Priority Management

Priority Management Barbara B. Nixon Georgia Southern University

Objective: Manage Your Priorities Identify ways you waste time Organize your workday more efficiently Keep to your schedule Identify personal and organizational changes to better manage priorities

Pop Quiz #1 – 59 seconds List your top two priorities… School-related Home/family-related

Pop Quiz #2 – Time Management Myths What’s wrong with these statements? We can manage time Time management involves getting more done in less time People need something expensive or electronic to get organized The biggest time wasters are telephone interruptions, visitors, meetings, and rush jobs It’s most efficient to stick to one task until it’s done Time is money

Major Time Thieves Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adker/347903037/

Planning Tips To Do Lists Make a daily list Make a weekly list Make a monthly/quarterly/annual list Update your lists every morning Create a Don’t Do list, too

Planning Tips, cont’d Planners and Organizers Maintain a master calendar of events Carry your organizer/calendar with you Make a note of all additional commitments Consider high-tech options

Defining Goals “ Begin with the end in mind” — Stephen Covey Determine the desired end result Set short-term objectives for reaching goals Adjust objectives as conditions change

Prioritizing Rank tasks in order of importance Build in time for the unexpected Leave time for thinking and planning Remain flexible Realize you won’t finish everything

Prioritizing, cont’d “ Is this the best use of my time?” “ Is this what I want or need to do right now?”

Prime Time When do you have the most energy? When are there fewest interruptions? When can you schedule private time?

Energy Gains & Drains Things that energize me Things that exhaust me

Eat That Frog “ If you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, it’s likely that will be the worst thing that will happen to either of you all day.” — Mark Twain

Procrastination Break a large job down into smaller parts Do the easy parts first Face unpleasant tasks squarely Time yourself Punish yourself Reward yourself

Phone Calls Incoming & outgoing calls Text messages Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/spitzgogo/286917522/

Written Messages File it Act on it Toss it Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregoryjameswalsh/2683796968/

E-mail Does FAT work for e-mail?

Interruptions & Emergencies The Black Hole of Interruptions

Handling Emergencies Try not to drop everything Spend only as much time as necessary Return to your established schedule

Tips for Productive Meetings Attend only essential meetings Come prepared and participate effectively Leave as soon as you can When you are chairing a meeting choose a good time impose a time limit set a reasonable agenda

Rules for Dealing with Monkeys Monkeys should be fed or shot Monkeys should be assigned their next feeding time The monkey population should be kept below the maximum number the manager has time to feed Monkey-feeding appointments may be rescheduled, but not indefinitely postponed http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/hbr/articles/article.jsp?articleID=99609&ml_action=get-article

Zen and the Art of Priority Management Get to meetings early so you can compose yourself before the others arrive. When the phone rings, let it ring one extra time to “get centered.” Practice "mindfulness" by doing just one thing at a time, giving it your full attention. Pause after you finish one task before beginning another. If possible, make it last for several minutes.

Say “No” & Mean It When someone suggests something you’d like to consider When the timing’s just not right When you have other priorities

In Closing Time is one of your most valuable assets Planning and organization are the keys to priority management Eliminating time thieves allows you to accomplish essential tasks Control your schedule instead of being controlled by it

Priority Management Thank you!

Priority Management

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