PUTTING A PRIORITY ON YOUR TIME

Where does all the time go? Long hours. Late nights. Snatched lunches. Some employees boast about their excessive work schedule as if it is a badge of honor: "I start work at 7:00 a.m. and work right though until 8:00 p.m." Some of their Herculean claims border on the absurd. "Last night I went to bed at three a.m. and had to get up two hours earlier to finish a report." Or, "I used to eat lunch at my desk. But I need to save more time, so I’m giving up eating…"

 The problem is NOT that there is not enough time. Time does not expand. The problem is that people burden themselves with too many activities. The key to success is how you allocate your time to the important ones. In research we have conducted for clients, average employees spend about 50% of their time on A and B priorities. But among the top performers, A and B priorities will approach 60%. That is an increase of 5 hours per week that can make all the difference.

 Here is how to think about setting priorities. "A" activities are those that influence long term results. If you had nothing else to do tomorrow, what would affect your results one month from now? For sales people this means selling, which in fact only amounts to 23% of their time. For managers this means supervising people, which is only 18% of their time, and planning which is only 6%.

 "B" priorities are the aspects of your job description that must get done today. This could be responding to customers, attending monthly meetings, preparing reports, inputting data or shipping products. For example, store supervisors oversee maintenance, a "B" priority that takes up 7% of their time.

 "C" priorities are those unplanned or unwritten aspects of your job that need to be done. They include filling out expense reports, opening the mail, filing and answering requests from other departments. These are also known as administrative activities. Our research indicates that administrative tasks amount to 20% of the time. Within this, paperwork alone can take 5 hours per week. If you are spending more than that, the system is bogging you down.

 Finally "D" activities are those things that could be put off for a couple of days. Perhaps some of them are things you should not be doing at all. They include reading trade magazines, handling tasks that should be delegated, and conducting superfluous internet research. Miscellaneous time can be as much as 5% of the week.

 So make sure to focus your most productive time on the high priority items that will make a difference.

 

 

The Importance of Punctuality

Lateness is a sign of poor time management skills. When you are late for appointments, meetings or work, you show a lack of respect for other people's time as well as your own. Here are a few suggestions to ensure that you are on time for appointments.

Make up your mind that you will be punctual from now on. In many cases lateness is caused by a lack of commitment to arrive on time. Have the right mindset.

Record the commitment in your planner and also record the time you must leave the house or office in order to arrive on time. Plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early.

If you have a fair distance to travel, always allow more time than you think it will take.

Don't be trapped by the one last thing syndrome. If you're ready to leave and it’s still early, leave anyway. Utilize the time at the other end rather than trying to finish one more task before you leave.

If you are not a morning person, but have early morning commitments, set the alarm a little earlier. Some of us may need to go to bed a little earlier to make this work.

When it comes right down to it, punctuality is a habit that can be developed. It takes great effort at first, but eventually simply happens. Habits are formed by repetition. If you want to acquire the habit of punctuality, you must repeat this behavior again and again.

 

Impatient people do not make good time managers

It’s said that patience is a virtue and this certainly holds true in practice. It is even truer in this fast-paced society where rushaholics are in the majority and companies seem to believe that faster is better. Although patience is sometimes mistaken for sloth, it’s the patient ones who are the most effective time managers. They tend to think things through before they act and focus more on results than activity. Here are five characteristics of patient people. Do you qualify?

1. Patient people fully intend to accomplish all their goals but they don’t expect it to happen overnight. They recognize that time is their ally, not their enemy, and that all goals can be accomplished, given a realistic time frame.

2. Patient people are not thrown off balance by momentary delays. They utilize idle time by working on other tasks. For example, they set the table while the bread is toasting instead of peaking impatiently into the toaster every few seconds to see how brown the bread is getting. They compose a memo while a report is printing, sign documents while on hold and read a book while in a lineup.

3. Although patient people utilize idle time and waiting time rather than get frustrated by the delay, they seldom perform two activities at the same time if both activities require their attention. So they don’t drive while applying makeup or read the paper while eating dinner or write a memo while listening to a speaker.

4. Patient people do not exhibit an extreme sense of time urgency. They don’t push elevator buttons three or four times, never run up “up” escalators and seldom rush to fill an empty space in a revolving door. They don’t interrupt others while they’re talking, never tailgate when driving and seldom complain when someone is late for an appointment.

