We all know that procrastination is the thief of time, but it doesnt have the monopoly. Complete this analysis of your own typical day and identify what or who is wasting your time - only then can you do something about it. To use this analysis:
First list out everything that happens in a typical day - if you want to be really strict with yourself then dont forget those chats over a cup of coffee with your colleagues at the drinks machine!! Then write down how long those activities take - Be honest!! - Youll only cheat yourself. Under column three identify those that someone else is capable of doing (dont worry about the logistics at this stage) and mark with an S. Annotate those activities that do not add value or positively contribute to your working day and mark those with a V - (we suggest the coffee chats go under this category!). All other activities which dont fall into the S or V categories should be valuable tasks which cannot be done by someone else; these should be marked as category E. Next total the three categories up S = V = E = Add the three together to give - W = Now the moment of truth. Using the following, work out what percentage of your time is being robbed. (S + V) / W x 100 =? ( _ = _ ) / _ x 100 = Finally ask yourself these questions: o Is the percentage acceptable? o Can I eliminate (through either delegation or self discipline) any of the time robbers? o Is there anything or anyone consistently abusing my time and if so, can I do something positive about it? I suggest that you complete this exercise from scratch every three months until youre completely sure your percentage is as low as you are ever going to get it. The moral right of the author, Jonathan Farrington, has been asserted. All rights reserved. This publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system or otherwise, unless this notification of copyright is retained. |
