Attitudes for Success: Managing Your Time and Meeting Deadlines

“Lost time is never found again.” 

Benjamin Franklin

Time is a precious, non-renewable resource. In business, time equals opportunity. Those who practice good time management consistently get the important aspects of their job done—and they achieve greater success in their career as a result. 

The late, and great author, Stephen R. Covey defines proper time management as putting first things first. On an organizational level, you may not be in control of what comes first from the company’s perspective. But you do have a say in how you manage your time on a daily basis to achieve the goals of your organization. It is an exercise in discernment and self-discipline. In this chapter, we will review concepts, strategies, and techniques that help you make the most of every hour at work.

What Habits Do You Have?

Everyone has 24 hours per day—no more and no less. However, with the same amount of time, some people accomplish far more than others. They seem to have everything under control. Having completed most of the essential things in their daily to do list, they can still have fun with friends and family. 

How do they manage to do that? Well, there is nothing special about these people. They are ordinary people with ordinary skills just like everyone else. What makes them different is how they choose to spend their time. 

When you develop insight into the daily choices that set highly effective people apart, you can make simple changes to be more like them. It all begins with asking the right questions.

Ask the following questions to uncover ways you can make better use of your workday:

1. When are you most productive? 

This isn’t the same part of the day for everyone. If you are most productive in the morning, schedule critical tasks that require high concentration in the early part of the work day. Later in the day, when you are not at your top performance, it’s better to schedule tasks that do not need much concentration. Routine, low-pressure tasks might include checking and answering your emails, doing clerical work, or organizing your desk and files.

2. Are the items in your "to do" list important?

Stephen Covey clearly defines the difference between urgency and importance: “We spend time in one of four ways, depending on the two factors that define an activity: urgent and important. Urgent means it requires immediate attention. Urgent things act on us and are usually visible. A ringing phone is urgent. Importance, on the other hand, has to do with results. It contributes to our mission, values and high-priority goals. We react to urgent matters. Important matters that are not urgent require more initiative, more proactivity.”(4) 

When planning your day, prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. Ignore or delegate urgent matters that are not an important part of your job performance or business goals. 

3. When performing an assignment, what tasks you should focus on first?

According to Pareto’s Law, 80% of what you accomplish results from 20% of your effort. Focusing on high-yield activities allows you to accomplish more. Address the essence now, the cosmetic can come later. If you are reporting to a manager, make sure you are in agreement about needs vs. wants.

4. Are you using the best method available to complete your task?

Some organizations have their own standard procedures for certain activities. You may also have developed your own methods that have become habits over the years. But changes in business policy, technology, and other factors can create new opportunities for saving time. Review your approach periodically so that you can identify ways to work more efficiently. 

5. Is the task worth your time, or is delegation the right choice?

Occasionally, a task does not need your expertise or skills. It can be done by anyone. For example, formatting and printing a document can be done by anyone who knows how to use Microsoft Word?. The task is simple, yet can be time consuming. Delegating this type of assignment to your number two or an intern allows you to concentrate on other, more relevant tasks. 

Delegate the right way—don’t micromanage. Instead, support your subordinates in taking full responsibility for their assignments. Make sure they understand the desired outcome and have the resources needed to accomplish each task. This approach may take a little more effort up front, but it will save time in the long run.

6. Is having a meeting necessary?

Meetings are a huge time suck if they aren’t carefully controlled. Don’t call a meeting unless it is truly essential (for example, to determine next action steps). Create and distribute an agenda in advance and stick to the agenda during the meeting. The agenda should list more than the topics for discussion. It should outline the decisions that must be reached during the meeting. For even greater efficiency, use the agenda itself as a template for the minutes.

Take Control, but Be Flexible

To sum up, time management is about planning your daily activities to ensure effective use of your resources. It matches your tasks to your time slots based on the nature of your tasks and your capacity. Of course, flexibility is just as vital as self-discipline and focus since no plan is perfect. Follow your plan with a focused mind and accept change as it happens. Deal with changes creatively and try to avoid wasting time second-guessing yourself when something unexpected happens. Adjust your plan and move forward.

Facing and Conquering Deadlines

Imagine a business world without deadlines. In this environment a project and related assignments are created, but nobody knows when everything will be completed. Each team member works at his or her own pace. The highly motivated and engaged accomplish their work as fast as they can without sacrificing quality. After successful delivery, they start looking for new projects to work on. Meanwhile, the less motivated (and disengaged) take their sweet time with little thought for how their lackadaisical approach affects the outcome of the project. Those who care but are ineffective at time management get lost in trying to make everything perfect. By the time the task is completed, the value of the final product has decreased. The requirements have changed or there are now better solutions available. 

The thought of that type of chaos is probably enough to make you glad that deadlines exist. In fact, deadlines keep a business going. Time limits put an organization “on its toes.” In today's fast-changing world, businesses have to keep up with the pace to survive. Changes in user demand and technology applications are among the main variables that contribute to the environment of the business world. Late adoption and failure to adapt can spell disaster.

