Developing Your Own Solutions

Now that you have all of these wonderful tools at hand, you're all set to go, right? We've already discussed time wasters in the section on identifying time problems. Here, we look at how you can develop your own techniques and solutions for overcoming specific time management problems.

Of necessity, the solutions that are offered here must be very general. They may, however, give you some ideas about developing your own solutions. If you do not develop some solutions to time problems, you're not managing your time, you're allowing others to manage it.

Let's talk about interruptions. Here are some solutions that have been used by others:

• Drop-in visitors, who are just coming by to chat...close your door and leave a note about the time you'll be 'out.'

• Not known for closing your door, put a reason on the note on the door.

• Someone pays no attention and sticks his or her head in and asks, "Gotta minute," say no, perhaps not that bluntly, but tell them that you have to complete something and ask what time you can drop by their office, cubicle or whatever.

• If you've identified an habitual offender who drops by at a specific time, either go to that person first, or have something for them to do when they drop by. I knew a secretary who used to do a number of mailings. She'd keep a set of envelopes and mailing labels on a chair near her desk. She would ask drop-in's to give her a hand by putting the labels on the envelopes. Amazing how some people stopped dropping by.

• Stand up when the drop in comes by; find out what they want; if it's going to take a little time, tell them you'll get back to them but right now you have something that's pushing you hard. When they ask what, just smile and keep heading them out of your area.

• Alert someone you know and trust to call you if he or she sees "so-and-so" enter your office. Make the excuse that you have to take the call.

What about the telephone? It can be a major interruption. With today's improvements, such as voice mail and text messaging, it is not quite the problem it was years ago. However, it can still be a pain. Here are some ideas:

• Use the voice mail feature on your phone. If possible, set it to be picked up on the first ring rather than waiting for the traditional four-ring pick up. This will solve a couple of problems: (1) you won't be wondering who is calling, unless, of course, you have caller ID, and the caller won't have to wait through what can seem an eternity before he or she can give you a message.

• Gang your messages and prioritize them. Let's assume that you've not answered your phone all morning. None of the incoming calls looked critical. After you've prioritized them, begin making your call-backs at 11:30. People are more likely to get right down to business if they have a lunch appointment or it's close to the time when they're going to lunch.

• Make your own calls. What, you think it wastes time? I once told a caller that I was sorry he'd injured himself. He asked what I meant. I told him that his secretary/assistant asked me to wait while he finished another call. That wait had been over two minutes and that my time was just as valuable as his. "If you do that again," I said, "I will hang up and not answer until I know that it's you." From that point on, he made his own calls.

• If a caller asks how you are, use a one-word answer and don't return the favor...unless you wish to chat. It's your call, but it might turn out that you spend more time on the golf game than on the business you wish to transact.

What about meetings? They have to be among the greatest time wasters in the business world. I have a friend who is an Episcopal minister. He maintains that if there is a Hell, it is one eternal committee meeting. I'm inclined to agree with him. There were times in my life, as I'm certain there have been in yours, when you attended a meeting and thought midway through that you'd died...and you sure didn't make it to Heaven.

Meetings are a problem, but they don't need to be. If you're running the meeting, you have a great opportunity to be effective and efficient; if not, you still can control, to a greater or lesser degree, the manner in which it is conducted. If you are running the meeting, do the following:

1. Set a realistic agenda with points to be covered and note the party responsible;

2. Send the agenda out in sufficient time for people who will be speaking to prepare themselves; check with them the day before to ensure their readiness. It's possible that the agenda will have to be sent by e-mail an hour ahead of time. If that's the case, don't paint a target on someone's chest by telling them, "You're up," particularly if they had no clue they'd even be part of the meeting. This is the type of action that begins political infighting...in which no one wins!

3. If there are people who will be called on to speak, but who may have to leave early - hopefully, not for another meeting - put them on early so that they will not feel rushed. They'll appreciate it.

4. Time frame the agenda so that people will know (a) the time you feel will be required to cover the point and (b) so that people will have some feeling for the approximate total length of the meeting. As chair, you are responsible for holding to those time frames but ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to address the point being covered.

5. If everyone attending the meeting is not impacted in some way by what is being covered, don't put it on your agenda. Only points that affect everyone in attendance should be covered. It shortens the meetings and holds everyone's attention. Remind people at the beginning of any meeting that this is the case. If it doesn't affect all, hold it as a 'sidebar' meeting.

6. If you've called the meeting, but it is being chaired by someone else, ensure that everyone knows at the outset that the chair is the one in control.

7.  If anyone is late for the meeting, even if it's the boss, do not rehash what has been covered. Take the initiative, by informing him/her that you'll bring them up to speed after the meeting. There are few things more rude than being late for a meeting. It costs money and sets a bad tone before things have even gotten started.

8. After the meeting, send an e-mail requesting honest and forthright feedback about the meeting.

There are times when you will not be responsible for the meeting. Think about some of the following points.

1. If you haven't received an agenda an hour before the meeting, find out why.

2. Consider the consequences of attending if you know the meeting will be poorly run or be a 'rambler.'

3. Can you delegate attendance at the meeting?

4. If you attend, be on time.

5. If you have input for part of the meeting, but may not be affected by the remainder, ask if you can present early and leave. Of course, if you're in the position to do so, say you wish to present early and get out!

6. Give feedback to the person who ran the meeting. If you think it was well run, say so; if you think it could have been run more effectively, carefully consider how to say so, but do it!

These are not the be all and end all of suggestions for developing your own solutions to time management problems. These are your beginnings. From these thoughts, you should be able to create your own solutions, but remember, they have to be "you."

End of Developing Your Own Solutions section