Time Management | QuietSpacing

Staying Out of the Weeds – Nine Ways Leaders Can Better Manage Their Time

Monday, May 9, 2011

Leadership time is your organization’s most valuable asset. Where leaders focus their time and effort affects everyone below them and the organization as a whole.

So how can leaders make the best use of their time? There are a number of small, incremental changes – shifts – each leader can make to their daily behaviors that will assist in keeping both the focus and momentum of the organization pointed in the right direction.

Shifts in Personal Work Habits that Increase Focus

It’s easy to get mired in the details of the day, to get lost in the weeds. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to the end of the day and realizing that no forward progress was made on the initiatives that matter most.

QuickTip: Hey, Stop Snoozing Over There!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

We lead lives filled with bells and whistles. Unfortunately, they aren’t the kind that mean upgrades! Instead, I’m referring to the constant alerts that sound during our day starting with the alarm clock in the morning signaling that a new day has begun to the wristband alert at night reminding us to take our medication. The good news is that these alerts help us remember to do all the things we need to get done each day. Unfortunately, there’s a “bad news” part too.

Incessant Noise Makes Johnny Less Effective

The most insidious feature of most alert systems is the “snooze” option. Disguised as a benefit, snooze buttons really only allow us to defer the inevitable. And, in doing so, distract us from what we were focusing on BEFORE the alert sounded. This may seem like no big deal, but here’s an illustrative example of why we should stop availing ourselves of the snooze option.

QuickTip: Texting Improves Communication … If You Try

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Face it. Texting is here to stay. Love it or hate it, it’s just another chapter in the long history of faster, more mobile communication technologies that started with messengers running across the Greek mountains between rulers. Whether we’re using the “old school” flip-phone style of texting or the update-to-date smartphone with its virtual keyboard, nearly everyone is texting, at least to a very small group of people. In fact, the only people I know who aren’t are my parents. That’s because my Mom can’t stay focused long enough on the “how” to make it happen!

It occurred to me while deplaning the other day and watching everyone check their messages – text and voice – that if done properly, texting can actually improve how well we communicate with each other. The reasons lie in the technology’s (perceived) limits of 140-160 characters and in the nature of short-burst opportunities occasioned by its mobility.

Top Ten Time Management Tips

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Below are the time management suggestions I most often give to my speaking and training audiences. Whenever I deliver these, I implore people to Adopt, Adapt, Reject any or all of them. What I mean is:

Adopt. Give the suggestion a try; see if it works for you.
Adapt. If the suggestion isn’t working for you, but you like the idea, try to Adapt it to your way of working.
Reject. If you can’t Adopt or Adapt a suggestion, toss it out and go to the next one. We’re just looking for one or two ideas to help you regain command of your day.

Manage Time Better. Enjoy Life More.