Try These Techniques For Managing Your Time And Getting Organized

Number 151

No matter how organized we are, it makes sense from time to time to look at the ways we manage our time and tasks. The approaches that work in one career phase don’t always serve us well as we move up the ladder or on to different situations. And sometimes we just get sloppy or overwhelmed, and would do well to try something new.

If you’re looking for ways to manage your work more smoothly, consider these techniques:

• Schedule shorter meetings. In many organizations, meetings are routinely scheduled for 60 minutes, when a shorter period would do. Start thinking of meetings in blocks of 15 minutes, instead of an hour. And of course with short meetings it becomes even more important to start on time and have an agenda.
• Manage email at designated times. You may lose control of your calendar if you allow yourself to be constantly interrupted by email. Items popping into your Inbox can feel urgent, even if they are not important to you and your goals. Schedule times of day for checking email and, most important, schedule times to work at key projects without allowing yourself to be distracted by the presence of mail.
• Follow the Rule of 3. As you start every day (or perhaps prepare for it the night before), ask yourself: what three things do I want to get done? Write those things down on a card or note (research suggests that the act of handwriting may engage your brain more than typing on a keyboard). Put that list in a prominent place, take it with you if you leave your office, and look at it periodically until your list has been accomplished.
• Schedule priority time. Actually designate time on your calendar for working on high priority items. Treat those appointments with the same seriousness that you bring to appointments with other people.
• Know your prime time. Are there times during the day when you are most likely to be creative and energetic, and other times when you tend to fade? Spend a week or two noticing your personal clock. If you find a sweet spot, a time slot when you are most likely to be at your best, try to devote that time on your calendar to your highest priorities. If you tend to slow down at certain times of day, use those periods for moving quickly through routine, low priority tasks.
• Take small bites. When you build or look over your “todo” list, note actions (including small steps toward big projects) that can be completed in five minutes or less. Find spaces on your calendar when you can dash through several of those quick items. When you have a spare 10 or 15 minutes, see how many small tasks you can check off.
• Just decide. Sometimes analytical professionals can reduce a dilemma to two or three strategic options, but then they struggle to decide among the choices. Know that there is probably no perfect choice, and dithering is a big time waster. Often the best decision is an early decision. Decide now, and allow yourself to revisit the decision later, if necessary.
• Follow up quickly. It is easy to waste time trying to reconstruct meeting notes or retrieve forgotten project details. After meeting with colleagues or accepting an assignment, it is probably more important to follow up immediately than to respond perfectly. A quick confirming email immediately after a conversation or request can save much time in the long run. At the end of each day, ask yourself whether there are any follow-up messages that should be sent before you leave your desk.
• Use checklists. You probably have some recurring tasks, like planning events, producing reports or scheduling the development of projects. There is no need to re-invent the wheel every time. You can save yourself anxiety, as well as time, if you create a checklist for each type of task. Have a default todo list for everything from packing for a trip, to offering employee feedback or arranging a party.
• Say no. If you’ve made commitments that you probably won’t be able to honor, say so as quickly as possible. Instead of agonizing about your backlog, renegotiate deadlines where you can, and look for low priority items that you can remove from your list.