5. What patient people may lose in physical speed, they more than make up for in mental agility. They plan before they act, think before they speak and research before they report. Consequently they make good decisions, wise choices and sound judgments, achieving above average results.

How can one gain patience? Through practice. For example, drive a little slower, pause before you answer, and occasionally be the last one off the bus. Let the dryer go through its full cycle, resist the urge to open the microwave door before the buzzer sounds and let a co-worker finish their explanation before answering your own question. Every so often, stay in bed until the alarm goes off, sit quietly in the car for a few minutes before entering the house and relax before turning on the TV set. Take a longer, more scenic route to work, walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator and spend a few minutes greeting other members of the staff before tackling those voice mail messages. In other words, slow down. Change your routines. Take a break. And above all, realize that a wasted minute does not lead to a wasted life.

 

TIME vs. MONEY

TIME vs. MONEY

Nearly 40 percent of 4,600 full-time workers surveyed by Salary.com said they would rather have more time off than a $5,000 U.S. annual pay hike. Salary.com says this indicates a shift in thinking over the past few years. (Source: The Canadian Press, 2005)

IDEA JOURNAL

Keep an idea journal. A spiral notebook is adequate. Have a page for each member of your family and friends that you normally shop for. Jot down ideas during the year. Things you see them looking at longingly. That gizmo they mentioned they would love to get someday.

BUY CHRISTMAS GIFTS EARLY

Shop during the year when you see that “perfect gift” that’s on sale. The one that will be sold out or double the price in December.

ORGANIZE YOUR PURCHASES

Write the item and the name of the person for whom you bought the gift on the back of the sales slip and keep them in a marked envelope to make returns easier.

TIMELY THOUGHT

People, who are too busy to plan, plan to be too busy.

 

 

WRAPPING UP CHRISTMAS

WRAPPING UP CHRISTMAS

Schedule time to wrap gifts, address cards etc. Don’t leave things until the last minute. Wrapping a gift in November will probably mean two people are surprised when it’s opened in December. If you don’t like those kind of surprises, stick a note on the outside of the package so you’ll know what’s inside.

HIGH TECH CHRISTMAS

Take advantage of technology. Put your Christmas card list on a database and run off labels. Consider designing your own cards.

KEEP RECORDS

Keep a section of your idea journal, ruled with appropriate columns, where you can jot down what you receive from others. It can be embarrassing having to thank people for their “beautiful gift” when you have no idea what it was that you received, if anything.

CHRISTMAS FOLLOW-UP FILE

Make a follow-up file where you can put things such as articles or Christmas ideas that you can review a few months before next Christmas.

TIMELY QUOTE

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."   - Lin Yu Tang

Study Time

Use your prime time when you’re at your mental and physical peak. This is usually early in the morning and again early in the evening.

Putting Off Housework

Procrastinating on cleaning up your house? Michelle Tullier, in her book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Overcoming Procrastination, suggests you plan a party so you’ll have to straighten up and clean.

ELECTRONIC FILES

ELECTRONIC FILES

Let your electronic file headings mirror those of your hard copy files to make it easier to file and retrieve.

TIMELY QUOTE

“Time never takes time off.” - St Augustine
 

RESULTS, NOT PERFECTION

Focus on the results you are trying to achieve as opposed to the mechanics of the job you are working on.

SPEAK UP AT MEETINGS

Speak your mind as soon as the topic is open. Studies show that those expressing their views early have a better chance of being heard and respected.

SELF-DISCIPLINE

Some of the important things in life and at work are not much fun. Do them anyway and you are practicing self-discipline.

JUST DO IT

The dread of doing a task lasts a lot longer than the unpleasant chore of doing it.

TIMELY SAYING

A fanatic has been described as a person who, when unsure of his direction, doubles his speed.

 

PORTABLE LAPTOP STAND

PORTABLE LAPTOP STAND

Frequent flyers may want to check out the Cyberlegs Portable Laptop Stand from Paralax Company in Toronto. Similar to a camera tripod, it has three telescoping aluminum legs and attaches to the laptop with tough Velcro.  info@paralax.ca

PERFECTIONISTIC TENDENCIES

Remember that a job done adequately is better than a job not done.

SLOW DOWN AND LIVE LONGER

Drive 10 miles per hour slower. Pause at the table before eating. Wait in the driveway before entering. Let the phone ring a few times before answering.

