Getting Things Done: Saying No Allows You to Say Yes: Productivity Minute Video
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses how you can get more done by saying “no”.
(C) 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved.
Posts Tagged ‘Getting things done’
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
No Time Like Now To Get Organized
How do you get more out of your busy day? Most of us have at least one area of disorganization which seems to hold us back from being at our most productive. How do we address those areas? Here is a link to one of the Productivity Minutes on Denver’s Channel 7 News. See here: No Time Like Now To Get Organized.
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Time Management: It’s All in the Timing
An important part of being and staying productive is knowing the right time to accomplish a task. This is true not only in the business world, but in our personal lives as well. When we’re working on getting things done, we don’t always know exactly what the best time is for certain things. I ran across this helpful list of 100 tips and tricks for the best times to do things: Time is Money: The Best Times to Do Everything (100 Tricks & Tips).
I hope you find a few tips to help you make the most of your time!
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
Getting Things Done: The Productivity Minute #21 Don’t Get to it SOME day Do it NOW
Part of what keeps us stressed out is all of the incomplete tasks running around in our heads. Too many folks have loose ends and things they say they will “get to it some day.” Stop saying “some day” and get those things done! (C) 2009 Laura Stack. All rights reserved. http://www.theproductivitypro.com
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009
Getting Things Done: The Productivity Minute #20: Is Organization Genetic or Environmental?
Are we born organized and productive, or are these learned traits? Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses this question. (C) 2009 Laura Stack. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Time Management: Ten Reasons Tasks Never Move off Your To-Do List (and how to fix it)
I recently surveyed my readers on the eternal question of productivity: Why is it that some things on your to-do list never get done? Some great responses rolled in, ranging from the classic (too many interruptions) to the matter-of-fact (I don’t feel like doing it).
But as diverse as the responses were, it didn’t take long to see certain themes emerge. Below are the top ten issues at the heart of the problem and some guidance on how to deal with them.
1. You haven’t made the necessary decisions. Your to-do list should be full of clear, actionable ideas—in other words, things you can actually do. If you have a vague goal, like “Have a sale,” you’ve still got a lot of thinking to do before you can hit the ground running and make real progress. Take a minute to figure out exactly what you need to accomplish: What kind of sale? When will it take place? What will it promote? Once the task is more fleshed out, you’ll be more likely to make progress on it.
2. You haven’t talked to the people involved. Are you worried that you don’t have the necessary support to make your idea happen? If you need buy-in, go get buy-in. Chances are that your first step should be to pick up the phone or schedule a meeting. Even if you don’t get the answers you want, at least you’ll know where you stand. From there, you can move forward, adjust your strategy, or simply move on. Wherever the idea ends up, at least it isn’t festering on your list.
3. You haven’t done your homework. Perhaps you know you need to schedule a teleseminar series, but haven’t gotten around to researching which platforms are available. Figuring out the mundane logistics is now keeping you from making an important decision. Carve out some time to do the legwork, or better yet, delegate that part of the task to someone else. Once you have a better idea of your options, you can focus on the real issue at hand.
4. You’re ignoring your internal clock. We spend so much time focused on schedules and deadlines that we often forget to pay attention to our body’s natural rhythms. Yes, your Outlook calendar might say that a block of work will fit perfectly on Wednesday afternoon, but if that places your big task in the middle of a low-energy period of your day, you don’t stand a chance. Keep your daily energy levels in mind as you plan your day. Start high-energy projects early if that’s when your concentration is at its best.
5. The task is unpleasant. The first step is admitting it! If you’re being honest with yourself, you probably have an item on your list that hasn’t been done simply because the task is unpleasant and you’d rather not do it. If that’s the case, it’s time to get tough. Make a decision right now to either do the task, delegate the task, or forget about it altogether. If you need to do it, stop thinking about it and just get it done. If it can be delegated effectively, go ahead and make arrangements with someone else. And if you’re going to eliminate it completely, cross it off your list and for goodness’ sakes move on already!
