Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
There's an interesting take on how to optimize your time management published in Forbes today. Anthony Wing Kosner comments on the book 99U called Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus & Sharpen Your Creative Mind and suggests that the early hours of a day are best left to the bigger tasks while you mind is fresh! Of course it's always great WHEN YOU HAVE A CHOICE on how you should plan you day. My mum went on an off-site time management course a few years ago and struggled to see the relevance of the course for herself given that she was a PA at the time and her schedule was set by her boss. In the real world I know many people face a diary that's not set by themselves. The era of Outlook shared calendars your working week can be filled even before it begins! I remember particularly a week in June 2012 when on the Monday morning (a little like today) I turned to my Outlook calendar to find out that every day was committed to a series of meetings and quickly realized my list of things to-do simply wasn't going to fit in. I'd also committed to an off-sighter TODAY which meant I was already late. Not a great start to my week. All my own fault. My bad. After that fateful day last year, I've been working much harder at getting my time management right. But it's not simply a question of planning to work all of the time. Experts believe that we all have 'cycles' of performance - peaks and troughs - so you have to keep in tune Here then are my '5 of the best' tips on HOW TO PREVENT YOUR CALENDAR FROM RULING YOU:
Citation preview
It’s YOUR Calendar, So Rule
It!calendar year (12-30-08) sun dazed
Office Building, Paddington Basin Justin Otto
5 simple ways to get more out of your work day … and get home on time
Ian Tomlin
quinn.anyaPeople scurry
There are only so many hours in a working day. Using them
smartly makes sense!
Use of shared business calendars can cause people to lose control of their own schedule.
It’s easily done.
Here are 5 ways YOU can take back control!
1. Take control of your calendar and
'compartmentalize'
Accept that it’s YOUR calendar: You set it. If
the schedule isn't working for you, it's your fault. Avoid
walking into meetings or agreeing to perform tasks that
serve no benefit. Break down your day into compartments
so that tasks and meetings don’t over-run.
2. Write down your priority tasks at the start of every day
It's helpful to consider which tasks could make the biggest difference to your day. Work out what the most important things are for you to achieve today that will make it into a good day and write them down. Then make sure you book them into your schedule and do
them first. juhansoninDawa's Designed To-do list
3. Plan to work harder in less time and avoid working into the margins
When people work longer hours they work 'less well'. Commit yourself to focused bursts of hard-work during the day and avoid ‘letting yourself’
work into the margins of personal times and breaks. If you have more time to stretch into, you will use it.
4. Work out your personal productivity
cycle
Human-beings can't work non-stop without a break and expect to maintain a peak productivity. We each have a cycle when we are best, good, and just plain okay. Work out when you
work best and share it with your boss and colleagues.
5. Don't be unnecessarily generous with your time
If you like to be perceived as a nice and accommodating person then you might find yourself agreeing to meetings and places
for meetings that are good for others but not so great for you.
Thank You.
Article Sponsors:
Workforce and Talent www.workspend.com
IT and Technology www.ustechsolutions.com
Data Engineering and Customer Science www.ndmc.uk.com
Ian Tomlin is a management consultant and author. He's written several books and hundreds of white papers and articles on the subject of customer science, organizational growth, technology and the evolution of the workplace.
Books by Ian Tomlin:Agilization – The regeneration of competitivenessCloud Coffee House – The birth of cloud social networking and death of the old world corporationSOS - Social Operation Systems
