Management Matters

Time is the most valuable asset; Learn How to Make Every Second Count

We are all now living with the fact that we all need to do more with less. We have had to become leaner and meaner. That's the reality.

 

So how can you improve your productivity to keep up? 

What are some of the solutions?

Try these:

 

1. Focus on some things rather than everything

Do one thing at a time and do it well. Switching between tasks comes at a cost.

I use the rock, pebbles, sand model or 1-3-5 tool. Ask yourself what is the one big thing (rock) you need to get done today? What are the 3 medium (pebble) things you need to get done? The little things (sand) can always wait.

Don't start with the easy. Start your day with the hard. "Eat the frog" so you build on that success and feeling of achievement. 

And don't mistake efficiency for effectiveness.

 

2. Manage your energy as much as your time" (courtesy of Tony Schwartz)

Busy is not about lack of time but about a lack of priorities. Everything is not a priority.

Some things need to be done, delegated, deferred or deleted (what we call the 4Ds). The Eisenhower Matrix works well too.

6. Water

Our body is made of 60% water but the muscles in your brain muscles are closer to 80%. When you’re thirsty it's often too late. If you're yawning or clearing your throat too much it will be because of a lack of water.

In winter it can be hard to drink water but start by drinking water that is at least room temperature. Pour a glass before you go to bed at night that's ready to go in the morning vs. cold straight out of a cold tap.

Same for your desk. Leave a big bottle or glass of water at your desk overnight ready to go first thing.

 

7. Know when you work at your best

I know I work best between the hours of 2-5pm. This is when I do my best thinking.

You may be a lark i.e. good first thing in the morning or you may be an owl - better as the day goes on. Whichever one you are, make sure you don't waste your best time on your least tasks. If you are a lark, schedule the mechanical or administrative for the end of the day, not the start.

3. Get more out of your people by investing more in your people

"Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime."

Sometimes, you can only be as good as the team around you. You also get the teams you tolerate. If you want more support from your team, you need to support them first so they can support you.

Rarely can any of us get anything done in this life alone, and this African proverb sums it up best:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

I like the 4 Ds rule to: Do, Delegate, Defer or Delete.

 

4. Book time for interruptions

Like your meetings, you need to book in your interruptions. Help your people understand that there are times you cannot be interrupted but times that you can. You'll be amazed how much more you can get done when you do this.

 

5. Multi-tasking is a myth 

“To do two things at once is to do neither."

Multi-tasking used to be a badge the wearer would proudly wear. Not now.

The science is in.

We now know doing one thing well then moving onto the next vs. switching is proven less costly in cognitive terms. To impair cognitive performance increases the amount of time necessary to finish the primary task by as much as 25%, a phenomenon known as “switching time.”

Multi-tasking cognitively impairs us. Some of us like to think we’re great multitaskers because of what it says about us - we’re smarter.

In doing lots of things, the fact is we do nothing really well. Like the efficiency vs. effectiveness argument, being busy doesn't mean being productive.

The more you do the less you do. It's a paradox. When you try to do everything you get nothing done. Give one thing your full attention. When done, move onto the next.

8. If it's not in the diary, it doesn't get done

Tried getting an appointment with an important executive?

When I was younger I always wondered why my Exec had a PA and a strict diary. They'd worked out, unlike me at the time, that time is all they have.

 

It's the same for you and me.

You have to spend it wisely and not let others spend it for you. You dictate and drive your priorities, not others.

Be proactive with your time management. My mantra is exactly what I've stated above so it bears repeating: "if it's not in the diary it doesn't get done."

You should make it your mantra too. You'll be surprised by the results. And remember one diary to rule them all!