FOCUS ON THE RIGHT THINGS

A retail store staff member told his boss he was too busy doing his job to spend time talking to customers – until his boss explained that talking to customers was his job.

TIMELY THOUGHT

Time management is an oxymoron. Time cannot be managed. The good news is that you can manage yourself.

 

HOW TO END A CONVERSATION

HOW TO END A CONVERSATION

In the book, Organize Your Office, by Ronni Eisenberg, with Kate Kelly (Hyperion, 1998) the following examples are given for ending conversations that threaten to drag on:
"I don’t want to take too much of your time..."
"I know you’re busy. I’ll call you next week with the report..."
"I’ll let you back to..."
"Before we end this conversation..."
"Just one more thing before we hang up..."

THE POWER OF THREE

Jennifer White, a success coach and author of, Work Less, Make More (John Wiley & Sons, 1999) recommends the Power of Three technique for improving productivity. Identify the three most important things you can do and spend 80 percent of your time working on those things. This is an application of the Pareto Principle, which states that 80 percent of your results are produced by 20 percent of the things you do. This forces you to focus on the priorities, leaving many of the less important items undone.

THOSE LASER DAYS OF SUMMER

Jennifer White, a success coach and author of, Work Less, Make More (John Wiley & Sons, 1999) suggests dividing the week into Laser Days, Support Days and Free Days. Laser Days are devoted exclusively to high priority, high pay-off activities, ignoring telephone calls and e-mail unless they are related to the priority that you’re working on. Support Days involve the necessary administrative tasks, meetings, telephone calls and work generated during the Laser Days. Free Days are strictly for relaxation, recreation, hobbies, families and friends. There are business coaches who advocate similar action and many entrepreneurs who testify that they have increased revenue substantially using this approach.

CHILDREN ON THE FAST TRACK

CHILDREN ON THE FAST TRACK

Be careful you are not enrolling your children in too many activities. They need enough involvement to keep them from getting bored, but too much will keep you racing from one event to another. Dr. Katherina Monassis, child psychiatrist at the Hospital for Sick Children, says that overworked schedules are a contributing factor among her patients suffering from anxiety. She suggests that young schoolchildren are often better with just one outside activity. (Source: Toronto Star, October 7, 2000)

BUDDY SYSTEM FOR MOTHERS

To get some scheduled, personal time at least one day a week, consider having your friend’s kids at your home for three or four hours and the next day have your friend take your kids.

 

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP

Organizing your office and home can be a great time saver. If you don’t have the time or skills to do it yourself, get the help of a professional organizer. In Canada contact Professional Organizers in Canada at www.Organizersincanada.com

In the U.S. contact National Association of Professional Organizers at www.napo.net

BENEFITS OF DELEGATION

Delegation not only saves time, it enables staff to perform more challenging jobs, builds morale, motivates, and facilitates training.

PACK EARLY WHEN MOVING

As soon as you know you’ll be moving, start packing. Set a goal of one or two cartons per day, marked as to contents and the room they will be going to.

Time is Eternity

There was this guy who believed very much in true love and decided to take his time to wait for his right girl to appear. He believed that there would definitely be someone special out there for him, but none came.

Every year at Christmas, his ex-girlfriend would return from Vancouver to look him up. He was aware that she still held some hope of re-kindling the past romance with him. He did not wish to mislead her in any way. So he would always get one of his girl friends to pose as his steady whenever she came back. That went on for several years and each year, the guy would get a different girl to pose as his romantic interest. So whenever the ex-girlfriend came to visit him, she would be led into believing that it was all over between her and the guy. The girl took all those rather well, often trying to casually tease him about his different girlfriends, or so, as it seemed! In fact, the girl often wept in secret whenever she saw him with another girl, but she was too proud to admit it. Still, every Christmas, she returned, hoping to re-kindle some form of romance. But each time, she returned to Vancouver feeling disappointed.

Finally she decided that she could not play that game any longer. Therefore, she confronted him and professed that after all those years, he was still the only man that she had ever loved. Although the guy knew of her feelings for him, he was still taken back and have never expected her to react that way. He always thought that she would slowly forget about him over time and come to terms that it was all over between them. Although he was touched by her undying love for him and wanted so much to accept her again, he remembered why he rejected her in the first place-she was not the one he wanted. So he hardened his heart and turned her down cruelly. Since then, three years have passed and the girl never return anymore. They never even wrote to each other. The guy went on with his life..... still searching for the one but somehow deep inside him, he missed the girl.

