Time and Tide Wait for No One

Transcription

1 Time and Tide Wait for No One Diane Beliveau Dale Carnegie Mid-Atlantic 2331 York Road Suite 202 Timonium MD ext

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3 Time Management AT THE COMPLETION OF THIS MODULE, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO: Gain an understanding of where our times is spent Develop the mindset to overcome time management obstacles and work more efficiently Apply tools to plan, organize, and manage our time Leverage time and increase productivity working smarter, not harder Overview We have probably all heard the phrase, Time is money. There is a significant distinction that we need to keep in mind about this comparison. Time and money can both be either spent or invested, but time cannot be saved by putting some away for future use. Time escapes minute by minute and hour by hour. Nothing we do will stop or rewind a clock or calendar. We all have the same amount of time, 1440 minutes per day. There are no short-cuts to managing ourselves more effectively. The key is to invest our time in the most productive way, not only for the sake of our company but for our own peace of mind. Having a clear picture of where time gets lost will give the best indications of where improvements can be made. We will review specific tools and approaches that help us stay on target, reduce procrastination, and get results in the areas over which we can take more control. Old habits cannot be thrown out the upstairs window, they have to be coaxed down the stairs one step at a time. - Mark Twain Time and Tide Wait for No One 1

4 Three Components of Time Management We have three areas of opportunity when it comes to more effectively managing our time and reducing our stress. The first area of opportunity is setting priorities. The second is our ability to plan and organize our work. The third opportunity is in our ability to manage our attitude. Examining our current work habits in each area gives us a basis for improving our skill in each category and replacing old habits with new, more productive habits. Setting Priorities Planning & Organizing Skills Managing Our Attitude 2 Dale Carnegie Training

5 The Wheel of Life Career 10 Spirituality Finance Health Community Personal Life Social Life 10 Family Observations Changes I need to make Time and Tide Wait for No One 3

6 Where Am I Spending My Time? My Multiple Demands and Competing Priorities My multiple demands for week of: My primary professional goal for the week: My primary personal goal for the week: Career Example: Attend Dale Carnegie seminar _ Social Life/Leisure Example: Attend baseball game with family _ Finances/Home Example: Take car for 15,000 service Health Example: Go to the gym Community Example: Volunteer at shelter Personal Life Example: Get haircut Family/Significant Others Example: Send flowers to Mom for birthday Spirituality Example: Attend place of worship 4 Dale Carnegie Training

7 NOT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT Tyranny of the Urgent CRISIS DEADLINES 1 2 MEETINGS REPAIRS PERFORMING MISSION CRITICAL TASKS SUPPORTING PROPERTY ASSOC. VALUES PLANNING RELATIONSHIPS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT PHONE CALLS INTERRUPTIONS VOICE MAIL REPORTS DROP-INS 3 4 SOCIAL MEDIA iphone GAMES ESCAPES JUNK MAIL BUSY WORK URGENT NOT URGENT What would be the result if you spent more time in quadrant 2? Time and Tide Wait for No One 5

8 Obstacles to Handling Competing Priorities Rank this list in order of biggest to smallest obstacle with number one being your biggest obstacle: Ranking Lack of focus and motivation Getting bogged down by minutia Constant disruptions and interruptions Too much to do in too little time Poor planning and organization skills Tendency towards procrastination Unable to establish priorities and keep on schedule Inability to delegate effectively Unable to make timely decisions Time consuming and ineffective meetings Stress 6 Dale Carnegie Training

9 The Essentials of Prioritizing 1. Record All Activities: Write down all your multiple demands, competing priorities, tasks, and activities for the day or week. 2. Determine Primary Goals: List your primary goals for the day or the week. 3. Consider 80/20 Rule: Determine which 20% of activities will yield 80% of the results, bringing us nearer to our goals. 4. Evaluate Important vs. Urgent: Decide which of these activities are the most important versus the most urgent. At this stage, take into consideration how certain items affect others and the consequences for not accomplishing certain tasks (for example, someone might need something from you in order to do their job). 5. Rank: Use a ranking system to begin planning. For example: A tasks have high priority and must be completed immediately. B tasks are moderately important but can be done after the A tasks. C tasks are of low-level importance and can be tackled in our spare time. 6. Create Schedule: Indicate deadlines for each task and estimate the time involved to complete the task. Create a schedule, keeping in mind any tasks that may be linked together to increase productivity. For example, can you couple something of lesser priority with something of greater importance? 7. Revisit Goals and Adjust: Review your goal(s) and the rewards of doing the task on time, and make any necessary adjustments. 8. Purge: Get rid of items on your list that remain at the bottom and will realistically not get done. Time and Tide Wait for No One 7