6. The task is overwhelming. You don’t know where to start. Is there an item on your to-do list along the lines of Complete Huge Multifaceted Project XYZ? No wonder you aren’t making progress! The task it too big. Large or complicated projects need to be broken down into manageable chunks or else they’ll always take a back seat to the smaller, more manageable things on your list. After all, would you rather spend the afternoon completing five smaller items on your list or barely making a dent in one? By identifying a few key steps, such as “Gather Project documents” and “Outline project scope,” you’ll know exactly what needs to be done next and be less likely to hesitate as you take action.
7. You are plagued with distractions and interruptions. Seemingly innocent interruptions like checking e-mail, answering the phone, or chatting with coworkers will eat your productivity alive. And although many of these interruptions aren’t necessarily your fault, managing them is your responsibility. Identify your time wasters and take immediate steps to correct the problem. You might need to set regular times each day to check e-mail or close your door to let coworkers know you’re temporarily unavailable. Not sure where your time is going? Keep a detailed log for a few days and find out once and for all.
8. You are constantly putting out fires. Does it seem impossible to achieve any real long-term focus as you jump from one urgent, immediate priority to the next? Good leaders understand how important it is to make time for true high-value activities, even if they don’t present themselves as urgent, deadline-driven issues. If you spend every day jumping from one issue to the next, you might help avert disasters, but you won’t ever accomplish anything substantive. Instead, focus on the cause of all those urgent interruptions. Do they come from lack of planning, procrastination, or a team that isn’t empowered to handle simple issues on their own? Once you address the underlying problems, you’ll be able to focus your time and energy where it belongs.
9. The task requires a lot of work for little reward or recognition. Recognition is nice, but don’t live and die by it. If the task is worth doing, it is worth doing regardless of whether you will be recognized for the contribution. If it’s not worth doing (but you have to do it anyway), just get the darn thing done and move on to something more fulfilling. In the meantime, your paycheck is your reward.
10. You day is overscheduled before you even sit down in the morning. You schedule time and bend over backwards for everyone else…why don’t you do the same for yourself? Make appointments with yourself and treat them with the same level of importance as you would a meeting with a client or coworker. If you know you need three hours to get something done, schedule three hours to get it done. And I mean really schedule it. Put it on your calendar, eliminate distractions, and treat the task with the same respect you would a one-on-one meeting with a live person.
So there you have it: ten huge productivity bandits—decide which ones best apply to you. Be relentless as you kick them to the curb and get those tasks checked off your list!
Make it a productive day! ™
(C) Copyright 2009 Laura Stack. All rights reserved.
Thursday, May 7th, 2009
Increasing productivity: 55-1/5 Ways to Boost Productivity Today!
Okay, let’s face it. We’re all trying to do more with less.And chances are that you and your company have already made the big, tough decisions needed to streamline operations. But what about the little things?You can still boost both personal and team productivity in lots of smaller ways that are easy to implement and provide immediate results. Read on for quick tips on getting more done.
1. Hit the ground running. Don’t waste the first hour of the day. As soon as you arrive, focus on getting something done before you even think about checking Facebook or dropping in on a coworker.
2. Decline a meeting. Meetings are necessary. Every meeting is not. Don’t automatically accept every meeting invitation you receive, especially if there is no clear agenda or outcome.
3. Close your e-mail. Do you drop what you’re doing every time you hear the new e-mail sound or see that little envelope icon in your system tray? Close Outlook and focus on the task at hand. Better yet, turn off the alerts and notifications in your email program.
4. Use voicemail. An always ringing phone is a productivity killer. If something is worth your time, the caller will leave a message. Let it go to voicemail when you’re focused.
5. Institute office hours. If you have a constant stream of people dropping by, consider setting up regular hours of daily availability. Then stick to it.
6. Say “no.” As companies try to do more with less, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to cut back on lower-value activities. Don’t be afraid to decline tasks that aren’t a good use of your time. (The first time you do this will be the hardest.)
