Morning Motivator - Give to Get

"It's about letting things go, so you can get what you want."
- Bert Cooper

Last night, the Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce Board met for our monthly planning and review. As part of our meetings, we include a Board EDUCATION session. This is an opportunity for our group, as LEADERS, to discuss management strategies to IMPROVE our leadership delivery.

Our topic covered the benefits and effects of PRIORITIZATION. We chatted about the effects realized by performing REACTIVE activities versus PLANNED activities. We also covered the level of URGENCY associated with those activities. (View more at: focuslearninggroup.com/resources/tips/generaltips/managingpriorities.php)

As you consider where your action items lie within the matrix, you need to examine the PRODUCTIVITY of each action. Are you creating a POSITIVE enhancement on your business or self? Are you REACTING to someone else's "emergency" or one you created by failing to plan accordingly? Is this even an action that I should DEDICATE time to?

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
As the holiday season approaches, we are finding our time more LIMITED and thus our systems STRESSED farther.

In order to maintain PRODUCTIVITY and EFFICIENCY, we need to effectively manage "what needs to be done"...

Some of the keys to doing so are:
* Eliminating time robbers - mindless chit-chat, YouTube and other actions that cause you to cramp time into the end of the day.
* Pre-planning your day and week - spend 5 minutes each evening and morning to look over your day, plan resources and make sure you have the right tools in place to complete your tasks.
* Set your plate - if in your planning, you find you do NOT have the appropriate tools to do your work, either reschedule, delegate or re-evaluate the importance of the task (and eliminate if needed)
* Time Block - Schedule hour blocks to complete critical tasks. Set the blocks such that you have travel, planning and follow up time included. Also, make sure you are blocking in order of importance. (Never put off "until later" what needs to be done first).

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.

Morning Motivator - The Systematic Elimination of Distractions

"If you want work well done, select a busy man - the other kind has no time."
- Elbert Hubbard

I have a SITUATIONAL story to share today about ""TIME ROBBING."

Steve gets to work at 7:45am every day. He is an exceptional employee who is very focused, dedicated, intelligent… and frustrated.

At least three times a week, Steve drives home wondering "where the day went" and why he feels as though he didn't accomplish anything.

He recognizes he spent 8-9 hours in the office. He responded to multiple "critical" emails. He answered quite a few important calls. He even wrapped up a few reports. Yet… He doesn't feel as though he accomplished much.

Steve is a victim of TIME ROBBING. You can recognize it as the continuous start and stop activity of your days. Note the time cycle:

9:05-9:09am:
You are drafting a very important email when the phone rings. (4 minutes)

9:10am:
You answer the call, which turns out to be a vendor. You explain you are busy and do not have time to chat, never listening to the opportunity and robbing you of time on your email. (3 minutes)

9:13am:
You hang up and turn your attention back to your email. You have lost your train of thought so you re-read the email. (2 minutes)

9:15am:
You begin back into your email with a focused effort on your objective when Jessica "pops by" your desk to ask about the 3pm meeting and if you had any further ideas. (4 minutes)

9:19am:
You "shoo" away Jessica with no additional information or action items, wishing she had just sent an email or not asked at all. You re-read from where you re-started previously on your email, gaining your thought track back again. (4 minutes)

9:23am:
You complete the email, re-read for any missing items, spell check and send. (3 minutes)

9:26am:
CONGRATULATIONS… you just completed a 5 minute email in 21 minutes.

CRITICAL QUESTION: How many times in a day CAN this (or does this) happen to you??

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:
In order to RECAPTURE your day, you must become a PROTECTOR of your time.

One very EFFECTIVE technique is TIME BLOCKING. By segmenting your time to allow short, focused sessions, you are better able to ELIMINATE distractions and feel CONFIDENT in asking people to come back at a certain time.

Start by scheduling your time blocks in MOST IMPORTANT task priority.

Here is a potential schedule:
Sales calls from 8-10am
Follow ups from 10-11am
Return phone calls from 11-1130am
Check and return emails from 1130-12pm.

Anything that does not fit into those SPECIFIC tasks during its SCHEDULED time… gets PUSHED back! Everyone and everything can and will be attended to in your day – just in your time. And as for people being mad about your MANAGEMENT style… they will get over it once they see they have your UNDIVIDED attention.

Cheers,
Zach

*To enjoy past editions of the Morning Motivator go to – http://grow-learn-lead.blogspot.com

The Morning Motivator is a copyrighted publication. The use of this article is open for print or publication with proper citations.