10 Time Robbers Factors externally imposed: 1. Telephone interruptions 2. Meetings 3. Social visiting 4. Other people s deadlines 5. Unexpected delays 6. Mistakes of others 7. Paperwork and reports 8. Poor communication 9. Outside activities 10. Employees with problems 11. Responding to crises 12. Customer complaints 13. Too much routine work 14. Unexpected interruptions Factors self-generated: 1. Lack of good organization 2. Procrastination 3. Unrealistic time estimation to do a job 4. Trying to do too much 5. Lack of delegation 6. Snap decisions that backfire 7. Failure to listen 8. Lack of motivation 9. Lack of planning 10. Making all decisions yourself 11. No system of self-accountability 12. Not maintaining daily list of projects 13. Confused responsibilities 14. Lack of creative effort Consider your own time robbers List factors under each category that rob you of most of your time. Factors externally imposed: Factors self-generated: Dale Carnegie Training

11 Plan and Organize A second critical area for managing time is the ability to stay organized in workload management. Which of these productive work habits do you utilize in organizing your work? Simplify your approach What could we start doing, stop doing, or do differently in order to simplify our work approach? Don t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Drop unnecessary tasks Make a list of each task in your work day and week. Which activities are not necessary and could be dropped? Try dropping those activities for a week or a month, and track any changes in your results at work. Keep a calendar/planner Do you use a planner to write down appointments, dates, phone calls, commitments as you make them? We can better manager our time when all follow-up is in one source. Finish one task before starting another A major source of disorganization at work comes from excessive multi-tasking. Stay focused on a particular task until completion, waste less time and stay far more organized. Reduce procrastination Do the task that is your least favorite first, and knock it out! Least favorite to dos don t get better with age Just do it! Set priorities Identify and organize the next day s tasks the night before. Prioritize and identify important tasks from low priority tasks. Time and Tide Wait for No One 9

12 New Habit: To Better Plan and Organize One way that I will better plan and organize my workload is to: How this will help me: I will start: Name: will hold me accountable. 10 Dale Carnegie Training

13 Delegation: Self-Evaluation 1. Do you take work home? Yes No 2. Do you still handle work you had before your last promotion? Yes No 3. Are you frequently interrupted for advice and information? Yes No 4. Do you work out details others could handle? Yes No 5. Do you keep your hands on too many projects? Yes No 6. Do you find yourself rushing to meet deadlines? Yes No 7. Do you work longer hours than other managers? 8. Do you spend time doing tasks for others that they could do themselves? 9. Do you find your IN basket full when you return after a few days? 10. Do you become involved in projects you thought you had given to someone else? Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Time and Tide Wait for No One 11

14 The Six Degrees of Productivity Deputizing Best Delegating Distributing Average Doing Dumping Dropping Worst Notes 12 Dale Carnegie Training

15 Exercise: Organizational Chart Draw an organizational chart for your department or team, beginning, with your position. Could this person be your replacement? Current Position The Next Level A. A. B. B. C. C. Time and Tide Wait for No One 13

16 When Holding People Accountable, Do We Buy it back by responding: Let me thing about I ll let you know when Leave it here, I ll I ll check with I ll draft up After I finish With phrasing like this, the delegation is negated. The assignment remains with us. There is no progress until we do something. Put it in limbo by responding: Send me a memo and Why don t you check with Draft up a proposal and See me later about Let me know if I can help We ll have to do something With phrasing like this, the process is lowed. Decisions are delayed. The delegation is only partly completed. Establishing accountability by responding: I know you can do I m counting on you to I gave it to you because What are you going to do I know you will get it done With phrasing like this, it s clear that accountability has been shifted. The delegation is complete. Progress is much more likely. 14 Dale Carnegie Training

17 Commitment to Delegate with Purpose Task I need to delegate: Person to whom I will delegate this task: How this will help them grow? Some perimeters I will need to establish: How I will hold them accountable without micromanaging: Time and Tide Wait for No One 15

18 Managing Our Attitude Let things go There comes a time in the course of our work where we recognize that we are better off to relax and accept that we can t have everything turn out perfectly every time. Take charge Our attitudes improve when we take charge of situations and get something done. At the very least, we can take charge of our own workload, relationships, and attitude. Stay calm Whatever it takes counting to 10, taking deep breaths, going for a walk, or a short meditation, concentrate on staying calm. Avoid overreacting, lashing out, or acting impulsively. Be fully present One effective way to knock a task out sooner rather than later is to stay focused and be fully present. Show up early Extra time can help us get ahead of the schedule for the day and better manage our time. 16 Dale Carnegie Training

