| Written by Lisa Hood,
on 02-25-2008 21:50
|
Views : 291  |
Favoured : 65 |
Published in : , Time Management |
Tags : peak performance level, priority projects, rsquo, recent graduates, time log, productive time, unexpected events, incoming calls, time of the day, interruptions, workday, urgent action, average person, 60 minutes, interruption, time management, treadmill, early bird, concentration, hook |
Time management is all about planning, so how can we plan for the unexpected? The very nature of the word defies planning, because if you know what’s coming, it’s expected. While we can’t plan for the unexpected; penciling it in on our scheduled each day or employing a staff of recent graduates ready to pounce on a moments notice, we can plan ON the expected. Just knowing that the unexpected events are inevitable we can prepare ourselves for their arrival.
Interruptions
The average person gets 1 interruption every 8 minutes, or approximately 7 an hour, or 50-60 per day. The average interruption takes 5 minutes, totaling about 4 hours or 50% of the average workday. 80% of those interruptions are typically rated as "little value" or "no value" creating approximately 3 hours of wasted time per day.
The challenge is to manage interruptions that have “little’ or “no value”
1) Forward the Phone to Voicemail and Turn Off Email Notification – You may not have this luxury at work, but if you do take advantage, Schedule 30-60 minutes each day to focus on priority projects and tasks. At home, screen incoming calls or take the phone off the hook, while you pay bills, cook dinner or hit the treadmill. It takes about 20 minutes to get “back in the zone” or the original level of concentration before interruption, assuming you’re not completely derailed with another interruption.
2) Close the Door – You can’t hide behind a closed door all day (people will talk) but you can close it to burn through urgent action items. It’s best to do this during when you’re at Peak Performance Level, which varies across individuals. If you’re unsure of the times of day in which you are most productive, keep a time log for a week and a pattern will emerge.
3) Be the Early Bird – For most Americans, the morning is the most productive time of the day. If you can arrive to the office just 20 minutes early, you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done. If you doze off at your desk instead, try staying 20 minutes late. Sometimes you don’t even realize you’re distracted by the office chatter, until you hear the quiet.
4) Politely Decline Discussion – When the gossip from across the hall stops by to dish some dirt, nudge her along politely “Hi Sally, I wish I could visit right now, but I have to get this presentation done for a 2 o’clock meeting.” If she doesn’t take the hint, be more direct “I have to work right now, but when I have a minute, I’ll stop by your desk and we can talk.” Or “Now’s a bad time, but come back at 4:30 and we can talk then.”
5) Set Expectations – It’s impossible to eliminate interruptions altogether. You can minimize the impact of them by setting aside time each day to field questions, calls and answers emails. In the example above, you can still visit with Sally, but now it will be on your terms. Let family and friends know that you won’t answer the phone during your work out time (or The Dr Phil show).
Crisis Mode
Some interruptions are unavoidable. Crises are unexpected events that demand immediate attention to avoid negative consequences. “In First Things First, Stephen Covey describes how the emotional payoff of frequently dealing with urgent crises can develop into what he calls "urgency addiction." The payoff from the urgency addiction is the sense of exhilaration, success, and validation that we feel when working on an urgent task, putting out a fire, or managing a crisis. The trap is that in doing so, we are often sacrificing more important tasks just to get the payoff.” Rodger Constandse – Time Thoughts
1) Have a plan in place – Rudy Guiliano was highly regarded and praised for his response to the 9/11 terrorist attack of New York’s World Trade Center. The city was able to mobilize rescue workers, manage communications and deal with widespread panic. The reason was Guiliano had a plan in place before disaster struck. You can’t plan and act at the same time. During a moment of crisis, you will be forced to take time to plan or just jump in and act with no plan at all. Neither is good. Instead, plan in advance so you can act when necessary.
2) Be willing to prioritize – You can’t pour more water into a full cup without spilling some. It’s inevitable that something will suffer because you are busy managing crises. You need to know, before you need to know, what activities can be postponed with fewest consequences. In other words, don’t wait until the house is on fire to think about what you want to grab on your way out the door. Some activities require timeliness (filing taxes on April 15) and others are a matter of routine (balance checkbook) which can wait.
3) Address the cause, not the symptom – You can address the immediate issue and return to your routine, or you can invest some time to finding the cause of the problem and fixing it. It may take a bit more time and energy right now, but you’ll save countless hours and future frustrations by avoiding reoccurrence. Problems are a blessing because they give us an opportunity to do things better next time.
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