7. Keep a time log. Do you have a good idea of how you spend your time each day? If you don’t, use a paper time log or track your time in Outlook so you know how your precious minutes and hours are being spent. The Journal is great for this.
8. Help your team prioritize. Make sure they know what’s important so they can allocate their time and energy appropriately. Help them help you.
9. Set goals. Once priorities are crystal-clear, be sure to set some measurable goals. Appropriate, attainable targets will help keep your team moving in the right direction.
10. Take an interest. Doing more with less can lead to less discretionary time and more stress. Show your people that you have an interest in them beyond their role as employee. If they know you care, they’ll be more engaged in what they’re doing.
11. Delegate. Are you the only one capable of doing a given task? If not, consider passing it to someone who’s also able. Your time is too valuable for tasks that don’t require your skills and expertise.
12. Define roles. Make sure everyone on your team knows who is responsible for what. Lack of clarity will lead to diminished productivity.
13. Fail fast. Even when resources are limited, it’s important to continue taking risks. Don’t be afraid to fail, but if something doesn’t work out, be committed to failing quickly and moving on.
14. Look ahead. The higher up in an organization you are, the more you should be looking ahead. If you are dwelling on the past or bogged down in the details of the day, you won’t plan effectively for what’s down the road.
15. Question everything. Rethink tasks, big and small. Don’t just assume that because it’s on your list it needs to be done. If cuts can be made, make them.
16. Think bottom line. In the simplest terms, there are really two sides to a successful business: saving money and making money. If what you are doing doesn’t help your company do one or the other, give some serious thought to whether it’s a good use of your time.
17. Provide options. When dealing with your peers or higher-ups in your organization, don’t just point out problems. Today’s businesses need solutions. If you’re going to bring up a problem, bring a few possible solutions and recommendations along as well.
18. Be available. With heavy workloads and economic anxiety, your people are under considerable stress. Make sure they know you can be reached to discuss any issues they might have…large or small.
19. Segment tasks. If a project is too big to get your head around, make a list of the first few steps to get you started.
20. Defend your time. We’re all getting good at managing shrinking budgets, but why aren’t we more protective of our time? Don’t just give yourself away to anyone that asks. Be selective.
21. Train on the cheap. A three-day trip out of state for a seminar or conference might not be in the budget this year, but you still don’t want people getting rusty. Keep an eye out for less expensive, less time-consuming training activities like conference calls and webinars.
22. Train each other. Instead of relying on traditional, formal training methods, consider tapping your team. Let your people take turns sharing their expertise with the group through an informal presentation. Or tackle a business book together and digest the results afterwards.
23. Use checklists. It’s amazing how a simple checklist can keep a task moving along. Whenever possible, create a list to address recurring needs.
24. Meet smarter. Don’t sit down at a meeting without an agenda. Start on time, end on time, and stay on task in between.
25. Brainstorm smarter. Ever attend a brainstorming session that turned into a lengthy, anything goes free-for-all? If you need to get the creative juices flowing, stay on track by having a clear goal in mind and working towards it consistently throughout the session.
26. Collaborate smarter. Use common sense when collaborating. Don’t wade through a 15-page e-mail string trying to solve a problem that could be addressed with a two-minute phone call or a quick team synch-up.
27. Complete a task terribly. If you’re having a hard time getting started on something—such as writing a letter or drafting a report—take a few minutes and do an absolutely terrible job. Just getting started is half the battle. You’ll find that it is quite easy to transform your shoddy first draft into first-rate work.
28. Expand horizons. A challenging business landscape is the perfect time to improve the capabilities of your team. If someone shows an interest in something beyond their job description, considering finding ways to get that person involved. Give your solid performers the opportunity to knock your socks off.
29. Make a public promise. Sometimes the best way to get something done is to state your goal publicly. If you tell your team you will review their job descriptions by the end of the week, you’ll be less likely to put it on the back burner.
