Masonry Magazine August 1993 Page. 26
Beyond Time Management
A few tips for controlling timewasters through better planning and decision-making skills.
REDICTIONS during the 1970s were that new technology and innovation would help create the four day work week and more leisure time. Just the opposite has happened for the average managerial and professional worker. In a recent survey by Priority Management Systems, the number of hours worked has increased by twenty percent and leisure time has decreased by thirty-two percent since 1975. To cite a few specifics from the survey, seventy-five percent of the respondents work more than 45 hours per week and sixty-three percent work more than one weekend per month. It is no wonder that forty-six percent experience stress daily. The Japanese have even created a word for this problem, karoshi, or death from overwork.
In addition to increased workload, many American managers seem to be losing the battle with their time-wasters. The top ten are:
* Shifting priorities/crisis management
* Telephone interruptions
* Lack of priorities/objectives
* Attempting too much
* Drop-in visitors
* Ineffective delegation
* Cluttered desk/losing things
* Lack of self-discipline/procrastination
* Inability to say "no"
* Meetings
Most of these timewasters can be controlled through better planning and decision-making skills. The following are a few tips which may help:
Daily Planning-create a prioritized list of things to do every day. Know what the most important task for the day is. This will help in evaluating the priority of each of the many interruptions and crises which occur daily. The ideal time to create tomorrow's list is at the end of the day. Rarely is there enough time for planning in the morning.
Work Area Organization-clearing the desk makes it easier to find things and creates a feeling of not being "drowned" in an ocean of piles. To clear the desk, set up three additional files: reading, correspondence, and miscellaneous. Eliminate multiple calendars and use your calendar for appointments, not your "to-do" list. Shelve or file all reference material. After working with a file, replace it before starting on the next item. Review and empty the "In-Box" daily by