Time Management Tips - Articles - Andrew Schwartz

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Time Management Tips
by Andrew E. Schwartz

Time is a personal thing. What might seem like a waste of time for you may be highly productive for someone else. Think about day-dreaming, for instance. One person may be doing crucial planning as he stares off into space, while another may have absolutely nothing on his mind.

To become more effective and productive, managers must thoroughly examine and consider their lack of time. If training or personal change is based on the results of such examination, productivity within an organisation or department will increase significantly, and stress will decrease.

If these timewasters appear obvious to you, the time savers should appear obvious too.

Engage in creative waste basketry. Live by the maxim - “When in doubt, throw it out. ”

Don’t become a paperwork junkie. Stop creating forms for the sake of creation. Ask yourself, “What is the worst that could happen if this activity went unrecorded?” If the consequences are not crucial, save the time and paper.

Handle each piece of paper only once. Take appropriate action on each piece of paper as you sort through the mail. Label for filing or throw out as much as is possible.

Put together a daily “To Do” list. Use one piece of paper and list all the tasks you need and wish to do each day.

Set your priorities. Once you have a list, prioritise it, and put a letter next to each item: A = high; B = medium; C = low. At the end of that day, copy over the list on to your next day’s to do list.

Start at the top. Work on your most important tasks first and make in-roads on them whenever you have 15 minutes of uninterrupted time. According to standard time management guidelines, you need to block out 40 percent of your time per week for these priorities. (B priorities take 40 percent and C priorities 20). If you determine the six most important tasks in your job, they need to comprise 80 percent of your time.

Prime time. The hours in which you are alert and energetic, with a clear mental perspective, comprises prime time. A and B priorities must be scheduled into this time, and you need to have 15 to 25 hours of it each week.

Be available at specific hours. If you are reserving your prime time, let your employees know that you will be available only during specific times. Schedule short meetings with key people on a regular basis, or when needed.

Limit Routine Tasks. Decide which tasks you must accomplish and set aside a small block of time each week for them.

Utilize Lunch Time. If you are feeling pressure, take lunch to relax, or take this time to concentrate on your A and B tasks away from the office.

Anticipate crunch time so it does not become CRISIS. Leave 30 minutes each day unscheduled. The best laid plans can often get disrupted by someone else’s overwhelming A priority, or the car breaking down. Allow flexibility in scheduling, so all will not be lost.

Protect your private time. Having and holding onto time for yourself is as important as being work oriented, if not more so. If people fail to take time out for friends, family and play, their health, mental effectiveness and alertness will inevitably suffer.

Ask for cooperation. Schedule large tasks that involve others. Never expect to be able to accomplish multifaceted or multiperson tasks on time without the cooperation of all parties involved.

Avoid unnecssary attendance at meeting. Do not attend meetings where you are not needed. If you are only needed for a portion of that meeting, stay only for that part and then excuse yourself.

Keep Meetings Short & Time Limited. All meetings must start on time and end on time. Schedule them at the end of the day, so that everyone will be more anxious to end them on time. Circulate agendas well in advance, to discourage tangents or addressing other issues.

Discourage Drop-in Visitors. Close your office door. If it is open and someone walks in unexpectedly, get up and meet the visitor to prevent him from settling in. If a person knocks, get up and meet him outside your office.

Attack ugly tasks first. Nasty tasks do not just go away—they tend to continue to haunt you. Start each day with an A priority.

Become more assertive—say no! This is perhaps the greatest time saving technique. You can never successfully learn to prioritize unless you learn to decline tactfully, yet firmly.

Although every hour spent in effective planning saves three to four hours in labor, few managers are willing to take that time. Just as it takes money to make money, it takes time to make time.

Andrew E. Schwartz, CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates of Boston, MA a comprehensive management training and professional development organization offering over 40 skills specific programs and practical solutions to today's business challenges.

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