Thursday, December 2, 2010

"How to Maximize Your Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Productivity"


Key points from the final (Wednesday, November 10) workshop University of Louisville business professor Russ Ray (pictured above) offered on time management and related topics (a workshop that I attended):

- Spend 10-15 minutes every morning planning, going over your calendar and to-do list for the week, month, and further. Review goals/goal-setting. Emphasize goal-setting.

- During large swaths of time, minimize interruptions – perhaps including not checking e-mails or ignoring all e-mails except for immediate colleagues and known clients.

- Work on whatever is most important/urgent in the morning, when you are most productive, including setting aside time for big projects that you need uninterrupted time to work on.

- Minimize subscriptions/listserv subscriptions, etc. Only read that which is essential.

- Avoid meetings. If meetings are absolutely necessary, start meetings on time, end them on time, and stick to an explicit agenda.

- Avoid having conversations in your office, as you can’t control as easily how long someone will stay there.

- Delegate as much as possible.

- Say “no” politely to non-critical tasks.

- Participate in Toastmasters, learn speed-reading, and develop an exercise routine. Get enough sleep. Take real vacations. Nevertheless, go in to work early and leave late.

-- Perry