On the Christmas of 1995, he went to his friend's party alone. "Hey, how come all alone this year? Where are all your girlfriends? What happened to that Vancouver babe who joins you every Christmas?", asked one of his friend. He felt warm and comforted by his friend's queries about her, still he just surged on.

Then, he came upon one of his many girlfriends whom he once requested to pose as his steady. He wanted so much to ignore her ..... not that he was impolite, but because at that moment, he just didn't feel comfortable with those girlfriends anymore. It was almost like he was being judged by them. The girl saw him and shouted across the floor for him. Unable to avoid her, he went up to acknowledge her.

On the Christmas of 1995, he went to his friend's party alone. "Hey, how come all alone this year? Where are all your girlfriends? What happened to that Vancouver babe who joins you every Christmas?", asked one of his friend. He felt warm and comforted by his friend's queries about her, still he just surged on.

Then, he came upon one of his many girlfriends whom he once requested to pose as his steady. He wanted so much to ignore her ..... not that he was impolite, but because at that moment, he just didn't feel comfortable with those girlfriends anymore. It was almost like he was being judged by them. The girl saw him and shouted across the floor for him. Unable to avoid her, he went up to acknowledge her.
"Hi......how are you? Enjoying the party?" the girl asked.
"Sure.....yeah!", he replied.She was slightly tipsy..... must be from the whiskey on her hand. She continued,"Why...? Don't you need someone to pose as your girlfriend this year?" Then he answered, "No, there is no need for that anymore......" Before he can continue, he was interrupted, "Oh yes! Must have found a girlfriend! You haven't been searching for one for the past years, right?" The man looked up, as if he has struck gold, his face beamed and looked directly at the drunken girl. He replied, "Yes......you are right! I haven't been looking for anyone for the past years." With that, the man darted across the floor and out the door, leaving the lady in much bewilderment. He finally realized that he has already found his dream girl, and she was.....the Vancouver girl all along! The drunken lady has said something that awoken him.

All along he has found his girl. That was why he did not bother to look further when he realized she was not coming back. It was not any specific girl he was seeking! It was perfection that he wanted, and yes.....perfection!! Relationship is something both parties should work on. Realizing that he had let away someone so important in his life, he decided to call her immediately. His whole mind was flooded with fear. He was afraid that she might have found someone new or no longer had the same feelings anymore..... For once, he felt the fear of losing someone.

As it was Christmas eve, the line was quite hard to get through, especially an overseas call. He tried again and again, never giving up. Finally, he got through......precisely at 1200 midnight. He confessed his love for her and the girl was moved to tears. It seemed that she never got over him! Even after so long, she was still waiting for him, never giving up.

He was so excited to meet her and to begin his new chapter of their lives. He decided to fly to Vancouver to join her. It was the happiest time of their lives! But their happy time was short-lived. Two days before he was supposed to fly to Vancouver, he received a call from her father. She had a head-on car collision with a drunken driver. She passed away after 6 hours in a coma.
The guy was devastated, as it was a complete loss. Why did fate played such cruel games with him? He cursed the heaven for taking her away from him, denying even one last look at her! How cruel he cursed! How he damned the Gods...!! How he hated himself....for taking so long to realize his mistake!! That was in 1996.

The moral of this story is :
Treasure what you have...Time is too slow for those who wait;Too swift for those who fear;Too long for those who grief;Too short for those who rejoice;But for those who love...Time is Eternity.

For all you out there with someone special in your heart, cherish that person, cherish every moment that you spend together that special someone, for in life, anything can happen anytime. You may painfully regret, only to realise that it is too late.

 

IN DEFENSE OF MEETINGS

IN DEFENSE OF MEETINGS

Although some consider meetings to be a good place to avoid work, properly managed meetings can gain cooperation and strengthen working relationships as well as generate better ideas and decisions.

PARKINSON'S LAW OF TRIVIALITY

Most time is spent on the least important items. Avoid this by allocating time in proportion to the value of the outcomes.

PREPARE FOR MEETINGS

As soon as a meeting is announced, make up a folder to house ideas, articles, notes etc. relevant to the items to be discussed.

EVERY SECOND COUNTS

A typical company that spends $500 million annually in customer service can save $1 million each year by shaving a single second off the average length of a service call. (Source: Mass Affluence by Paul Nures and Brian Johnson, Harvard Business School Press, 2004)

TIMELY HUMOR

Someone once defined a filing system as an alphabetical way of losing things.