30. Set expectations. When someone requests something of you or your team, agree on a timeframe for completion. It will help you manage your priorities and provide better service if you don’t have a big stack of ASAP projects with unclear deadlines.
31. Help others help themselves. If someone is asking you to do a task that they should be doing on their own, offer support without agreeing to do the work. Tell your requester that you’d be happy to review a draft or weigh in at a team meeting, but that you aren’t available to inherit the project. You might end up with very limited involvement. And sometimes, you’ll find that with the project wasn’t a priority after all (go figure).
32. Consistently work towards the big prize. Sometimes you’ll have a big idea that can never seem to gain traction, thanks to all of the day-to-day issues competing for your attention. Carve out some daily or weekly time to work towards that big goal, whether it’s writing a book, developing a high-profile initiative, or building a tough business case. An hour a week now can add up to big things down the road.
33. Schedule appointments with yourself. Don’t just use Outlook for your daily appointments. If you need to carve out time to work on something specific, put it on your Tasks and block out time just like you would a meeting with a real person. Don’t stand yourself up!
34. Put the economy in perspective. With all the economic doom and gloom in the news these days, a lot of people are carrying around serious financial stress. Help your team understand where your company stands in the scheme of things. A realistic idea of where things stand will mean less nagging anxiety and better productivity.
35. Recognize achievement. Especially when things get hectic, it’s easy to miss opportunities to praise the people on your team. When financial options are limited, a little recognition for a job well done can go a long way.
36. Reward often. Even if it’s just buying a round of morning bagels or dishing out the occasional gift card, look for opportunities to reward achievers, both individually and as a group.
37. Segment tasks. If you can never seem to get the ball rolling on a big project, think of it as a series of smaller tasks. The work will seem less intimidating, and you’ll have a good chunk done before you know it.
38. Stop doing something. Sometimes, serous prioritization means letting go of certain tasks or responsibilities. If something isn’t adding value to the organization, it’s time to let it go.
39. Be in customer service. We tend to think about our work in terms of the things we create – reports, documents, etc. Try to think of yourself as a service provider, focusing on relationships, prompt responses, and strong rapport with others.
40. E-mail efficiently. If you’re getting a ton of e-mails each day, it’s probably killing your productivity. Encourage your team to save their thoughts throughout the day and drop them into a single message. You can answer in one fell swoop instead of 17.
41. Minimize interruptions. Don’t make it a habit to drop everything whenever someone stops by your desk or calls you on the phone. Politely but firmly direct non-urgent issues to a later time when you can give the matter your full attention without compromising what you’re doing. Schedule the meeting while they watch.
42. Eat well. Eating a real breakfast and a healthy lunch will help you feel better and have a more productive day. People who say they don’t have time to eat are full of hooey. You always have time for what you choose to make a priority.
43. Walk around. Human beings weren’t designed to sit at a desk under fluorescent lights all week. Make it a point to get up, walk around, and catch some sunshine throughout the day. You’ll be amazed at how a five-minute stroll can improve your perspective and take a bite out of stress.
44. Batch tasks. Don’t let small, repetitive tasks repeatedly interrupt your day. Carve out a few dedicated minutes each day to handle repetitive tasks like filing, processing mail, or handling invoices. Get things done in batches.
45. Think production, not perfection. Perfectionism can be productivity’s biggest enemy. Sometimes good enough really is good enough. Save your perfection for when it really matters.
46. Be decisive. Don’t waste time with indecision. It will often take less time to correct a mistake than it does to obsess over the decision. Once the decision’s been made, it’s easier to move forward.
47. Be on time. If you want others to respect your time, you need to respect theirs. Plus, being consistently on time sends a message that you are reliable and have your act together.
48. Opt out. That means taking a pass on any clubs, task forces, committees, mailing lists, etc. that are demanding more of your time than they are worth. Don’t feel guilty about it.
49. Avoid toxic people. Some people are never happy and are eager to tell you why. They can occupy your time and drain your energy. Don’t let them.
