Are you Managing Yourself? Where Does the Time Go? Part 2

In the last post I talked a little bit about time management and included tips on how to "Eat That Frog" and make lists. 

Using your time effectively is so much more than that. Goal setting and making to do lists is a start, but then what? Where does one go once those steps are complete? Understanding that a To Do list is constantly shifting and is never totally complete, how do we accomplish the things we need to do in the limited time we have to do them?  Read on to learn about other strategies to maximize that limited resource we call time.

Prioritize
This makes perfect sense right? You have a laundry lists of things to do, you make a to-do list and then order in accordance to the task or project that is the most important. But here's where it gets tricky; how do you determine which task is most important?  Do you base it on the date that it's due and if so, how do you avoid procrastinating?  What about new tasks that are added to the list?  And let's not forget about those fires that inevitably occur during the course of the day and require our immediate attention-those take precedence, right?

This is where the Urgent/Important Matrix comes in.  Essentially, this is a matrix that breaks down each task based on it's urgency (i.e. putting out fires, resolving escalated issues, etc.) or importance (tasks that help you achieve your goals.)  Laying out tasks in this nature gives you a clear picture on how much time you're spending on what.  This is a great way to prioritize and to identify what your time wasters are.  For instructions on how to use the matrix, click here.

Delegate
Recently, I watched a competition show on the Food Network channel. Each chef was required to take over the kitchen of an upscale restaurant for one night. Whoever did the best job with the menu, the food preparation and the leadership in the kitchen would be rewarded with a job as Executive Chef in that restaurant.  The first chef was cool and collected. He helped the sous chefs with the prep work well before dinner service started.  He taught them the techniques for the menu he created so that he could delegate some of the cooking. During the service when things got off track, the chef took responsibility and made a few minor changes, which resulted in a nearly flawless dinner service.

His competitor on the other hand did not take the time to train the sous chefs on how to cook his menu. During dinner service he became so frustrated with the rest of the kitchen staff that he began snapping and yelling at them.  Finally, he took it upon himself to try and prepare every meal on his own without the help of the kitchen staff.  Of course this resulted in many errors and long wait times for people to get their food.  He did not win the competition.

The point is that no one can do it alone.  In order for the team to succeed, everyone must play a part.  Effective delegation is about more than just having a team member take over a task.  It's also about properly training the team member to do the task, allowing for questions, and coaching through mistakes.  In the case of the first chef, he did delegate much of the cooking and prep work to the kitchen staff, but not without first explaining what needed to be done and then coaching them through their first few plates and encouraging them to ask for questions and help.

Work In Intervals
We tend to be more effective when we work in "chunks" in other words after working for 45 minutes or so, give yourself a break.  Walk around, stretch, have a snack and just refresh.  Then you can chunk for the next 45 minutes (some people use 90 minutes instead of 45, use whatever works best for you.)

This is especially helpful if you are in the process of tackling long term projects.  Sometimes those can feel overwhelming if taken in one shot.  Break your part of the project into bite 45 minute chucks and see how much more you can get accomplished without feeling tired, stressed or overwhelmed.

As always, your experiences and thoughts are appreciated.  How do you manage your time most effectively?  I look forward to hearing from you.  Watch for our next blog post on self management.

Are You Managing Yourself?: Where Does the Time Go?

It's the end of the workday and you're exhausted.  It was another busy day as evidenced by your disheveled desk and overflowing inbox, but you can't help feeling like you didn't really accomplish that much.  As you reflect on the events of the day, you realize that you had three meetings, two of which were a total waste of your time and you spent a good part of the afternoon putting out fires.  As a result, you barely had any time to work to work on the project that is due to your boss tomorrow.  Looks like your in for another late night at the office.

There is a reason that time management continues to be a topic of interest in the business world.  It is one of our most precious resources so we are constantly trying to get more of it and to figure out how to best leverage the bits of it that we get. Yet, the race against the clock continues leaving productivity and efficiency in it's wake.

So, what do you do? How does make the most of his or her time?  Here are some tips:

Eat That Frog
In Brian Tracy's well known book of procrastination antidotes "Eat That Frog" he discusses the power behind consuming your frog early and often.  Did you ever have something on your to do list that you really didn't want to do? That's your "frog."  Making sales cold calls, writing an article for a company newsletter or working on your LinkedIn profile are all examples of things that many of us simply don't enjoy doing and so we create reasons why we cannot tackle those tasks.  We think to ourselves, I will make the calls when I catch up on my emails. Of course it rarely works out that way.  We become busy with some other task while those calls move further and further down the priority list.  The further down the list, the greater the feeling of dread we have in taking care of it.  According to Tracy, the best thing to do is take the task you least enjoy and start the day by working on or completing that task. Not only do you accomplish something, but the feeling that goes along with taking care of something that is not that interesting to you, energizes you and sets up the rest of the day for success.

