Time management

This was an interesting article (http://bit.ly/fWgenI) I saw a while ago: Can Franklin Covey transform a stressed editor who eats too many lunches at her desk into an efficient time manager?


I’ve been working at implementing GTD for about a year and a half now. I finally updated my work email box this past week with AMAZING results. I was trying to manage email this year by keeping the info from 2010 and before always on my screen – making sure it didn’t fall completely off the bottom of the page. By mid-February, I was failing miserably.


This week, I took the plunge. I took everything from 2010 (and before) and put it in an “older email” folder to go through at a later time. I then set up three folders: “A tasks”, “B tasks”, and “C tasks”. It’s a modification of what Allen and Covey do, but so far it works for me. A tasks are ones that help accomplish my work goals for the year – the ones I’m measured on. The B tasks are tasks I need to get done, but they aren’t as important as the A tasks. And the C tasks are the emails that I’d just like to read or peruse deeper when I have time.


I only process email a couple times a day. I either file the ones I have no action to take into the appropriate project folders or I put them into one of the A-B-C folders. Then I work mostly from the A tasks folder. So far, I have been able to keep that folder down to a minimum of emails in it.


The BEST part of this system is that when I open up my inbox, it’s usually empty. While that would make others envious if they saw it empty, it’s more for me than anyone else. I have a great sense of accomplishment by having an empty inbox 3-4 times per day. It’s a great feeling and makes you motivated to get those other folders empty, too! I’ll keep reporting back over the months to say how it’s worked out so far.



Enhancing I.T. relationships

Mike Auzenne: This article (http://j.mp/eNIs31) struck me as being very close to our thoughts on improving IT performance by focusing more on relationships.


So very true. It’s about communication:


– Build a case: Make sure to communicate what you want and why you want it. Additionally, show how it will help the business. Show how it will also help the person that you are requesting help from. Try to think about the effects on their job and mitigate those risks early on.


– Listening: When you get requests, try to understand why they person wants the solution and what problem they are trying to solve. Together, you might not put their request through – you might put something through that is easier, better, and less expensive to accomplish. Win-wins are the best solutions!


Communication is the key

  • John Maxwell (http://goo.gl/fb/wndCJ): Don’t use a hammer to swat a fly off someone’s head.


I find this useful. I’ve been working at using these techniques for quite some time, before I saw them in John’s posting. Very insightful. Good to have the validation from others that I’m working on the right things about myself.


Goals…

  • A dream without a timeline is just a wish. – Ed Martin

  • People follow people who move. Don’t just maintain. – Ed Martin

  • If Ambition means wanting to get ahead of others, then it’s bad. If it means wanting to do a thing well then it’s good. – CS Lewis
  • 
If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. – Thomas Edison


Relationships matter…

  • Want to Win with People? Encourage the Dreams of Others. – John Maxwell

  • Trust [people] & they will be true to you; treat them greatly & they will show themselves great. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
  • 
Being unable to help thousands of hurting people never excuses me from helping the one next to me. – Rick Warren
  • 
You have to be little to belittle. -John Murphy
  • 
You may be right but don’t choose correctness now over long-term effectiveness later.
  • 
”The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”” http://read.ly/Gal5.14.NIV
  • 
You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. – James D. Miles
  • 
Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day. – Sally Koch
  • 
Maybe everyone else isn’t an ‘extra’ in our play. Maybe we’re extras in their play. – Steve Daugherty


My Musings, Quotes, and other information