50. Be healthy. A strong, healthy body is the foundation of productivity. Eat well, get some exercise, and take care of yourself. Better health means more energy. More energy means getting more done.
51. Help your team understand their contribution. Company leadership might talk a lot about corporate goals and objectives, but it isn’t always easy for employees to understand how their contributions influence the big picture. Help them get the idea.
52. Tame technology. Every piece of technology has a point of diminishing returns. If you’re wasting time surfing the internet, obsessing with your BlackBerry, or updating your social networking profiles, take a step back and reassess how you’re using the tools.
53. Burn the midnight oil sparingly. There will ALWAYS be more work to do than time to do it. Putting in long hours at the office or late nights at home should be the exception, not the rule. Focus on getting more done during regular working hours and reclaim your life.
54. Organize your space. Clutter and confusion will not only slow you down, but it will drain your energy as well. Make the effort to get your work area in order and reap the benefits day after day.
55. Uni-task. Multitasking has its place, but the best way to get something done is with uninterrupted focus. Be like a postage stamp…stick to one thing until you get there.
55-1/5. Close out the day. Don’t waste the last few minutes of the day. Make it a priority to close out your day by organizing yourself and setting priorities for the day to come.
Make it a productive day! (TM)
(C) Copyright 2009 Laura Stack. All rights reserved.
Monday, August 18th, 2008
Best Practices for Scheduling Your Day and Setting Appointments Part III of III
21. Journal your meeting notes. Many people don’t know how to use the Journal feature in Outlook or even what it’s for! If you’ve ever accidentally clicked it, you’ll get a pop-up box that asks you if you’re SURE you want to turn on the Journal. Most people freak out and click NO. Next time, click yes. Open a new Journal entry, type up your meeting notes, put in the day/time of the meeting, indicate in the Contacts field who was at the meeting, and select a Category for the meeting name or project. When you select that Contact and click the Activities tab, you’ll be able to see the Journal entries (notes) from every meeting you’ve ever had with that person. You can also pull up your Journal entries by Category to review meeting notes as far back as you’d like. OR give your notes to your assistant, have him type them up in the text field of the original meeting notice, save, and send a message to attendees (under Actions).
22. Avoid meetings on Fridays. Many departments and teams just decide as an informal policy to schedule meetings Monday-Thursday if at all possible. Too many people try to take long weekends or duck out early, making scheduling and rescheduling a nightmare on these days, plus you’ll end up with a lot of no-shows. I try to leave Fridays open for personal appointments. I find if I put a doctor’s appointment in between business meetings, something always happens to derail one or the other. It’s hard to get my mind switched between different realms as well.
23. Always send or request an agenda and include it in the text portion of the appointment or include as an attachment. A basic agenda should include a statement of purpose (see #13), any logistical considerations, the decisions to be made, a list of the topics to discuss (in priority order), who is responsible for that item, and how long you are allotting for each one. Ask participants if they have any changes to the agenda items to let you know in advance of the meeting, so you can make adjustments if necessary. Once you get into the meeting, follow the agenda diligently, so you can ensure all points are covered, decisions are made, and the objective is achieved.
24. Don’t let Outlook pick the length of your meeting. The default is one hour, so that’s how much time people normally schedule meetings! Instead, match the length of the meeting to the purpose. If you’ve done an agenda (see #23), and you’ve determined you’ll only need forty minutes, then schedule for that. Time will expand to fill the amount of time available. If you’ve promised folks you’ll be out of there, people tend to work toward that goal. If there is slack time, more socializing will naturally take place and an hour will definitely get used. Some people try to build in “buffer” time—don’t cave to this habit. I purposefully under-schedule and announce the goal at the beginning, so everyone is actively moving forward.
25. For longer meeting, allow enough breaks. Give a break at least one break for every hour and 15 minutes, max. Let attendees know at the outset what to expect. If you keep rambling on, and they aren’t sure when they’ll get a bio break, they will just start getting up randomly and sneaking out. If you clearly state at the beginning, “We will meet from now until 10:00, and then we’ll break until 10:10,” etc. It is also common courtesy that if you’re meeting over a lunch hour to provide food.