Make Lists
The to do list has been around for...well, forever. It's one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep yourself on track with the myriad of things that you must do every day.  That is of course if you use the list effectively.  If there are 9 things on the to do list it's important to prioritize them and tackle them accordingly (don't forget to Eat That Frog!) Many of us, including yours truly, have fallen into the false satisfaction of crossing things off the list.  In other words, if there are 9 things on the list and I accomplish 7 of them in a day but I don't take care of the 2 most time sensitive and important items then I haven't really done myself any favors or saved any time.  I like to create a master list that I continuously add to and then transfer select items on the list to my daily to do list. This keeps me from feeling overwhelmed but it also keeps me on track.  Find a system that works for you and stick to it.  There are great apps and tools to help with this too! Check out Evernote and Errands for great list making tools.

The Secret
The to do list is never complete.  There will never be enough hours in the day to complete every single item on your list (which is why it's important to prioritize.) This is the nature of to do lists-they are on going.  Keep this in mind and stay focused. It will help you feel less frazzled when something unexpected comes up that demands your attention.

More time management tips to come! As always, please share your insights and suggestions!

Are You Managing Yourself: Part II Where Are You Going?

Where are you going?  Or perhaps the better question is, where do you want to go?  At first glance this seems like a fairly simple question, but often it's one that's overlooked or answered in too broad of terms.

In seeking out the long term goals of a recent client, I asked "where do you want to go?" He paused for a moment and responded "I don't know, I just want to make money." He was moving from sale to sale without much consideration as to what he was working toward other than a nice check.

This is where the power of goal setting comes in.  Yes, there are thousands of business books, blogs, articles, etc. about the importance of goal setting and how to do it. There are some good reasons why this continues to be such a popular topic.  Namely, goal setting is a corner stone of success.  If you don't know where you're going, how are you going to get there?  And exactly where is "there?"

The act of sitting down and visually writing down your goals immediately helps you clarify what you want.  This gives you a starting place.  You can clarify your goals and develop milestones in order to reach the goal, but the act of setting the goal gets you to focus right away on what's important.  Once you have the goal in place, you now have a framework to reference when a new project or opportunity comes along; you simply ask yourself  "How does this activity help me reach my goal?"

Once this framework is in place, you will find that your time is more productively spent since you are focusing on the things that take you to where you want to be.  You'll recognize and seek out opportunities that lend themselves to that process.  And you'll feel more energized and purposeful as you move through the day accomplishing tasks and taking care of the little things that will take you to where you want to go.

Goal setting is the first step in self management.  Stay tuned for the next post which will focus on planning and time management.  Until then, please share any suggestions or expertise!

Are You Managing Yourself? Part I: What is Self Management?

In my roles as trainer/facilitator and coach, I often witness (and help untangle)  similar workplace issues. One of  the most common tends to carry the over simplified label  "Time Management". Deadlines are tight,  there  are too many fires  to put out, too many meetings  and not enough hours in the day. Employees become overwhelmed. This leads to mistakes which in turn leads to fires which as many of us know, have a tendency to consume large parts of the day. Exhaustion and stress seep in.  By the end of the day we wonder where the time  went and why we weren't more productive.  Instead of us controlling the objectives and the outcome of the day, the day bulldozes over any good intentions and leaves morale and motivation in the rubble. 

This is where the idea of Self Management comes in.  According to Wikipedia, Self Management refers to  "methods, skills, and strategies by which individuals can effectively direct their own activities toward the achievement of objectives, and includes goal setting, decision making, focusing, planning, scheduling, time management, task tracking, self-evaluation, self-intervention, self-development, etc."

I appreciate this definition  because it  clearly states that individuals direct their own activities in the pursuit of achieving objectives.  In other words, it's  our own responsibility to set and accomplish our own objectives. There are various strategies to get this ball rolling, but before strategy shopping, consider this : Are you controlling your day or is your day controlling you?  Is your non-stop can't get a breath day filled with unproductive meetings?  Is the timeline you set for the latest project realistic? Do you allow time for "fires" or "catch up" time in your schedule? Are you spending some time each day doing those daily tasks that lead up to long term goal attainment or have your resigned yourself to become engulfed in the flames of the newest crisis?

Over the course of the next several weeks I will be talking about several key issues related to self management including self awareness, effectively handling yourself (and  your time) and goal setting.

Any words of wisdom? I'd love to hear from you!  I  look forward to exploring this topic with you.

Watch Out for the Pitfalls-Starting Your Own Business-4

Throughout the course of the past several posts I have focused on the pitfalls of business ownership and how to avoid them. This has been a labor of love based on the mistakes and setbacks that I have experienced since beginning my own business. I hope that the advise is helpful to you in some way.

