Colleagues and friends often remark that due to my job title and schedule, I’m a great multi-tasker, but it’s not true. It’s hard to multi-task and truly be efficient, so over the years I’ve learned and applied good time management skills. Recently I’ve given a few lectures on this topic and wanted to share my tips and tricks for getting the most of out of your work day.
-
Be prepared for your day. I often have up to 12 meetings a day. It’s important I take 15 minutes every morning to plan my day and know what top 3 things I need to complete that day.
-
Plan for fires. With a large number of client implementation projects under the direction of the PMO, the odds are that there will always be an issue or something on fire for that day. Instead of being frustrated when this happens, I know every day that there will always be a few surprises. Part of the reason I love my job is it is different every single day. And days when there isn’t any fires? Celebrate and be happy.
-
Make the most efficient of meetings. Use best practices- agendas, follow up notes, etc. Eliminate useless meetings. If you can shorten your meetings by 10 minutes, do so. Four 20 minute meetings on your schedule as opposed to four 30 minute meetings, gives you 40 minutes back in your day!
-
Focus on the big things you need to accomplish. Turn off the distractions. Too many emails, too many texts, too many people popping in your cube. You don’t have to answer every email or text immediately. If you need to work on one single task for two hours, do so and turn off all the distractions. Lock yourself in a conference to work. Turn off your email and other applications. You need to find what is efficient with your work style.
In speaking with highly successful people, most are aware of how time passes and how to use it wisely. Don’t let time control you, take control of your time!
