Resumo de Time Management

Better meetings

The best way to cut down on time lost to meetings is not to have any! Consider, for example, whether information can be shared more efficiently by distributing it with a routing slip. Large meeting of managers and professional people can cost hundreds of dollars per minutes! Before you call a meeting, write down it purpose in a single sentence and ask yourself, is there a better way?
l Break the habit of allocating a fixed amount of time for a standing meeting. Meetings tend to take the time allotted for them when, in fact, sometimes you can adjourn much sooner.
l Send out an agenda at least one day in advance, with items listed in priority order and a time limit for each item. Don?t overload the agenda and don?t include any issues that require discussion between just two attendees.
l Start meeting on time even if not everyone is present. Otherwise, meetings will start later and later. Record in the minutes that was absent and late and read them aloud at the next meeting.
l To avoid time-wasting bickering between adversaries, seat them on the same side of the table. If they don?t have to look at each other, perhaps they won?t squabble as much.
l Don?t schedule a meeting for longer than 2 hours; beyond that, concentration suffers.
l Issue minutes promptly, with particular attention to decisions, new assignments and deadlines.
l Bring routine work to a meeting so you can keep busy until it gets underway.
l Make sure it?s necessary for you to attend. Then attend only those portions of a meeting that relate specifically to your responsibilities.
l One study showed that the average leader takes up 60 percent of meeting time. If you fit that profile, send more memos when one-way communication is your real agenda.

Stopping interruptions

Everyone wants to reduce in interruptions, but you shouldn?t expect to completely eliminate them. If you did, you would be isolated and out of touch with your co-workers. But when you need time to complete a critical project, perhaps you can retreat to an empty conference room where only a secretary knows you are hiding.

If your job doesn?t require daily face-to-face contact with others, consider whether you can work at home one or two days per week. As the plummeting cost of personal computers, faxes and modems make them affordable for home offices, more and more companies are finding that certain kinds of workers can be more productive, but accessible, outside the traditional office.

l If you must deal with unannounced visitors, see them in the reception area or lobby. If they get into your office, be cordial but don?t sit down. Candidly tell the visitor you can?t talk now but will be happy to set up a meeting later.
l If the last trip doesn?t seem to be working, eliminate all the chairs in your office but your own! When a sit-down meeting is necessary, hold it in the other person?s office.
l Lay out your office so your desk is not visible from the door or otherwise position yourself so others won?t make eye contact as they walk by.
l Tell others that you have reserved your prime time and are not to be interrupted but that you have schedule an ?open door? time when you will give them your undivided attention.
l If you are sure you can handle a question or other interruption in less than 60 seconds, it makes more sense to handle it on the spot.
l Hold onto questions and assignments as they occur to you. Jot them down and hand them out only once, at the end of the day. Don?t interrupt yourself or others more than necessary.
l If you are interrupted while writing, stop in mid sentence so you can get right back to work by completing your thought. Or jot down key words to help you kick up the thread.
l Compile a referral book for your secretary listing types of inquires that regularly interrupt you. Then,only those that really pertain to your area should reach you; other inquires will be referred to the appropriate department.

Making the most of travel time

Notwithstanding the coming of the jumbo jet, traveling remains a time-consuming, expensive and exhausting responsibility for managers, sales reps and others. The standard advice is to take along a laptop computer, or catch up on reading or paperwork during plane trips, and listen to seminar tapes or dictate reports while driving. But these are efficiency tips; the best effectiveness advice is this: ask yourself, is this trip really necessary? Can a letter or conference call do the job?
l To avoid time-consuming paperwork at the end of trip, take expense forms with you and complete them as you go, and write reports on the trip when details are still fresh.
l If you are returning from a trip, try to schedule your return for late afternoon or early evening, so you can wind down as if it were a normal working day. Returning at midday may make it difficult to get back into the office pace, especially if you are jet-lagged.
l Keep supplies and small equipment in your travel briefcase. A plastic fishing tackle box is a neat way to organize and carry scissors, paper clip, stapler, calculator, mini tape recorder an d cassettes, pre stamped envelopes, pads and pens, quarter for tolls, highlighter for reading, etc.
l If you don?t want to use a travel agent, the best time to call airline reservations is roughly from 6 to 9 pm; but not on the hour or half between TV shows.
l Take labels preprinted with your name, address and phone number to a convention or professional meeting. This saves time in the exhibit area when you want to sign up for door prizes or fill out a request card.
l Have an overnight kit always prepared for quick takeoffs.
l When traveling by air, try to arrange airport meetings. Not only do you avoid lost time getting to and from town, but you may also be able to fly out to your next destination on the same day.
l Keep three permanent luggage lists: one for overnight trips, one for longer stays at a single location, and one for multiple location journeys. Once you?ve compile these lists, you won?t waste time deciding what to pack.

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