Some important time management tips to help streamline your business and your life.
Some important time management tips to help streamline your business and your life.
One of the ways we can stretch our business buck is to work smarter. Because no matter how efficiently we think we’re already working, chances are that by employing some of these practical time management tips below, you can help your company run smoother and more cost-effectively.
1.Stop Obsessing.
You know you do it. We all do it from time to time. I’m talking about wasting time by checking your email every few minutes. As a society, we’ve become so accustomed to communicating via email we are afraid we’re going to miss something important if we look away for even a few minutes. But seriously…there are very few things that can’t wait. Most time management experts suggest setting aside specific times in your day to check your email, and then ignore it the rest of the time. Consider checking your email three times each day: first thing in the morning, around noon, and then an hour or so before you leave for the day. You may first want to send an email to your clients, colleagues, employees and associates to let them know that in an effort to increase your productivity and to serve them better, you will soon begin checking your email (fill in the times). Let them know that if it is critical they get in touch with you before those times, to call. Unless it’s a real emergency, most people will choose to wait for your scheduled email check.
2. Stay Focused.
Many of us pride ourselves on our ability to multi-task, but most experts agree that isn’t always the most productive way to work. If we go off in too many directions, we can get overwhelmed and risk underachieving. I learned a long time ago that unless I stay focused on the task at hand, I get sidetracked, lose my train of thought, and waste valuable time trying to get myself back up to speed. However, if I stay focused on what I’m doing and resist all those other attention=grabbers, I can get my work done in literally half the time. So give each task your entire attention - make a deliberate decision to only spend time doing that task. Shut out all other distractions…both literally and figuratively. Close your office door, or go off-site if you have to. Take a deep breath, relax, and clear your mind of all the other things.
3. Filter Your Phone Calls.
Next to email, I find phone calls the most distracting time wasters. When I was in the corporate world, I had a receptionist and an assistant to filter my calls, but now that I work from my home office and answer the phone myself, I can get inundated and distracted if I allow the phone to rule my world. Obviously, there are times when we must take calls…especially if your livelihood depends on it. But if it doesn’t, why not try designating specific times when you simply don’t answer the phone unless it’s an emergency. Most of my clients, friends, and colleagues know I work this way, and will call at the appropriate times or send me an email. It’s important, however, to respond when you say you will, and to respond fully. Before you implement this program, b sure to send an email to let your contacts know about it, and to enlist their help.
4. Learn to Say “No.”
One of the easiest ways to get more time in your day and to work more efficiently is to not take on more than you can handle. There are only 24 hours in a day, you know, and eight of those need to be spent sleeping (see the next point!). You can’t spend the rest of the time working, no matter what you think. To work at peak efficiency you need balance in your life, and you can’t have balance if you are working all the time. Don’t commit to things that are going to steal down time away from you. This means you may have to turn down clients (ouch!) or projects and that can hurt. But think about it as learning to live within your time budget.
5. Get Some Sleep!
Do you really think that you can perform at peak efficiency and make good decisions when you don’t get enough sleep at night? According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly 40 percent of us don’t get enough sleep, and one in 10 Americans are chronically sleep-deprived. Although we all need different amounts of sleep, it’s estimated that amount is between six to nine hours each night. If you go for a long period of time getting less than six hours of sleep, you could suffer symptoms like lack of concentration and memory, behavioral problems, tiredness and irritability. And no one operates well under those circumstances.
6. Stick to a Routine
As much as possible, try to establish and stick to a regular schedule and routine. If you consistently know what you’re supposed to do, when, where and for how long, you will find that you can be a much more productive person.
7. Get Organized
You may think you work better surrounded by chaos and clutter, but if you’re like most people, you will work better and more efficiently if you have organized systems that make it easy to find what you’re looking for. Keep your computer desktop neat and orderly. Ditto for your office filing cabinets and desk. And as a bonus…if you surrounds are clutter-free, you’ll most likely find yourself able to think on a more focused basis.
8. Don’t Be a Thumb Twiddler
Over the years, I’ve probably read dozens of business books and hundred of business publications while waiting…for clients, for the doctor, for my daughter to get out of school. Always keep a book, magazine report, etc., with you for those moments when you find yourself waiting. It’s a great way to fill in what could otherwise be considered wasted time.
Follow these time management tips and you’ll soon find that your days become less hectic, and you business more profitable.
