THE NEW SCHOOL

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There’s a finite amount of time.
It’s the same for everyone. Nobody has more than anyone else.
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Non-renewable resource
Cannot be replaced, saved, made up, or overspent
Thus, time is either used or wasted.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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How much is your time worth?
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Time is money, right?
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Wrong! Money is time.
You can always get more money – time is finite, scarcer, and more valuable.
How much is an hour worth to you ?
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Time management helps you work smarter, not harder.
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Smart time management helps you get the right things done.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Planning
Organizing
Controlling (keeping track of it)
Evaluating
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Set goals (always time framed deadlined).
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Yearly – outcomes, projects, tasks, and improvement areas
Monthly updates
Weekly planning
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities.
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Do not get distracted. Focus is critical to success.
Plan for the full range of your job functions and activities to get the results you’re expected to get.
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Results are politically defined.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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If you’re unsure about what results are expected or about priorities, ask your boss.
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“I didn’t have enough time” is a cop out – you’re blaming time, being a victim of time.
Don’t be a victim, take responsibility for managing and controlling your time.
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According to boss’s or team’s priorities, not yours.
Take responsibility for results as the organization, boss, or team defines them.
Take responsibility for being on time.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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People who are habitually late or constantly procrastinate:
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Arrogant: Try to establish power consciously.
Poor self-image: Try to establish power subconsciously.
Unhealthy fear of failure
ADHD
Are you in denial about any of the above problems?
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Overcome these problems with selfdiscipline:
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Time management and priority setting
Professional help (yes, a therapist)
Don’t procrastinate on getting started or getting help in managing your time.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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To-Do list
Action folder
Management folder
Project folders
Calendar
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Only one, synch in the cloud
THE NEW SCHOOL

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The longer, the worse – depressing.
Unconscious, stupid tricks we play on ourselves:
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Do lots of little things first to give ourselves achievement feedback.
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Do the easiest things first.
Do the most fun things first.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Scrub it every week to keep it short.
Put a deadline on all items.
Prioritize all items 1,2,3 (boss’s or team’s priorities).
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Listen to boss or team carefully.
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Listen for stuff you don’t want to hear.
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Don’t listen defensively – it’s not personal criticism, it’s improvement advice.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Look at last week’s calendar for appointments, tasks, meetings, and stuff that needs to be carried over to the new week.
Look at what you have scheduled for the upcoming week.
Synthesize.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Daily plans are most useful if you have sovereignty over your time.
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Often not necessary for routine daily tasks.
Set a time for your daily planning
(first thing in the A.M. is usually best).
Look at your email, then delete, refer, or act on it.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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D elete as much email as possible
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Unsubscribe to emails you don’t need.
R efer – Forward emails to appropriate people for action.
A ct – Respond immediately if it takes less than two minutes.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Be tough on yourself – do the hardest, nastiest things first.
Save the easiest, most fun tasks for last in the day – look forward to them.
On every activity, ask “ how is this helping me achieve my goals?
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You distract yourself.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Break big jobs into smaller chunks and work uninterrupted:
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Close your email program and browser.
Shut down your smartphone.
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Unless you’re expecting an important call.
No email, texts, Facebook, or Twitter during chunking.
Each chunk completed builds momentum.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Don’t attempt too much. Make yourself feel like a winner.
Allow for interruptions. If you’re a manager or team leader, leave onequarter of your time unscheduled.
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If you’re not a manager, leave oneeighth unscheduled.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Set a time limit on each appointment or meeting.
If you add something during the day, drop something.
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Ask boss which ones to drop.
Set a time for callbacks.
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Best time for callbacks is when assistants aren’t around — before 9:00
A.M. or after 5:30 P.M. (no-screening time).
THE NEW SCHOOL

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The number-one time management rule:
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Do one task until it’s finished.
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We interrupt ourselves (email notifications, texting, Facebook).
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Focus intensely.
Champion athletes know the value of focused concentration.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Conduct a desk check at the end of the day.
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No random piles of stuff — have organized piles.
No Post-Its all over the place.
What color is your desktop?
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If you don ’ t know or can’t see your desktop, you’re not well organized.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Use a headset if you’re on the phone a lot so you can take notes .
Write everything down.
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How you are most comfortable – typing or writing?
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If writing, use notebooks of some kind so you can save them and refer to them later.
Work space uncluttered
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Clutter is distracting.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Analyze repetition: use forms, templates.
Analyze correspondence.
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Have separate files and templates for emails and paragraphs you write often .
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Use no-interrupt hours.
Use quiet hours.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Get specific instructions.
Get agreement on priorities.
Expand autonomy parameters – gain trust.
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Difficult with control freaks.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Time logs (every six months)
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Time logs must be accurate.
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Analyze logs carefully and identify the biggest time wasters:
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Overextended lunch and coffee breaks?
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Extended, unproductive phone conversations?
Inconsequential personal discussions, texts,
Facebook, etc.?
Remember, we distract ourselves.
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Look at your time log and ask these questions:
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“ Am I doing the right things?
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“ Could I have done things in less detail?
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“ What kind of interruptions? How long did it take me to recover?
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“ How long were my conversations?
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“ Did I say ‘ no ’ often enough?
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“Did I go to too many meetings?”
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Poorly run meetings?
THE NEW SCHOOL

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Remember, you’re the one who makes yourself unhappy with unreasonable expectations and disorganization.
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Create a time-management system that is right for you.
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Trial and error
Get organized and smell the flowers
– lower stress … be happier.
THE NEW SCHOOL