Time Management – Dealing with Time Stealers!

Are you running out of time before you run out of tasks? Do you wish you had more hours in the day to get it all done?

Here are some common time-wasters that eat up precious minutes every day. Learning how to plan for and manage these distractions will dramatically improve your effectiveness and productivity.

Time Stealers:

Crisis management
Attempting too much
Procrastination
Telephone interruptions
Unexpected visitors
Paper clutter
E-mail overload

Crisis management
You’ve already planned a full workday and suddenly, a crisis develops that needs your immediate attention. Unexpected problems can disrupt even the most carefully organized schedule.

Solution:

• Don’t let someone else’s crisis become your problem. Try not to react to tasks that seem urgent but may not really be furthering your work goals or the goals of your organization
• When planning your workday, always ask yourself, “What is the best use of my time right now?” That will help you set priorities and focus your energy on the important tasks of the day
• Accept the fact that problems will always develop, so try to plan for them. Set aside some time each day to deal with unexpected issues – if nothing develops, you’ll have the benefit of some extra time to complete other work or enjoy a short break
• Whenever possible, anticipate crises and take action to head them off – it’s always easier to put out a small spark than a raging fire

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Attempting too much
It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking on more than you can handle – and trying to get it all done ‘yesterday.’ If you don’t allocate enough time to do things properly, you’ll be left with half-finished projects and no sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

Solution:

• Start by setting realistic goals for yourself.  Plan your activities each day, taking into account specific time commitments, such as meetings and appointments. Identify and prioritize all the tasks you have to complete during your available working hours and do the important jobs first.
• Plan enough time to complete your ‘to do’ list – make sure you allocate some time to deal with your normal daily interruptions
• Make a habit of finishing the main task you’ve set for each day before you go home at night
• Try to complete one task before starting another – incomplete work drains your energy and leaves you feeling frustrated
• Learn to say no graciously – when someone asks you to take on a project, try to determine if you’re really the right person for the job
• Delegate work whenever possible – remember, you don’t have to do it all – many tasks can be done just as well by someone else

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Procrastination
The biggest thief of time is not decision making, but decision-avoidance. By reducing the amount of procrastinating you do, you can substantially increase the amount of productive time in your day.

Solution:

•  The longer you put a job off, the more it clutters up your daily schedule – if you have a job to do, take action. Do it now!
• Don’t postpone an important task simply because it’s unpleasant – the task won’t get better with time and you’ll waste precious hours worrying about it or finding creative excuses to avoid it!
• Make molehills out of mountains – if you’re avoiding a task because it seems difficult or overpowering, try breaking it down into smaller segments and tackle a little part of it each day – you’ll make better progress this way and your motivation will increase, as you become more involved in the project
• Arrange set times of the day for mundane tasks, such as going through mail, responding to memos etc – that way you won’t be tempted to postpone work that’s boring and repetitive

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Telephone interruptions
The telephone is one of our greatest communication tools – but it can also be our biggest time waster.

Solution:

• Plan a specific ‘telephone time’ for returning calls – by grouping your calls, you’ll complete them quickly and minimize the disruptions in your daily work
• Avoid prolonging work-related calls with unnecessary social chitchat – try to get your caller down to business quickly by asking “How may I help you?
• Let your caller know your time constraints – if you have a class to teach in 10 minutes, say so right at the beginning of the conversation (politely, of course!)
• Try to avoid being placed ‘on hold’ when making a phone call – if someone is unavailable, arrange for a convenient time to call back or leave a message and your phone number
• Leave clear messages on other people’s answering machines – always give your name and phone number, as well as a convenient time for a return call
• Encourage the use of e-mail – it’s less disruptive and you can respond at a time that’s convenient for you

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Unexpected visitors
“Do you have a minute?” When it comes to effective time management, these five little words can be lethal! Unexpected, ‘drop-in’ visitors can soak up your time like a sponge.

Solution:

• Stand up when a colleague or visitor comes into your office or classroom – your body language will send the message that you’re busy. Chances are your visitor will also remain standing and will get to the point quickly, instead of sitting down for an extended visit
• Try to establish the purpose of the unexpected visit as soon as possible, then deal with the issue immediately or arrange for a follow-up meeting at a more convenient time
• Try not to engage in small talk and set a clear time limit for the discussion
• Don’t use an interruption as an excuse to stop work on a task or project – make note of what you were doing when you were interrupted and get back to your task immediately after the call or visit is complete
• Whenever possible, plan specific times for discussing routine matters with colleagues, staff or parents – that will help limit the number of unexpected interruptions in your day

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Paper Clutter

If your workspace is cluttered and messy, you’re probably wasting a surprising amount of time hunting for things that have gone missing in your desk or office.

Solution:

• Avoid a paper buildup by setting aside a specific time each day to deal with your mail – any paper that you don’t need to keep should be discarded immediately
• Don’t use your desk as a giant ‘in box’. Create in and out boxes for on-going work and place them on a cabinet or shelf, so they don’t distract you from your daily tasks

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E-mail overload
E-mail can be a major distraction. It’s hard to resist the temptation to check your inbox constantly. Learn to ignore that insistent little ‘you’ve got mail’ message and you’ll find your day is much more productive

Solution:

• Establish a regular time of day for processing e-mail and look at it only then 
• Reduce computer clutter by deleting or filing messages as soon as you’ve taken action on them
• Create a filing system for your e-mail, using broad categories and subcategories to keep like subjects together

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