That being said, I haven't talked too much about the positive side of owning your own business.  So, in this fourth and final installment of "Pitfalls" I will highlight the positives of small business ownership.

Flexibility
One of the biggest reasons that people launch their own businesses is for flexibility. This flexibility allows business owners to arrange their schedule in a way that is most conducive to them. For me, it is important to take my daughter to school every day and spend more quality time with her.  Because I have more control over my schedule, I have the ability to do this.  This also means that you can work at times and in ways that are most productive to you. Perhaps you are more of a night owl preferring to start the day late and work well into the evening. You have the ability to make the most of your peak performance times when your the boss.

What Commute?
Many small businesses are born out of the home office. This means that your commute is a direct line from the living room to the home office, instead of the 45 minute, congested highway that so many of us are accustomed to.  Think about how much time and frustration you are saving-not to mention gas money!

It's Not Really Work
When your career is a product of your passion then the effort that you put into it doesn't feel like work. When you have the opportunity to pursue your dreams and goals, then the hours fly by and wonderful things happen. I have rarely heard business owners complain about the long hours they put in, instead what I have witnessed is a coming alive and a passion that exudes from business owners when they talk about what they do.

I hope this series has been helpful to you! May great success come to you and your business!

Watch Out for the Pitfalls-Starting Your Own Business-3

Here are a few more pieces of advice for starting your own business based on our personal experiences. Read on to avoid our mistakes!

Have Patience
You may have a sound business plan. You may have the latest and greatest widget or service. You may have a large sphere of influence. You may even have one or two clients in the bag when you launch your business. One would think-certainly we did-that having all of these things would ensure that your new business would be rolling right along sooner rather than later.

The truth is that it takes time-typically 6-12 months-for a business to get going. And that's assuming that you are doing the things you're supposed to be doing like pursuing your target market, building a name for your company locally, attending the right kind of events and participating in the right types of groups, etc.

Be prepared to spend the first six to twelve months doing a whole lot of work, being in front of your computer a lot and working on relationship building-without a lot of short term return. Remember, these things take time and the work you do today plants the seeds for tomorrows harvest.

Befriend Those Who Know More than You
For us, this meant working with a mentor. We were fortunate in that one of my good friends is a highly respected member of the business community and had successfully run several businesses for many years. We continue to bend her ear and seek advice on a regular basis.

We also created an advisory board to help us fill in the gaps on the stuff we didn't know.  We invited someone with a strong background in HR, someone else with a background in marketing and another person with a financial background. Bouncing ideas off the committee and hearing alternative perspectives, particularly in those areas in which we are not experts, has been tremendously helpful.

Look for pitfalls to avoid next week!

Watch out for the Pitfalls-Starting Your Own Business-2

In my previous post I talked about the importance of attaching a cost to everything (ahead of time) and the role that outside experts and consultants can play in your business success.  In keeping with the same ideas, here are some additional things to be aware of. May you avoid some of the pitfalls that we fell into!

Have a Plan...
Then Stick to it and revise it as necessary. I had the opportunity to take an intensive business planning course prior to the launch of the business and it was incredibly helpful. We all know that a plan serves as a road map to help get you from point A to point B. Writing a business plan forces you to put pen to paper and clearly state what the business is all about, what the goals are, and the strategy for success. This is effective in establishing a clear vision as it helps you to see holes where you didn't before.

Sticking to the plan and/or modifying it periodically are important because sometimes we must take detours from the original map.  It's easy to get side tracked and detoured so review the plan regularly to make sure that the road you are on is the right one. And remember, the plan is fluid, so as your business changes and grows, your plan will need to do the same.

Set Your Goals
Most of us have attended work shops, read books, or seen a motivational speeches that inspire us to reach for the stars, grow, get outside our comfort zones, etc. to accomplish our dreams.  We have heard about the importance of goal setting in this process, yet many of us (including myself) do not set goals for ourselves. Or, if we do, we have trouble connecting the long term goal to what we do every day.

I recently worked with a couple that were also business partners. They contacted me because last year their business was tremendously successful with sales falling into their lap.  The first quarter of this year had started out much more slowly. When asked what the goals for the year were, they said they just wanted to be busy and make tons of money.  While most of us share the same goal, quantifying what "good" and "lots of money" mean are important in setting a realistic, reachable goal. After establishing SMART goals comes the hard part-breaking them down into bit size pieces that can be chewed on a daily basis. Then of course, one must actually take those daily bites. In other words, this whole exercise is futile if the daily or weekly tasks needed to achieve the big goal are not executed.

Much like having a sound business plan, goal setting (and execution) help us to see things more clearly. Try writing 3 goals on your white board or a sticky note on your monitor and then ask yourself each day "what am I doing today to achieve that goal?" "Have I done my daily/weekly task?" Is what I'm working on right now helping me to reach any of these goals?"

Look forward to more pitfalls (and how to avoid them!) next week.