The Art of Time Managementand

Leadership Observations

Mary K. Estes, Ph.D.Professor, Department of Molecular

Virology and Microbiology and Medicine- GI

Director, TMC Digestive Diseases Center Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, Texas

The Art of Time

Management

Time Management

Determine your priorities and your goals

Once articulated, they will help you judge how you wish to apportion your time and effort

Time Management is a Myth

No matter how organized we are, there are still only 24 hrs per day

Time doesn’t change All we can manage is ourselves and what

we do with the time we have!

Implement a Time Management Plan

Create time management goals Find out where you are wasting time Use time management tools –

Day timer or cell phone – schedule and lists Prioritize ruthlessly Set time limits for tasks Be sure your systems are organized

NEVER PROCRASTINATE

The work will not disappear!

Timeliness

Attention to each problem when it arises will prevent the need to solve more pressing problems that result from failure to address the initial problem promptly.

Email Telephone calls Handle expediently S??? mail

Distraction

Never look at the mail or message until you plan to do something with it

Delegation

Delegate reasonable tasks

The Big Picture

Develop a conceptual understanding of space and money

Zen… or something like it

Develop a large tolerance for ambiguity Use your sense of humor Develop a minimal need for short term rewards Develop broad shoulders without chips Listen to others

Take as many of your owntelephone calls as you can

Remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day, but

it burned in one...

It doesn’t matter what you did yesterday, it is what you are doing today or will do

tomorrow that is important

You can compromisewithout being compromising

Elementary, my dear Watson…

Always seek out the facts

Good decisions must be factually sound

Assume that what you do will have to be accounted for:

Collect data as it develops

This saves much time and effort when accountability is requested: CV’s, hospitals,

schools, certifying bodies, etc.

Time and effort Money Space

“And last, but not least…”

When you meet with someone and they have a long list or agenda, ask them to start at the bottom

The last item is usually the most sensitive and will require the greatest amount of time

When you prepare an agenda, put the most pressing item at the top-- it will saves hours of meeting time

Expediency Efficiency

A bird in the hand may be worth two in the bush, but...

the bird may also leave droppings in your palm

There are no shortcuts to success!

Do not fight change-- it wastes time

Change is inevitable…

not to mention uncomfortable…BUT

it brings opportunities and risk

Your job is to maximize the opportunity and minimize the risk

Focus on outcomes:

Publish research findings

Publications are the currency of success Obtain funding for research Education

Plot a course prospectively to achieve the

best outcome

Conceptualize problems

This is the only way you can communicate both

the nature of the problem and its solutions in the

simplest terms-- doing so saves enormous

amounts of time. You can explain something once

and it will be understood

Never do something twice

Do it right the first time!

Papers Grants Letters“I took a few shortcuts laying

the foundation, but I don’t think anyone will notice…”

Multitasking

You can do two things at the same time

Cohesiveness

Constantly seek to eliminate unproductive efforts or divisive activities within the group

Time is life’s most preciousresource

Use your time and that of others with accountability

Be on time!

Time is life’s most preciousresource

Use your time efficiently

Have something to do while waiting – before appointments or between

meetings or classes

Deal with the cards you are dealt

Trying to seek a re-deal is a waste of time and generally is not successful

There is no substitute forintegrity

Do everything thoroughly

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail

Excellence is achieved by the pursuit of perfection ALL the time

Good time management israrely an accident

It is the result of:

high intention sincere effort much thought skillful execution

When you are in a position to do so...

Hire people smarter than yourself

It will:

1) Save you time

2) Make you look good

Do not panic when you makemistakes

Good judgment comes from experience

Experience come from bad judgment

Do not make the same mistake twice

Achieve balance between yourpersonal and professional life

Leadership Observations

Leaders usually are ordinary people

with extraordinary determination.

Persistence in the name of a good

cause usually overcomes resistance.

Attributes of Leaders

The ability to articulate a vision. A superior capacity to select personnel. A conceptual understanding of space and

money. The courage to make unpopular decisions. The ability to create a readiness to change.

Attributes of Leaders

A large tolerance for ambiguity. A sense of humor. A minimal need for short term rewards. Broad shoulders without chips. The ability to listen.

Personal Principles

The job of a leader is to make other people’s dreams come true.

Make as many of your own telephone calls as you can.

Always try to do what is right. Never give up the high ground.

Personal Principles Never confuse power with authority. Power is an

imputed phenomenon, and power is gained by not using it.

Never gripe down.

If you expect excellence and convey that to the personnel, they will do more than what they themselves believed possible.

Manage by Wandering

Get to know everybody on the custodial staff.

They will tell you what is going on. Never divulge

their confidence or they will unionize and you will

have no absolute source of truth.

Simple Truths

Praise in public and criticize in private.

If you and the college director agree on

everything, there is a high probability that you

are both wrong.

Always seek out and understand the facts. Good

decisions must be factually sound.

Simple Truths

Stay in charge of your calendar. Never appoint a committee to recommend

allocation of space. Solve problems that have solutions. Parking

problems generally do not, so delegate these to someone else.

Simple Truths

When you join an organization as a new leader,

remember your first week of meetings. Virtually

everyone who has called for an appointment will

cause you long term trouble.

Learn Time Management Skills

Never do something twice – do it right the first time.

You can learn to do two things at the same time.

Questions?