Time:  Using It Wisely
By Bob Moore, CMC, MCC, The Effectiveness Coach®

Word Count:  350
Reading Time:  About 2 minutes

In the article entitled, What Are Your Points of Leverage?, I mentioned the classic book, The Effective Executive (1966) in which the late Peter Drucker pointed out, to be effective is to contribute to results and that effectiveness is a set of habits or practices.  I listed the five primary habits that effective executives and everyone attempting to contribute to results must master.  The first habit is Time:  Used wisely.  This article will focus on some of the major barriers and the solutions to using your time wisely.

Here is a list of the ten most commonly mentioned barriers to using time more wisely.

1. Interruptions
2. Procrastination
3. Telephone and Email
4. Routine activities
5. Lack of proper planning
6. Meetings
7. Gossiping, extra-socializing and coffee breaks
8. Others mistakes resulting in rework
9. The Boss
10. Multi-tasking

Which of these present a particular challenge for you personally?  Then, ask yourself the following questions to uncover possible solutions:

• Who are you allowing to steal your time?
• Who energizes you and helps you optimize your time use?
• When are you best and worst at using your time wisely?
• Where, under what circumstances are you most challenged in the use of your time?
• Why are you in control or not in control of your time use?
• What kinds of activities absorb you in productive and unproductive uses of your time?

Now, apply your answers to the top two or three barriers that present a special challenge for you.

Interruptions are the most often mentioned barrier.  Research shows that interruptions like the telephone, drop-in visitors, or anything that breaks your concentration or the continuity and uniformity of an activity account for over 25% of lost time.  Many have successfully established a “Do Not Disturb” time during which nothing short of a major emergency will get you off task. I encourage you to test this idea for a week.  Then, send me an email ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and let me know how this exercise worked for you. Also visit and comment at my LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bobmoorecmc

Enthusiastically,

Bob

Bob Moore, CMC®, President
Effectiveness, Inc/The Effectiveness Coach®
Aligning Human Capital with Strategic Objectives

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