When opportunity knocks, some people complain about the noise.

 

 

LAUGHTER AS A TEAM BUILDER

LAUGHTER AS A TEAM BUILDER

Paul S. George, in his article, Team Building (Drake Business Review, Vol. 3, No. 1) indicates that fun is essential to both individual and group strength and health. He believes that having fun together builds bridges and bonds between people; and that laughter is a team builder that builds understanding and empathy. He advocates simple techniques, such as daily calendars with humorous stories, pictures, cartoons, or words on walls and bulletin boards, luncheons, roasts and humorous ceremonies or rituals.

KEEP MEETINGS ON TRACK

Fred Pryor, writing in his column, The Workline, provides the following advice for keeping people on track in a meeting; "Before the meeting, write the agenda on a flipchart and put it in a prominent place. When someone starts to go off track, say, 'Good point. We'll certainly want to discuss that when we come to item 7' - or add a new agenda item, if the need be. After you have made this note, get people back on track by restating the subject under discussion."

PRIORITIZE THE AGENDA

Mark the meeting agenda topics on individual index cards and shuffle them around in order of importance.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

-A lot of opportunities disguise themselves as work.

TIMELY QUOTES

"God so loved the world He didn't send a committee."
- Anonymous

"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow."
- Chinese Proverb

 

DON'T OVERUSE E-MAIL

DON'T OVERUSE E-MAIL

Face to face communication is the most efficient way to deal with manager-staff relationships. Never try to communicate sensitive issues by e-mail.

HOW TO SAY "NO"

1. Say "no" quickly, before they have a chance to get their hopes up.
2. Don't feel obligated to justify your actions.
3. Don't say "no" in anger or during an emotional outburst.
4. Offer some alternatives to the person you are turning down.

ENTHUSIASM

An item in a recent issue of "Bits and Pieces" (The Economic Press) referred to a survey of 241 executives conducted by Management Dimensions Inc. The executives were asked what traits make workers succeed. The most important trait was enthusiasm - 80 percent of the executives listed it. Second, with 63 percent was a can-do attitude.

COMMUNICATION TIP

If you have something to tell your employees, do it in the morning; most people are more receptive and alert in the morning. And if it involves something they have to do, they'll have all day to do it.

TIMELY QUOTE

"A good listener is not only popular everywhere but after a while he knows something."   - Wilson Mizner

 

CELL PHONATICS

CELL PHONATICS

About 24% of restaurants surveyed by the National Restaurant Association have some kind of policy restricting cell phone use. 42% of users in the same survey say they use them while eating lunch or dinner. (Source: The Rising Din of Cell Phones, by Dave Gusson, St. Petersburg Times, April 2, 2001.)

MEASURE YOUR TV WATCHING

Keep a record of the number of hours you watch TV during a typical week. You may not have a problem. Then again you may be surprised. It may motivate you enough to make some changes. TV can be a real time gobbler.

EXCESSIVE OVERTIME IS NOT TIME-EFFECTIVE

Sometimes we have to work overtime in order to get a rush job completed or put the finishing touches on a priority project. But if we work overtime on a regular basis, we seldom gain the productivity return that we expect. In fact, the law of diminishing returns takes over, and every extra hour of work brings increasingly less than an equivalent hour of results.

YOU'RE DISORGANIZED IF...

It's easier to open a new bank account than reconcile your bankbook.

There are as many papers on your desk as there are in your filing cabinets.

Your 'to do' list includes a reminder to look for your other 'to do' list.

TIMELY QUOTE

"Dig a well before you are thirsty."
- Chinese Proverb

 

WAITING FOR SALES

WAITING FOR SALES

If you're kept waiting to see a client or prospect use the time for priority work, not flipping through magazines. Always be prepared.

TIME TO SMILE

Those who get ahead have not wasted time getting even.

 

SIMPLE WRITING SAVES TIME

Over 90 percent of all meaning can be conveyed with a vocabulary of around 600 words. When communicating, keep in mind that one out of four Americans in the workforce are functionally illiterate.

A STAND-UP DESK MIGHT HELP

A Yale University revealed that people who sit for more than half a day at work have a 60 to 70 percent greater risk of slipping a disk than their mobile co-workers. (Source: Every Manager's Desk Reference, Alpha Books, 2002)

PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER

Viruses waste time. Invest in an anti virus program and regularly download upgrades.