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Some important time management tips to help streamline your business and your life - To learn more about this author, visit Donna Williams's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Small businesses today are under tremendous pressure to do more with less. Sometimes a LOT less.
One of the ways we can stretch our business buck is to work smarter. Because no matter how efficiently we think we’re already working, chances are that by employing some of these practical time management tips below, you can help your company run smoother and more cost-effectively.
1.Stop Obsessing.
You know you do it. We all do it from time to time. I’m talking about wasting time by checking your email every few minutes. As a society, we’ve become so accustomed to communicating via email we are afraid we’re going to miss something important if we look away for even a few minutes. But seriously…there are very few things that can’t wait. Most time management experts suggest setting aside specific times in your day to check your email, and then ignore it the rest of the time. Consider checking your email three times each day: first thing in the morning, around noon, and then an hour or so before you leave for the day. You may first want to send an email to your clients, colleagues, employees and associates to let them know that in an effort to increase your productivity and to serve them better, you will soon begin checking your email (fill in the times). Let them know that if it is critical they get in touch with you before those times, to call. Unless it’s a real emergency, most people will choose to wait for your scheduled email check.
2. Stay Focused.
Many of us pride ourselves on our ability to multi-task, but most experts agree that isn’t always the most productive way to work. If we go off in too many directions, we can get overwhelmed and risk underachieving. I learned a long time ago that unless I stay focused on the task at hand, I get sidetracked, lose my train of thought, and waste valuable time trying to get myself back up to speed. However, if I stay focused on what I’m doing and resist all those other attention=grabbers, I can get my work done in literally half the time. So give each task your entire attention - make a deliberate decision to only spend time doing that task. Shut out all other distractions…both literally and figuratively. Close your office door, or go off-site if you have to. Take a deep breath, relax, and clear your mind of all the other things.
3. Filter Your Phone Calls.
Next to email, I find phone calls the most distracting time wasters. When I was in the corporate world, I had a receptionist and an assistant to filter my calls, but now that I work from my home office and answer the phone myself, I can get inundated and distracted if I allow the phone to rule my world. Obviously, there are times when we must take calls…especially if your livelihood depends on it. But if it doesn’t, why not try designating specific times when you simply don’t answer the phone unless it’s an emergency. Most of my clients, friends, and colleagues know I work this way, and will call at the appropriate times or send me an email. It’s important, however, to respond when you say you will, and to respond fully. Before you implement this program, b sure to send an email to let your contacts know about it, and to enlist their help.
4. Learn to Say “No.”
One of the easiest ways to get more time in your day and to work more efficiently is to not take on more than you can handle. There are only 24 hours in a day, you know, and eight of those need to be spent sleeping (see the next point!). You can’t spend the rest of the time working, no matter what you think. To work at peak efficiency you need balance in your life, and you can’t have balance if you are working all the time. Don’t commit to things that are going to steal down time away from you. This means you may have to turn down clients (ouch!) or projects and that can hurt. But think about it as learning to live within your time budget.
5. Get Some Sleep!
Do you really think that you can perform at peak efficiency and make good decisions when you don’t get enough sleep at night? According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly 40 percent of us don’t get enough sleep, and one in 10 Americans are chronically sleep-deprived. Although we all need different amounts of sleep, it’s estimated that amount is between six to nine hours each night. If you go for a long period of time getting less than six hours of sleep, you could suffer symptoms like lack of concentration and memory, behavioral problems, tiredness and irritability. And no one operates well under those circumstances.
6. Stick to a Routine
As much as possible, try to establish and stick to a regular schedule and routine. If you consistently know what you’re supposed to do, when, where and for how long, you will find that you can be a much more productive person.
7. Get Organized
You may think you work better surrounded by chaos and clutter, but if you’re like most people, you will work better and more efficiently if you have organized systems that make it easy to find what you’re looking for. Keep your computer desktop neat and orderly. Ditto for your office filing cabinets and desk. And as a bonus…if you surrounds are clutter-free, you’ll most likely find yourself able to think on a more focused basis.
8. Don’t Be a Thumb Twiddler
Over the years, I’ve probably read dozens of business books and hundred of business publications while waiting…for clients, for the doctor, for my daughter to get out of school. Always keep a book, magazine report, etc., with you for those moments when you find yourself waiting. It’s a great way to fill in what could otherwise be considered wasted time.
Follow these time management tips and you’ll soon find that your days become less hectic, and you business more profitable.
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Some important time management tips to help streamline your business and your life - To learn more about this author, visit Donna Williams's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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