26. Be considerate of those in other time zones. If you’re in the Pacific Time zone, and some of your meeting participants are calling in from the east, a 2:00 meeting puts them into departure time. Realize that people may have childcare commitments at the end of the day; an afternoon meeting (or vice versa for early mornings on the west coast) can severely inconvenience folks and reduce the odds of attendance.
27. Strike a balance on when to schedule a meeting. If you schedule a meeting too far out, you’ll get a bunch of cancellations and requests to reschedule as you get closer—or you’ll just get trumped by someone higher up. If you wait to schedule a meeting until the last minute, it’s hard to find a block of time when most people are readily available. So it’s best to schedule around one to three weeks in advance. Anything sooner than that or further than that is fraught with scheduling challenges and conflicts.
28. Let the meeting leader know as soon as you’re aware of a conflict with a scheduled meeting. If you have a change in your calendar but don’t want to “rock the boat,” you inconvenience more people the longer you wait. It takes effort to work schedules around appointments, so as soon as you know, raise the flag. The chair can determine if they can make it without you or if the meeting should be moved.
29. Display multiple Outlook windows at one time. Perhaps you want to see your calendar while looking at an email. While in your Inbox, right-click on your Calendar (either on the Folder List or the icon) and select “Open in New Window.” Outlook will open your Calendar in a separate window, which you can resize and move to where it’s most convenient for you, while still being able to switch back to the Inbox. This is especially useful if you have a large monitor or dual monitors.
30. Customize your Calendar to your preferences. Don’t be satisfied with the standard calendar layouts—make it your own! For example, you can automatically add holidays to your calendar. On the Tools menu, click Options, then Calendar Options, and then click Add Holidays. The weekends are also compressed by default. If you want to show Saturday and Sunday as separate boxes, right click in the Calendar and select Other Settings. Uncheck the box that says Compress Weekend Days. While you’re there, change the default setting for 30-minute time slots to 5, 6, 10, 15, or 60 minute slots (I use 15). Frequently schedule with people in another time zone? Avoid confusion by displaying another zone. Under the Tools menu, select Options. On the Preferences tab, click Calendar Options, Time Zone, and “Show an additional time zone” check box. Select the desired time zone and OK out of there.
(c) 2008 Laura Stack. All rights reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com
Thursday, August 14th, 2008
Best Practices for Scheduling Your Day and Setting Appointments Part II of III
11. Keep your calendar up to date. It’s frustrating when your colleagues are trying to set up appointments, and it appears that you’re open, so they send out a meeting request to a large group. You respond, “Sorry, I have a conflict on that day/time,” to which they respond by banging their heads on the desk in frustration, asking, “Then WHY didn’t you have it on your calendar?” Truly, if an organization is going to predictably use shared calendaring to coordinate meetings, you must keep yours current. It’s fine to use a traditional paper method as well, but if you schedule something on your “other” calendar, make sure to update your electronic one at regular intervals as well.
12. Include travel time in a single appointment and put the actual meeting time in the subject. If your meeting starts at 11:30, but it’s going to take you thirty minutes to drive there and fifteen minutes to get out of the building to your car, block out your calendar starting at 11:00 (so others can’t schedule with you). Then write @11:30 in the subject line, so you know the actual meeting time.
13. Do not accept a meeting invitation if the requestor can’t state in one sentence the exact reason you are meeting. For example:
- To inform our department of changes in the holiday pay policy.
- To sell management on our division’s plan to automate payroll processing.
- To brainstorm the best way to resolve the association’s budget deficit.
- To determine realistic sales goals for each region for next year.
- To discuss the critical skills required for successful performance as a first level supervisor.
