deal and task is completed. Yes it was an interruption but trust me the 5 minutes it took was well worth the pile up at the end of the day of quickie tasks like these.
At the end of the week (Friday) or the beginning of the new week (Monday) put everything down into 3 categories:
1. Accomplishments for the week
2. Goals for next week
3. Items of concerns
This way you will see what you have accomplished and you will them begin to move the goals from last week to the accomplishments for this week and tasks that are giving you grief are placed on your items of concern. This way those items of concerns can be addressed with your supervisor, manager or one of your peers. You may need to delegate this concern or you may actually need additional help and support or it was an item of so low of importance that it can ride for a few weeks.
And believe me it will be tasks that seem to never get moved to the accomplishment for the week category or that have you feeling overwhelmed or you just don’t know to get them completed or accomplished. Yes it can happen; you find yourself literally “lost as to how to accomplish something” I guess that makes you human and not superhuman. Remember it won’t be easy at first and it will take discipline and things won’t always go as plan. However, little by little more of your goals from last week will creep into your accomplishments for next week and maybe just maybe your productivity will increase and behold you will then see the “Light at the End of the Tunnelâ€.
Happy Planning
I re-prioritize on a daily basis. I like to consider my staff as doers and therefore, if required, I utilize their assistance knowing that directives are being followed, thus having less things to “re-think” each day. Proper delegating is critical in keeping current with your workload.