PLAN YOUR MEETINGS

Make sure you arrive at least a half-hour before the participants in order to check the room set-up, visual aids, refreshments etc.

TIMELY QUOTE

"Plan in advance how a job is to be done, and it is half done."
- Henry Kaiser

ON THE MOVE

ON THE MOVE

Some advice when moving is offered by Hélène Roy in her reprinted article, "When You Move, Get Organized" (Reader's Digest, June, 1985). Pack in a definite order, starting early with the articles you won't need right away - such as books, records, ornaments. Write a description of the contents on every box and indicate what room it should go in. Pack books and other heavy items in smaller boxes. Send out carpets and drapes, etc., to be cleaned and then have them delivered to your new address.

IMPROVE YOUR LETTER WRITING

An item in "Communication Briefings" newsletter recounted how a sales executive cured his tendency to write long, rambling and repetitious letters. He would write "The purpose of this letter is __________" on a blank sheet of paper. By looking at this objective and mulling it around in his mind a few minutes, he was able to write shorter, more productive letters.

IF YOUR BOSS WON'T DELEGATE

Don't sit back and complain and bemoan your fate. If you want added responsibility and authority, you may have to ask for it. Some managers are reluctant to delegate - for a variety of reasons ranging from "no time to train" to "my managers are too busy as it is."

IDIOTS

Not a nice term, but let's face it, if you delay something that should be done now, you're a victim of IDIOTS - I'll Do It On Thursday Syndrome.

TIMELY QUOTE

"A crisis does not make a man but it shows what a man is made of."
- Warren W. Wiersbe

 

Procrastination is forgivable

Procrastination is one of those natural tendencies that prompt people to delay rinsing the dishes until the egg hardens or putting off shoveling the snow until it has turned to ice or ignore the gas tank until it’s empty. The results of procrastination are usually not good. The do it now habit wins out almost every time. But that doesn’t prevent people from procrastinating. Since time immemorial people have been taking the path of least resistance. Call it lack of initiative, inertia or just plain laziness; it amounts to the same thing - the failure to act when they should. It’s not so much that they resist change or prefer the status quo. They simply lack the energy. Their energy is consumed by coping with all the demands on their time.

I have never heard of a study comparing the degree of procrastination exhibited by individuals twenty years ago versus today, but I would hazard a guess that it has increased. Choices have multiplied and decisions are more difficult. The pace of life has accelerated, stress weighs heavier, and multitasking has become the norm. Balancing work and personal life is more complicated than ever and technology challenges us with constant change,

Is it any wonder that we procrastinate? Who has the energy to initiate action?
Procrastination is more a coping mechanism than a bad habit. It’s not desirable, but it is excusable. Spending even more time and energy feeling guilty could be better spent simplifying our lives, relieving stress and reducing the demands on our time.

As we become better time managers our need to procrastinate will be reduced. But let’s not condemn one another for procrastinating. It’s not sloth. It’s simply one of several coping mechanisms in a frenetic society that reveres speed no matter what the direction.

 

Pareto visits a retail store

The Pareto Principle, named after an Italian economist-sociologist, Alfredo Pareto, states that the significant items in a given group normally constitute a relatively small portion of the total items in the group. The ratio that holds true in most cases is 80:20. For example, 20 percent of the promotion techniques you use achieve 80 percent of the results, 20 percent of the items in inventory account for 80 percent of the total inventory cost, and so on.

Knowing these statistics does nothing to increase business. But taking action will. See where this principle applies in your business and then see what you can do to take advantage of these facts. If you are in the retail business, for example, here are five examples.

1. If 80 percent of the traffic takes place during 20 percent of the day, identify this time period and declare it sales time. Have additional staff during this time if necessary. Make sure everyone devotes as much time as possible to customer service and selling. Tell staff not to work on paperwork, stocking etc. during that time period. They can do the maintenance and administration tasks during off-peak times.

2. If 80 percent of the sales seem to be generated by 20 percent of the staff, train all employees on the basics of up selling and customer service as well as product knowledge. Make sure the staff members who interact well with customers are not hidden away in the back room.

3. If about 80 percent of the shoplifting occurs in 20 percent of the available hours, security should be concentrated during these peak hours. And you should be well staffed. There is a correlation between shoplifting and customer service so interaction with customers should be greatest during this time period as well.

