Time Investment to optimize your productivity - part 2

Task Management
IS Possible (To-Do’s)

Last
Updated:
Task Name Task Desc Priority Start End Status State Contingency Owner Contributor(s)
What you
need to get
done.
Provide a detailed
description.
1-3
What’s
currently
happening.
In-progress,
pending,
completed,
on-hold,
other.
Things that
may prevent
completion.
Who
owns
Person/people
that are
responsible for
contributing to
the task’s
completion.

 Step 1: Collect all tasks to be managed
whether it's urgent or not, big or small, personal
or professional.
 Step 2: Prune it. For all items, decide whether
you need to tackle it or not.
 Step 3: Organize and Prioritize:
• Review all projects and actions, and group together.
• Prioritize based on importance.
• Insert your projects into your Action Plan
Action Program

CATEGORY TASK PRIORITY
Launch new pipe
system
Research market 1
Develop pricing 2
Create project plan 2
Study for MBA Research MBA programs 1
Speak with employer about
getting funding
2
Recruit new PE Get town funding approval 1
Place job description on job
boards
2
Obtain resumes, screen,
schedule interviews
2

 Type 1: None!
 Type 2: Maximum: Be on the lookout! The
bomb WILL go off, your boss may be a laissez-
faire manager but things may come crashing
down.
 Type 3: No flexibility and complete flexibility
AT THE SAME TIME. You earned your flexibility
but earning it means making yourself
indispensable so others won’t always respect
these boundaries.
Work-Life: 3 Types

Your 2 Options:
Work MORE hours LESS
efficiently or…
Work LESS hours MORE
efficiently
More Time in the Day

• Be me-th-od-ic-al.
• Establish routines and stick with
them…except when you DON’T/CAN’T!
• Assign clearly defined roles and
responsibilities.
• Keep records…and keep them UPDATED.
• Schedule time to do the work you HATE.
• Expect/embrace the unexpected.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupPlan…Plan…Plan

Adjust to Shifting
Priorities and Demands

• Be prepared to TOSS ASIDE your plan.
• Act on your GUT FEELING when a brilliant
idea hits you.
• Don’t OVER-ANALYZE.
• Research only takes you SO FAR.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupEmbrace The…Unexpected

Long Live The Pareto Principle
• Vilfredo Pareto: Italian Economist, Sociologist
• Mathematical Formula Created In 1906 to
Explain Uneven Income Distribution In
Switzerland
• Today Known as “80/20 Rule”
– 1940s: Dr. Joseph Juran proved “In nearly all
cases, a few (20 percent) are vital and many
(80 percent) are trivial.
– Universality: Can be Applied Equally to Any Endeavor
(Business, Academia, AND Career Center Goals!)
– 20% of Your Clients Create 80% Business
– 20% of Your Clients Place 80% of Orders
– 20% of Your Work Takes Up 80% of
Your Time!

 Focus on the tasks and projects that
have the greatest (80%) impact.
 Don’t sweat the SMALL stuff.
 Remove all the items at the bottom
of your task list that will not get done.
 Review your goals and the rewards
of doing tasks on time while making
any/all needed adjustments.
Applying 80/20 to Time

www.kitces.com/blog/best-practices-in-time-management-productivity-tips-for-financial-advisors

 In our brains multi-tasking is managed by
“mental executive functions”.
 Two stages to MEFs:
• Goal Shifting (decide to do one thing instead of
another); and
• Role Activation (changing from the rules for the
previous task to rules for the new task).
Multitasking

 Switching between these can reduce
productivity by as much as 40%.
 When we focus on two tasks simultaneously
each side of the brain tackles a different task.
 The human brain isn’t built to multi-task.
Multitasking

 Establishes Trust
 Hire Stars, Then Build Stars
 Cross-Train
 Coaching & Mentoring
 PMPs
Delegation…WHY to

 What’s the BEST use of YOUR time (choose
WHAT to delegate)
 Can someone else do it better (choose whose
best to delegate to.)
 Do you have enough time to delegate?
 Will this task recur again?
 Is this a task that I should delegate?
 Avoid the boomerang (No “backsies”)
WHEN/HOW to Delegate

1.Set goals that motivate you.
2.Set Goals the RIGHT way.
3.Put your goals in writing.
4.Make an Action Plan.
5.Stick with it!
Goal-Setting in 5 Steps

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timed
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupRethink SMART Objectives

The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupStretch Goals

The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupGoldilocks Goals

The 3 Fallacies of
Goal-Setting.

1.Goals encourage employees to
perform better;
2.Goals help track progress;
3.Goals help evaluate people’s
performance.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin Group3 Fallacies of Goals

Gain Sanity:
Stop Doing
STUPID Stuff!

The
Meeting
Speaking of
stupid…

 Meet your people 1:1 every day.
 Do they have what they need?
 Feedback always reinforces what they do well.
 Let your people determine the agendas you get
“final say.”
 If you don’t “own” the process re-architect it.
If you gotta meet…

 The fallacy of the EFFICIENCY
paradigm.
 Don’t try to keep cramming MORE
stuff onto your schedule.
 Focus on those things that matter
most to you.
 Map your goals and objectives to
your life values.
Sanity From Your Schedule

 Take a MINIMALIST approach
instead.
 Refocus on your priorities. Life’s
about doing LESS MORE EFFECTIVELY.
 Be an “EDITOR” and remove the
stuff that does NOT ADD VALUE! Get
rid of all the non-essential stuff.
Sanity From Your Schedule

“The bad news is time flies.
The good news is you’re the
pilot.” Michael Altshuler

 Harvest
 Fanurio
 Chrometa
 iTimeSheet
 OnTheJob
 Qlockwork
 Rachota Timetracker
Time Tracking Apps

 8aweek
 Toggl
 Slife
 TimeSprite
 RescueTime
 MeeTimer
Time Tracking Apps

“Your work is
going to fill a large
part of your life,
and the only way
to be truly
satisfied is to do
what you believe is
great work...”

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda
All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' in the sun,
Talkin' bout the things
They woulda-coulda-shoulda done...
But those Woulda-Coulda Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little did.
Shel Silverstein

Time Investment to optimize your productivity - part 2

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Time Investment to optimize your productivity - part 2