A business with the ability and discipline to meet deadlines has the greatest chance of success. An organization that is reliable and keeps its promises gains a reputation for reliability in the marketplace. The same is true for individual professionals. Those who meet their due dates for work assignments the majority of the time earn trust and are rewarded with greater responsibility and authority. Meeting deadlines is also beneficial for teams. When a project is completed on or before its scheduled completion time, everybody involved feels a sense of pride over a job well done.

Employers and employees feel satisfied, and so do their clients or customers. The results are greater productivity, better morale, increased earning potential, stronger teams, good customer relations, more business opportunities, and a positive brand image.

Tips for Setting and Meeting Deadlines

When you set a deadline with your manager or supervisor, make sure you have a clear agreement on two things:

1. The required completion date

2. The desired outcome

Without clarity on these two points, you have no target and it is impossible to hit the mark. Ask as many questions as necessary to identify the priorities for the assignment or project. It’s also very helpful to have an agreement in writing (even if it’s just an email message thread) so that everyone’s expectations are clear.

Here are three simple action tips to ensure you meet your deadlines.

#1 Be Organized

Keep and arrange your data and tools systematically. You will save time and experience less stress since you won’t have to hunt for what you need. At the most basic level, it’s very helpful to maintain an uncluttered work environment. Keep your desk, drawers and filing cabinets, vehicle, and briefcase tidy. Begin and end the day with a clean desk.

Choose systemizing tools and technology that complement the way you naturally tend to work. The cloud is one good example since it allows you to access your data, email, and documents anytime from any location. With continual access, you can be productive throughout the day and not just when you are at your desk. There is less unwanted downtime. You can also collaborate with teammates more efficiently since everyone has access to the most recent version of data.

#2 Assemble Your Tools before You Start Work

Interruptions during work are notorious for destroying productivity. It takes time and effort to get back “in the zone.” To avoid creating your own interruptions, apply the mise en place principle to your work area. The best literal translation of mise en place I came up with from the French is putting into place, or, putting everything into its proper place. This is the routine that best gourmet chefs follow to prepare their food preparation area before the actual cooking begins. 

At a workstation, arranging your space in advance may mean placing all frequently used items in a top drawer that can be reached without bending, stooping, twisting, or stretching. An ergonomic workstation is one that has everything you need close at hand. For digital work, mise en place might include ensuring all necessary files and research materials are downloaded and placed in a folder before starting on a report.

#3 Apply the A-B-C-D-E Time Management Rule

Something Brian Tracy refers to, if you fail to prioritize, it’s easy to get caught up in activities that are not essential. Once you have broken up an assignment into daily milestones, prioritize tasks to ensure that what matters most gets your best effort and undivided attention. Assign a letter to each task using the following formula. 

1. A Tasks: you must do and that are very important. There will be serious negative consequences if they are not completed by a certain deadline. (Do these first, preferably during the part of the day when you are most focused and productive. Be flexible and allow extra time for these tasks in case you run into obstacles.)
2. B Tasks: you should do and that are important. There will be minor negative consequences if they are not completed within a minimum set time. (Commit to doing these tasks on a set schedule or as they arise—after the Class A tasks have completed.)
3. C Tasks: which are nice to do. They are not particularly necessary and there will be no negative consequences if they are not completed by a particular deadline—or if they are not done at all. (Schedule these tasks for your least productive times of day.)
4. D Tasks: that you can delegate. (Learn how to delegate effectively and to leverage the talents and skills of others to distribute your workload.)
5. E Tasks: that you can eliminate. (Although these tasks might be enjoyable, they don’t really add value. Let them go.)

Additionally:

Learn to Love the List

Be empowered by your to do list. Remember that your attitude has a huge impact on your effectiveness. A well-planned, organized, and properly prioritized to do list is not something to view with dread. It is actually one of the most useful tools for ensuring that you reach your desired outcomes on a daily basis. For even better results, turn your to do list into action items that go in your calendar. Creating these “mini-deadlines” encourages you to stay on track. 

Say NO More Often

In a quest to be helpful and well-liked, it’s easy to take on too much at work. This is different than being proactive in taking on new assignments for career advancement. Saying “yes” to every request regardless of its importance will reduce your ability to perform well. There will never be an end to work, so there will eventually come a time when you have to say, “I can’t take on more.” It is wiser to do this when your workload is still manageable rather than waiting until you fall behind. 

Often, the demands of others seem urgent. However, upon closer investigation it becomes evident that what they are requesting is only urgent to them. When you learn to consistently decline low-priority tasks in a firm and kind manner, fewer people will place unreasonable demands on your time.

Stay Balanced

Schedule short breaks from work at regular intervals. You will be more productive if you have periods of rest between episodes of intense concentration. Remember that quality matters as much as quantity. Recharging your mental batteries is vital for maintaining top quality in your work.

Meet Catrin

Catrin was a community care assistant. Her job involved assisting elderly people with personal requirements such as feeding and personal care, thereby enabling them to remain living in their own homes. She had a set number of clients to visit on a twice daily basis and traveled from one client’s home to the next. She always arrived for her first appointment on time but reached all subsequent clients late. 