14. Send lengthy reading materials at least 48 hours in advance. Participants express frustration with wasting time in meetings reviewing materials that were just handed out. They don’t have adequate time to digest the information and formulate questions. They could have reviewed that document while waiting in the doctor’s office yesterday. Don’t waste everyone’s time by forcing them to sit there and read together like kindergarteners—their time is much too expensive.
15. If updating a meeting already scheduled, send an update to the existing appointment. If you have already set up a meeting and invited participants, sending an email about the meeting forces them to either copy and paste the additional information into the meeting or have two meeting blocks for the same event side by side on their calendars, forcing them to open two items to get complete information. If you need to add information, send out a meeting update. To contact meeting attendees with a reminder or other message, open the original meeting request, click the Actions menu, and select “New Message to Attendees.”
16. Avoid meeting request responses. If you’re sending a meeting request to a large group and don’t need or want responses, in the open new meeting request, on the Actions menu, uncheck the line Request Responses. To make this the default. Tools, Options, E-mail Options, Tracking Options, “Delete blank voting and meeting responses after processing.” Or create a Rule (under Tools, Rules and Alerts, start from a blank rule) to automatically delete messages responses with certain words in the subject line.
17. Schedule time for preparation and action. Depending on your level of involvement in the meeting, you need time to get ready. You might need to start your preparation days before if you need to create a report or give a presentation. When you accept a meeting, immediately go into your calendar and block off at least 15 additional minutes separately for prep time, a bio break, refreshing beverages, and transfer time—and add more as necessary for mental preparation and review. Don’t walk into the meeting “cold.” In the same way, block out time at the conclusion of the meeting to review action items, activate them into your time management system if you can’t complete them right then, and get organized.
18. End meetings before the top or bottom of the hour. If you’re the one scheduling the meeting, don’t use the standard Outlook settings of hour or half hour blocks. If one meeting is from 1:00 to 2:00, immediately followed by another from 2:00 to 3:00, you will by default be late to your 2:00. So use either :15 or :45 start and end times, to allow transition time.
19. Limit attendees. Think through who really needs to be there. Don’t worry about “hurting someone’s feelings” if they aren’t included. If you simply want to keep a stakeholder or player in the loop, select them as “optional,” instead of “required.” Always assume that higher-ups have things to do that are much better uses of their time than sitting in your meeting. Think about how much money people are paid, and ask if your meeting is worth an hour of their pay PLUS what they otherwise could have been doing if they weren’t stuck in your meeting. Only invite people if they have a direct contribution to make to the meeting objective, and the desired decisions would not be able to be made without them. If their presence is only required for ten minutes, give them the first ten minutes, and then allow them to graciously depart. Keeping others who aren’t invited informed can be done with a quick email summary or inclusion on the distribution list of any meeting notes or minutes.
20. Confirm everything. I’ve often shown up for a meeting and the other person “forgot.” You’d like to think adults are all responsible and will do what they say they will do, but it’s always better to dash off a quick email. “Looking forward to seeing you on (date) at (time) at (location). Let me know if something comes up.” I don’t make people confirm that things are correct; I ask them to let me know if there is a change. Also make sure you get directions and map it out well in advance of trying to run out the door. I look at my calendar for the next day before I leave work and make sure I’m ready to roll on everything.
Monday, August 11th, 2008
Best Practices for Scheduling Your Day and Setting Appointments Part I of III
Numbers 1-10 of 30 scheduling tips:
1. Determine if you really need to meet in person. How many times have you attended a meeting and asked yourself, “Why am I here?” Hopefully, you’ve started protecting your time from every person who wants a piece of it. If my clients want to meet in person, I charge a consulting fee. For telephone calls, no charge. Ninety percent of the time, a conference call will suffice. Extra travel time and expenses are involved when meeting in person, so avoid it unless dialogue and brainstorming are required.
2. Have meeting requests and responses go to your delegate, not to you. Don’t wade through all the responses; that’s why you have an assistant (if you do). Under Tools, Options, Delegates, select “Send meeting requests and responses only to my delegates, not to me.” Brilliant.