19 New Habit: To Better Manage Our Attitude One way that I will better manage my attitude is: How this will help me: I will start: Name: will hold me accountable. Time and Tide Wait for No One 17

20 Tips for Effective Time Management Get your house in order. Clear your desk of clutter and organize your workspace and paperwork based on importance and frequently used items. Use time management tools such as to-do lists, block time, batching tasks, time logs, project lists, priority lists, and calendars. Post your to-do list, and priorities; and reward yourself when items are crossed off. Set realistic goals, break these into small steps, and just do it. Start small and you ll be surprised how easy it is to finish. Be efficient plan each day by filling small gaps of time with small items on your to-do list. For example, back up your computer when you leave for lunch. Go with your internal clock. Some people are clearly morning or night people. If you are one of these people, get things done when your energy and productivity level is at its highest. Create a schedule to take advantage of peak periods in your day. When you find yourself on a roll, stay on a roll. Capitalize on those spurts of energy, motivation, and creativity. These rolls can cancel our unproductive blocks of time. Get the tomorrow I m going on vacation attitude. Kick up your productivity and get all urgent matters, phone calls, and s taken care of. Learn to make good decisions quickly. Live in day-tight compartments. Remove distractions, minimize interruptions, and get focused on the item or project at hand. Use procrastination and breaks to your advantage by getting reenergized and boosting your creativity. Don t over commit. Just say no explanations are not always necessary. 18 Dale Carnegie Training

21 15 Principles for Successful Multi-Tasking 1 Different strokes for different folks. There is no right way to multi-task. Play to your strengths and pick the tactic that is best for you. Some people need to block time and work without distractions. Others thrive on interruptions and are more efficient when dealing with them in real time. 2 Get organized and stay organized, both physically and mentally. The more organized we feel, the better we are able to focus and concentrate on the task before us. Get rid of clutter and clear your desk of anything not pertinent to your goals for the day. 3 Think ahead. Plan each day, use a calendar or planner to create a schedule, and publicize your availability. Use timers or alarms to adhere to a schedule as much as possible. Include a daily variety of activities to prevent boredom and seeking interruptions and diversions. 4 First prioritize goals, them compartmentalize. Discriminate by using prime time for prime activities. Block time for urgent tasks and use after hours for nonurgent activities. Alternate between time consuming and smaller projects to gain as sense of accomplishment. Break down large projects into stages by identifying good stopping points to task-switch. Remain vigilant and disciplined to your goals and priorities. 5 Be honest with your self. Know your limits when you can and can not taskswitch. Give your undivided attention to critical tasks that require full concentration. Have a separate space designated to work on high priority projects, and step away from the phone and computer. 6 Don t over commit. Stay in control of your day and learn to say no diplomatically and tactfully. Use call forwarding and disable the new mail alert on your computer when working on critical projects the demand your full concentration. 7 Keep a positive attitude and remain flexible. Expect the unexpected, stay calm, and exercise patience when things pop up. Rely on your past experience to deal with the unexpected. If it can not be put on your schedule to deal with later, take note of where you left off, resolve the situation, and return to what you were doing. 8 Use breaks and interruptions to your benefit. Step back, gain perspective, think creatively, and review and reward the progress you have made. Time and Tide Wait for No One 19

22 9 Be creative to maximize efficiency. Know when you personally can save time by bundling activities. Optimize your time and maximize productivity by making the most of wait times and delays, and by pairing automatic or routine tasks. 10 Don t waste your brain power. Understand all the capabilities of the technology you use, and use them. Simplify your life and automate tasks as much as possible (i.e. phone speed dial, keyboard shortcuts, etc.). Keep frequently used resources at your fingertips. Invest in time-saving devices at the office and home. 11 Remember your human relations skills and make people your first priority. Be courteous and show respect by giving individuals your undivided attention. The most important thing to know about technology is when to shut it off. 12 Practice. Switching tasks require resetting our brain each time. If we practice, it can become more automatic and less stressful. 13 Get over yourself. Learn to ask for help, delegate, empower and let go of tasks that don t have to be done by you. Keep the lines of communication open and be sure that colleagues and team members are in the loop so they are better able to lighten your load. 14 Stay healthy. Let your mind re-boot, slow down, and take a breather to be more efficient and accomplish more in less time. We can channel our energy more effectively when we eat well, stay hydrated and take a break to stretch and exercise. 15 Review each day and analyze where the time was spent. Note opportunities for improvement in productivity. Take 15 minutes at the end of day to think about the next day and prepare your plan of attack. 20 Dale Carnegie Training