This was a financially undesirable outcome for Catrin since she was paid for a fixed number of hours per shift. On the average shift, she worked at least an hour over her paid time. Her relationship with clients also suffered as a result of her time management problems. Although she always attended to every client, complaints were made regarding her tardiness. 

Coaching Catrin 

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) was a very helpful approach for Catrin. In her coaching sessions, the first order of business was uncovering Catrin’s values—her inner motivational driving forces. Values are a core concept in NLP. When values are defined, prioritizing the allocation of resources (such as time) becomes easier. Catrin was encouraged to identify her values and review and assess them regularly to ensure these values were being expressed in action. 

Where Does the Time Go?

Undoing limiting and erroneous beliefs about time was the next step. Time is a resource that a lot of people don’t really know how to handle because they don’t have insight into how they are spending it—or why. Catrin was spending a lot of time talking to her clients and running extra errands trying to be as helpful as she could. She truly believed that she did not have time to complete her assigned duties during her shift. It was time to take a look at how the resource of time was being spent. 

Catrin had “no time for” mundane and seemingly unrewarding tasks such as traveling between appointments. However, she had time in her day for more immediately gratifying activities such as chatting with a client about a TV program, playing with a client’s dog, or going out for lunch instead of eating the lunch she had already packed. Catrin often felt she was being kind in taking time to do the little extra things her clients wanted. But in reality, she was selling everyone short. 

Catrin needed to control her internal representations. This was accomplished using the NLP Mapping Across technique. Specific exercises were used to clearly link pleasant associations with good time management habits. Conversely, unpleasant associations were attached to time wasting activities. With these new associations in place, appropriate behaviors were instantly rewarded with good feelings—strongly incentivizing desirable actions in alignment with Catrin’s values.

Catrin's Coaching Outcomes 

Catrin loved the approach of NLP and implemented it very successfully in her life. In Catrin’s opinion, her biggest achievement was learning to say “no” both to herself and to others. As a result, she was able to effectively prioritize and better manage her time.

Meet Alistair

Alistair was a 25 year old journalist working on a freelance basis. He contributed regularly to both local and national newspapers. Unfortunately, he found it incredibly challenging and even overwhelming to keep up with the fast moving industry. His talent and his ability to source information and compile the articles were not in question. But in his quest to chase the big stories, he often left polishing up the final articles until the very last moment. As a result, his articles were frequently passed up in favor of the content of other reporters who turned in finished work earlier. An inability to meet deadlines was having an impact on his income potential and holding his business back.

Coaching Approach 

Alistair was clearly passionate about his work, but it was obvious that he needed to brush up his organizational skills and learn to prioritize. He was focusing too much energy on quantity and not enough on quality. As a result, he was rushing his final copy to meet deadlines.

Coaching began with a clarification of precisely the direction Alistair wanted to take his business. Making a respected name for himself within the industry and achieving and maintaining his desired income level emerged as top priorities. On his current path, this was not going to happen. Alistair needed to reframe his approach.

The Mental Bank Program, developed by Dr. John Kappas, was very helpful in transforming Alistair’s approach to work. This program effectively utilizes the power of the subconscious mind to reprogram one’s life script. The subconscious mind cannot differentiate between reality and that which is vividly imagined. When a visualization or mental script is created, the information goes into the subconscious mind as if it were real. Creating a new mental reality has a profound effect on behavior.

Once Alistair grasped the theory of mind and its fundamental principles, it was time to explore the boundaries of his “comfort zone.” The conscious goals that Alistair desired to reach were identified, a Mental Bank Contract was created, and value and bonus events were defined. In this contract, Alistair agreed to pay himself specific dollar amounts from his mental bank as a powerful psychological incentive to focus on revenue generating activities—such as hitting deadlines so that his work could be published and he could be paid in real dollars.

Alistair's Coaching Outcomes 

Alistair has been using the Mental Bank Program for just over three months, he now has no difficulty in reaching his deadlines and his work is being published more frequently. The overall quality of his journalism has improved significantly and he has been offered a permanent position within a regional news publication. His income has seen a sharp increase. As a result, he has redefined his goals within the Mental Bank Program to aim even higher. He continues to use this program within his business and personal life.  

What can I do next ... right now ... and I don't have to pay for it?

A repeat exercise from the first article. Until you don't change, everything around you is a reflection of your inner state.

1.WHAT: develop a fertile mind that's able to consistently sustain excellence in the working environment.

2. HOW? Two steps:

• (Step 1) download My Positive Affirmations in 30 Days from SlideShare.
• (Step 2) recite it to yourself, twice a day, for 30 days (first thing in the morning, last thing at night before sleep). Takes only 15-20 minutes in the morning and evening to do so.

3. WHY?: Because you're here on LinkedIn to succeed in business. And you will! But, I can't do it for you. Nobody can. I share what made others successful ... and continue doing so. Your mental house needs to be robust to withstand gales, earthquakes and tornados.

#Business | #Success | #Leadership | #Tips | #Influencer | #Entrepreneur | #Time | #Management  

Bibliography

1. Brian Tracy, Action Strategies for Personal Achievement

2. Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People