3. Create a private calendar to post appointments you don’t want others to see. We are all used to email folders, where we file email. Most people, however, have never created a calendar folder. A calendar folder IS a new calendar. To create one, follow the same drill for creating an email folder (right-click on the Calendar in the folder list and select New Folder). However, make sure the folder contains “Calendar Items” in the drop-down box. Give your new calendar a name such as “Kids Summer Schedule” or “Laura’s personal calendar.” I kept track of my kids summer activities in one, so my husband would know where his schedule was impacted for driving duty.
4. Check your appointments as Private when you don’t want others to read the text. Yes, you can! The Private box is a little, tiny box in the bottom right-hand side of your screen (Outlook 2003) when you create a new appointment. People who share your calendar will still see a block and that you’re unavailable, but they can’t read the appointment text.
5. Use the Category box to indicate the project, team, or committee. Every time you schedule an appointment or accept a meeting invitation, indicate what project it’s related to in the Category box. Use the Master Category List to add your labels. “Tag” each appointment with one or multiple categories. Then under the View menu, select Arrange by, Current View, By Category. Then you can see all meetings, past and present, you had with a certain group, person, project, committee, etc.
6. Can’t find an upcoming meeting with someone you know you scheduled? Tired of searching your calendar manually to find it? Instead, get into the habits of using the Contacts box at the bottom left of each appointment, to indicate whom you’re meeting with (can be multiple people). To find all upcoming meetings with a particular person, go to that Contact’s address card, select the Activities tab, and in the drop-down box, select Upcoming Tasks/Appointments. The people must be loaded in your personal Contacts list (not just your company’s global address book) for this to work. If a meeting invitation is used, this feature is automatic, and you don’t need to select the names.
7. As a courtesy to your coworkers, send a meeting invitation instead of an email when you’d like to connect. Rather than emailing colleagues and asking, “What’s your schedule today? Can we get together for 30 minutes?” take a minute to schedule a meeting invitation. While in your Calendar, select Actions, New Meeting Request, Scheduling Tab, Add Others, Add from Address Book, and select attendees. Check their availability on the calendar (this assumes you’ve been granted access to their calendars) and find an open time (or select AutoPick to let Outlook find the next available date/time). Send the meeting request. When invitees receive it, they can simply click Accept, and Outlook moves the appointment to their calendars for them. This saves the recipient time and also saves you from trying to coordinate multiple calendars manually.
8. If someone does send an email wanting to meet, convert it into an appointment. If your colleagues don’t understand the meeting feature and insist on sending emails for appointments, you can quickly turn an email into a Calendar item. Right-click on the email, select Move to Folder, and then Calendar. A new appointment window automatically opens, containing your email and any attachments. Fill in the date, time, and details, and then Save and Close. The message is moved from the Inbox into the Calendar automatically. No more manual copying and pasting!
9. Use labels to quickly “see” the layout of your schedule for the day. Right-click on any appointment in your calendar. Select Label. Select Edit Labels. Change the text to display the colors as you’d like. Pick colors consistently with your team (travel, multiple locations, training, personal, vacation, meeting, video conference, etc.) so you can quickly see where team members are working and what they’re doing.
10. Block out time to work. Sometimes you might want to actually schedule an appointment to WORK. To protect your time from others, schedule a Task on your Calendar (Outlook 2003). With the Task Pad view in the Calendar showing, click on a Task you’d like to complete. Hold the left mouse key down while you drag it to your calendar and release. An Appointment window will pop up, automatically inserting the task into the text portion of the appointment item. Fill in the time you want to work on the task on your calendar. Change the Show Time as field to Tentative, if desired. Save and close. The task will still be kept in your Task Pad, but now you’ve blocked out time on your calendar to work on it. NOTE: Do NOT put things you need to DO on your Calendar (that’s what Tasks are for), because if you don’t complete it, you’ll have to move it manually (not so with Tasks).
© 2008
