Читать книгу Grow Your People, Grow Your Business - Karen Jett - Страница 9

In farming, timing is everything. A farmer analyzes seed germination time, and the time from germination to expected fruit maturity. By counting backwards in time, he figures out that if he wants to harvest ripe fruit in June, those tomato seeds need to go in the ground in January.

Between January and June, the farmer completes other tasks at specific times. The farmer knows that if he doesn’t prioritize these tasks properly, he will not meet his goal of harvesting tomatoes in June. He knows exactly what tasks need to be done, and in what order, so he can meet that goal. In other words, the farmer understands how to manage his time in order to be effective.

In the previous chapter, we talked about being efficient. Being efficient means accomplishing more in less time. But if you don’t combine effectiveness with efficiency, you may be accomplishing more stuff that just isn’t important. The farmer may be wonderfully efficient at cleaning his tools and doing maintenance on his tractors in January, but if he isn’t spending at least some of his time planning his field and planting tomato seeds, he won’t be effective at growing vegetables, let alone harvesting tomatoes, in June.

As a manager, you are no doubt inundated with a multitude of tasks, papers, calls, e-mails, memos and meetings. Some of these items are urgent; some are not. Some of these things are important; some are not.

I urge you to take time to evaluate the things you do on an average day. Each one should fit into one of four fields. The first field contains urgent and important things, such as unexpected crises, pressing problems, and looming deadlines.

The second field contains things that are not urgent, but are very important. Tasks such as prevention, relationship building, coaching staff, and planning and strategizing belong here.

Issues that are urgent, but not really important, comprise the third field. Interruptions, some calls, many e-mails, and other time-consuming tasks that others think are important, but have no real value, belong here.

The fourth field belongs to things that are neither urgent nor important. Frequently, these items are fairly pleasurable, but are often downright time wasters.

Take a few minutes now and think about your average day. Take each task and place it into the appropriate field below.

So, where are you spending the majority of your time?

Did you place anything in the fourth field? If so, why are you wasting time on these tasks? How can they be completely eliminated? If someone else views them as essential, can they be delegated? (Note, if the tasks truly are essential, they don’t really belong in the fourth field.)

How about the third field? Which tasks are urgent, but rather unimportant in the scale of things? Can any of these items be eliminated? If not, is it possible to delegate them? Or can you simply group them and deal with them more efficiently?

For example, if interruptions are a problem for you, consider scheduling closed-door time for yourself to maximize efficiency. An hour a day can make a huge difference in the amount you accomplish.

Alternatively, you can schedule time to meet with staff. Let them know that though you are available if needed between meetings, they should try to organize all their questions to ask at these meetings for maximum efficiency. When staff members do interrupt you, be sure to give them your undivided attention. Make them feel like at that moment nothing is more important than their needs. This will further encourage them to respect your time.

How many tasks did you place in the first field? If you are like most managers, this field is overflowing. Look at these tasks, especially the unexpected crises, and honestly assess how many of these issues could have been avoided. Could you — should you — have anticipated that this might occur? Could it have been completely avoided had you planned better?

Most managers spend the majority of their time in the first field. But time is much better spent in the second field, working on issues that are important, but not urgent. In fact, the more time you spend in the second field, the less time you will need to spend in the first field.

If you want to harvest tomatoes in June, you need to spend more time in the second field. And since no one has found a way to fit more than 24 hours into each day, the only way to spend more time in the second field is to spend less time in the other three fields. To spend less time in these fields, eliminate or delegate some of these tasks and become more efficient at those that remain.

Visit www.JettExcellence.com and complete the free survey “13 Ways to Do More in Less Time” to get additional tips that will enable you to spend more time in the second field.

Take a few minutes now to go back and look at your fields. Which tasks are you ready and able to eliminate? Which tasks are just asking to be delegated? Where can you work more efficiently? Which tasks can be minimized or eliminated by being more organized or planning ahead?

If you want tomatoes in June, are you ready to plant seeds in January? Have you counted back to figure out when key tasks must be completed? Are you spending more time in the second field?

Quick Tips to Grow Your People:

•Take an average day and place every activity into the appropriate field.

•Stop spending time in the fourth field by eliminating tasks that are unimportant and non-urgent.

•Minimize time spent in the third field by grouping or delegating tasks that are urgent but not very important.

•Evaluate how spending time in the second field can decrease the number of crises that appear in the first field and then follow through.

•Complete the free survey “13 Ways to Do More in Less Time” available at www.JettExcellence.com.