4. If 80 percent of the sales come from 20 percent of the store’s traffic, figure out how to get even more sales out of existing customers. According to eMarketer, it costs five to ten times as much to find a new customer as it does to retain an existing one. And since regular customers buy more, make more referrals and are less price-sensitive, it would pay to get to know your customers. It would also be wise to see how you can get more traffic into the store and keep them there longer, since sales varies with the length of time spent in the store. You could also attempt to convert some of those 80 percent browsers into customers.

5. If 80 percent of your sales take place during 20 percent of the year, you must maximize the use of this prime selling time to generate as many sales as possible. But you should also try to convert lower sales months to higher sales periods.

 

Our Internal clocks

The Secrets of Our Body Clocks by Susan Perry and Jim Dawson, discusses
biological rhythms. Everyone's clock is unique, and some may peak at 11 a.m. instead of 12 noon, but even extreme morning people and extreme night people are no greater than 2 hours apart with their circadian cycles. Some of the conclusions of the book may help us manage our time more effectively.

1. Most of us reach our peak of alertness around noon. So perhaps delaying lunch until 12:30 or 1:00 p.m. might capitalize on our most productive period.

2. There's a sudden drop in the early afternoon that lasts until about 3:00 p.m., at which time our mental alertness once again begins to rise. Schedule the mundane, low-energy tasks for that part of the day.

3. Short-term memory is best during the morning hours, so studying for a test that morning or reviewing notes of a meeting would be a good idea. But long-term memory is best in the afternoon, so that's the time to study material for the following week - or for that training session for the new employee. How well you remember things depends on when you learn them, not when you recall them.

4. Mornings are a great time for creative sessions or meetings where tough decisions must be made. But don't let them run into the early afternoon doldrums.

5. Just because you’re a morning person, don't expect everyone else to be the same way. Biological rhythms are innate, and we should organize our lives so as to work with them, not against them.

In general, morning people should do all their heavy thinking and creative work in the morning and reserve the late afternoons for the routine. Night people, although similarly alert at 11 a.m., do not experience the same late afternoon sag.

 

MAXIMIZE SELLING TIME

MAXIMIZE SELLING TIME

Never do paperwork or engage in other activities during prime selling hours. If your prospects are most available from 9 am to 12 noon for instance, reserve that time for selling only.

KEEP YOUR VOICE MAIL RECORDING BRIEF

The longer a caller has to wait for a message to finish, the more likely he or she will be to hang up, according to the Dartnell Corporation newsletter, Overcoming Objections.

MESS DOESN"T IMPEDE BRILLIANCE

An article published many years ago by Maritime Life described a photograph of Albert Einstein's desk captioned E(nergy) = M(ess) x C(onfusion)². A messy desk might have wasted some of Einstein's time, but it didn't affect his brilliance.

THE EXECUTIVE'S PRAYER

There's a version of the serenity prayer that addresses effectiveness and life balance. God grant me the serenity to prioritize the things I cannot delegate, the courage to say 'No' when I need to, and the wisdom to know when to go home.

WHAT ARE YOUR STAFF MEMBERS DOING?

Richard A. Moran, in his book, Beware Those Who Ask For Feedback (Harper, 1994) claims that most organizations have the right number of people - they're just doing the wrong things.

 

INCREASE SELLING TIME

Salespeople only spend 14.1 hours face to face with clients or prospects in an average 47-hour week, according to an editor of Dartnell's Sales Force Compensation Survey. Increase selling time and you will increase sales.

LEAVE A REMINDER ON YOUR VOICE MAIL

LEAVE A REMINDER ON YOUR VOICE MAIL

If you've recorded an outgoing message on your voice mail indicating you'll be away, leave a message for yourself as a reminder to change the message when you return.

TIME MANAGEMENT, BUT NOT RUDENESS

Phone calls should be returned no later than 48 hours after the message is received, according to business etiquette expert Letitia Baldridge. Other people suggest within two hours. Be respectful of other people's time as well.

KEEP A "PERHAPS" LIST

Stephen Covey (First Things First) suggests you may think of things you're not prepared to work on yet, but don't want to forget. Put these on a Perhaps list.

PLANNING FOR SALES

Before you leave in the morning, your day should be planned from beginning to end, not simply in your head, but in your planner.

 

PLAN YOUR CELL PHONE CALLS

If you have to make a call on your cell phone while driving, plan it so you're not heading for a tunnel or getting out of range.

