"Time is what we need the most and what we use the least." Benjamin Franklin
I asked a potential client if he had received my e-mail sent out four days ago. He replied, "I've been swamped." When we visited at his office, I had the opportunity to meet one of the most stressed out and over-loaded people I'd seen for a long time. And most of it was his own doing! Of course he took a while to accept that fact until I showed him just a couple of things he did during our meeting which caused his problem.
About ten minutes into the meeting, his administrative assistant walked in and asked him to remind his friend at Kiwanis the next day to return the PowerPoint projector because they'll need it for the 3pm meeting on Friday. He said, "Sure", asked her about something else - which developed into a four-minute conversation - apologized to me, and tried to remember what he was saying before the interruption. He answered his phone three times, and agreed later that he didn't need to take the calls right there and then. It was just a habit.
So, instead of planning the customer service seminar we'd discussed, we decided to postpone it in favor of a workshop on managing time and stress. You can't give great customer service if you're not managing your time effectively.
What are some time stealers, and what can you do about them?
1. Playing it by ear ? without a plan. If you start out your day at the office or the factory not knowing the first thing you're going to do, you are setting yourself up to have your time pre-empted by others. Take a few minutes at the end of your day to determine the three or four priority actions to be taken next day. Firm up the one you're going to start with ? and make it one that is high priority.
2. Procrastination We tend to put off doing those things we know are important but are not exciting enough to get us motivated. Visualize the expected result from doing something important that you've been putting off. This morning, starting at 7am I decided to follow my own advice about procrastination, and I spent a very profitable hour and a half re-organizing the scattered files in my office into the filing cabinet - to free up desk space and reduce the tension that often comes from having many objects of work in your line of vision.
3. Activity versus Action. Do you spend more time involved in activities than in action? It happens often when I'm writing. While searching for background material, I often get sidetracked by an interesting piece of information or another article. Other "activities" might include watching TV, reading a trade magazine, talking on the telephone about nothing in particular, surfing the Net, or reading the mail ? especially junk mail.
The only way to control this is to stay focused. I have a sign in my office that says "I MUST DO THE MOST PRODUCTIVE THING POSSIBLE AT EVERY GIVEN MOMENT." I got this idea from the sales trainer and motivational speaker, Tommy Hopkins.It helps.
Learn to say NO! People avoid saying NO because they don't want to offend, they're afraid of letting someone down, or they're worried what others might think about them. Try this:
a. Say firmly and without hesitation, "I'm sorry I can't do (whatever they're asking you to do) today."
b. Give a reason, "because I'm working on this project which has to be finished before Friday"
c. Offer an alternative, "You may want to check with Stephanie, I think she's got some free time this week, now that the budget is finished.
John Madden is an international speaker, trainer, and author of "Leap, Don't Sleep" (How to get different results by doing something different). He specializes in customer service, coaching skills for managers, stress management through humor, creative problem solving, and interpersonal skills. You can reach him at 316-689-6932 or 1-800-301-2924; email at john@leapdontsleep.com; web site: john@leapdontsleep.com
efficient cleaning crew Lake Forest ..?busy, busy, busy, busy, busy?busy, busy, bus? OK, slap me... Read More
Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More
Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life... Read More
Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More
Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More
To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More
Whether you're a new business owner or if you have... Read More
Many of us get so caught up in day-to-day pressures... Read More
So What Then Is The Opposite Of Procrastination? Urgency is... Read More
What would be your reaction if someone said to you... Read More
"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to... Read More
Women's health issues often are focused on goals to reach:... Read More
If you have spent any time at all working at... Read More
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More
As the song goes, this is the time to relax,... Read More
When is the best time to plan your day? Well,... Read More
Microsoft wanted to know how individuals around the world were... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
"At my back I always hear time's winged chariot hurrying... Read More
1. Do tasks less frequentlyClean house every 10 days rather... Read More
Time - it is the one thing that we are... Read More
Choose to be HappyHappiness is a choice. You can choose... Read More
If you work from home, you know the kind of... Read More
There are two ways to start your day. The first... Read More
Are you obsessed with getting everything just right? Do you... Read More
green cleaning service Deerfield ..Of all the Attraction Principles, the most popular class I... Read More
Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More
"At my back I always hear time's winged chariot hurrying... Read More
Tring ? Tring the alarm rings?but did you fail to... Read More
Whether you're a new business owner or if you have... Read More
One of the most challenging aspect in life is time... Read More
Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
"How do you DO it?!" If I had a dime... Read More
Many of the clients I work with in success coaching... Read More
PROCRASTINATION: You've known about it since high school or college,... Read More
I have a habit of sending a thank you letter... Read More
Would you describe yourself as extremely busy? Do you often... Read More
It's been said, "That no one has enough time yet,... Read More
Many of us spend long hours at our desk. To... Read More
If I had a dollar or even better a pound... Read More
Hey - Did someone press the FFW button?Have you ever... Read More
Years ago clients would tell me they could not identify... Read More
Most of us have a to-do list ? some of... Read More
Do you believe that the best way to deal with... Read More
It is not enough if you are busy. The question... Read More
All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are... Read More
Such an innocuous little phrase, yet when you are hard... Read More
Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you... Read More
As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More
"Time is what we need the most and what we... Read More
Time Management |