USING SELLING TIME TO ADVANTAGE

Prospects should be qualified in advance, appointments confirmed, presentations planned in advance, and emphasis placed on the priority activity of the sales call, the close.

MAINTAIN FOCUS AT MEETINGS

Respondents in a survey conducted by the 3M Meeting Management Institute at the University of Southern California said they spent about 11 percent of any meeting's time on irrelevant discussion.

WRITING SKILLS INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY

WRITING SKILLS INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY

A survey of 218 executives by Communispond Inc. revealed that 88% of the respondents rated writing skills between 7 and 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 items of important to productivity. (Source: Building your Business Writing by Lin Grensing, MW, March/April, 1988)

WRITE CLEAR REPORTS

Don't waste other people's time by writing poor reports. Be concise, accurate, simple and straightforward.

REMEMBERING NAMES

You can lose face as well as time if you can't remember someone's name. Always repeat the name aloud when you are introduced and say it to yourself several times immediately afterwards.

TEMPERATURE AND PRODUCTIVITY

Cornell Researchers showed that increasing the temperature increased efficiency. They gave typing tests in a warm room (77°F) and a chilly room (68°F) and found that productivity dropped 46% when the temperature was lowered. (Source: Woman's World, Dec. 28, 2004)

STORING DVD'S

Save space by storing DVD's and CD's in plastic sleeves in a 3-ring binder and get rid of the bulky cases.

ORGANIZING TOYS

Use a pocket shoe rack that hangs from a door to store small toys and dolls.

TIMELY QUOTE

"More information is generated on Earth every hour than you could partake of in the rest of your life." - Every Manager's Desk Reference

 

MAKE IT EASY FOR OTHERS

MAKE IT EASY FOR OTHERS

When leaving a voice mail message, always include your phone number, even if you think they know it.

MEETINGS AD INFINITUM

When the outcome of a meeting is to have another meeting, it has not been a good meeting.

MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS

Resist the urge to hand over your business card when you first meet someone. There is a better chance they will keep it and remember you if you give it to them later in the conversation.

REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS

Save meeting time and driving time by meeting by phone whenever possible.

TIMELY QUOTE

"Accepting a certain amount of messiness gives you more time for real work."   - Too Busy to Clean?  By Patti Barrett

 

RECOVERY TIME FROM INTERRUPTIONS

RECOVERY TIME FROM INTERRUPTIONS

Interruptions experienced by managers lasted 6 to 9 minutes and the average time it took to recover from these interruptions was from 3 to 23 minutes. Make sure portions of your day are interruption-free.

TROUBLE GETTING STARTED IN THE MORNINGS?

If you can get your body moving, your brain will follow. Make it a habit to go for a brief walk or exercise for ten minutes before breakfast.

CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE

When calling from a cell phone, let the listener know, in case you fade in and out or get cut off.

TIME MANAGEMENT TRAINING

When attending a workshop or other training program, schedule as little as possible on the following day so you will have time to implement the ideas.

TIMELY HUMOR

Sign in a hospital delivery room: "The first five minutes of life is extremely risky." Scribbled underneath it: "The last five minutes aren’t so hot either."

 

BREAK YOUR GOALS INTO CHUNKS

Once you achieve a short-term goal, the chance of achieving your long-term goal increases to 60 percent. (Source: Woman's World, Dec 28, 2004)

PERFECTIONISM VS. EXCELLENCE

Perfectionism is being unrealistic by spending so much time on a task that it deprives other important tasks of sufficient time. Excellence is doing the best job you can with the time and resources at your disposal.

EXPERTISE IN MEETINGS

EXPERTISE IN MEETINGS

A skilled chairperson can do a lot to keep meetings on-track, avoid distractions and reduce time consumed. Make sure mangers and staff who chair meetings receive formal training.

LEAVE BRIEF MESSAGES

Don’t exceed 45 seconds when leaving a voice mail message. Beyond that, attention span decreases considerably and people become impatient.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

If you can’t reach your party by phone and there is no reply to your voice mail message, try faxing the information or your request.

UNHEALTHY OVERLOAD

A study by Reuter’s Group found that 33 percent of managers in industrialized nations are suffering ill health as a direct response to information overload. (Source: Every Manager’s Desk Reference, Alpha Books, 2002)

TIMELY QUOTE

By the time you reach 75, you are aware of your priorities - 76 and 77.