I know you’re busy. You know you’re busy; but do all the people who send you mail in this digital age know you’re busy? Did anyone realize that when they chose to save you the trouble of receiving and opening all those envelopes and mailers, of days gone by, that it would take just as much time to open and read the emails they sent in their place? And then there is the telephone, voicemail, texts and of course those who matter most, the customers, clients and members, who stand at the door and knock in order to demand just a small portion of your time; time that stretches from one minute to 10 minutes to 30 minutes and beyond.
Where Does All The Time Go?
Busy as all that may sound, it doesn’t even include the “real” work – you know that which you’re actually in the business of doing. So what’s my point? My point is this. We spend minutes, hours, even days working on tasks that aren’t always at the core of our business. They are often the least important things, though they tend to catch our eye the quickest – the mounting paper piles, the unopened envelopes, the flashing voicemail indicator and the email notifications flashing across the bottom of the computer screen…talk about concentration killers!
From Madness to…
I remember some years ago, when I worked in employment. It was definitely a battle against order and clear thinking in my life. This was just before the digital age kicked in. My workload was horrendous. I would receive hundreds of applications and resumes to review EVERYDAY, 1/2 inch thick piles of messages every time I left the office for more than 10 minutes (and I frequently had to leave the office for more than 10 minutes) and I continually had to make multiple calls to each potential candidate to schedule not one, but two part interviews for as many people as I could fit on my calendar for the month to fill the 100+ job openings I had to fill. In addition, multiple managers called throughout the day to discuss employee relations concerns, most of which they deemed urgent. Ok, maybe you’re not impressed because you are unable to relate to a paper driven work life. Well the day did come when computers became more “personal,” PC applications were developed and utilized to make life easier in the working world, and telephones began to come with multiple user friendly functions, including voicemail! Job applications and resumes were electronically delivered with the widespread use of applicant tracking systems, fax machines and email were on the scene as well. So life was made simple and order was restored, right? Of course not. It was still madness!
Things Can Get Better
I know you want to know what book I read, what course I took or what spiritual revelation I received that brought the miracle of order into my life. I read the organizing articles – learned the importance of not touching papers more than once – they come in, you pick it up and decide where it belongs and put it there…you know file it, toss it or work on it but don’t shuffle it from pile to pile. I began to use an electronic calendar so I could keep track of personal appointments, church commitments and work appointments all in one place, instead of juggling multiple calendars. I used an outbox and an inbox on my desk and made sure I used them. That helped stop the multiple trips out of the office to deliver items to others before I forgot. I could take everything out at once using the “outbox”. I eliminated the stacks of individual message sheets and began using a message book to keep track of all voicemail messages in one place, which included date, time received, content of the message, outcome, i.e. whether I replied, if I LMTC-VM (left message to call – voicemail), LMTC-P (left message to call – person), etc. I was even given a shared assistant, who strictly served the employment team. I made sure she understood all aspects of my organizing activities that she would need to help me keep in step with my work volume and flow.
It Didn’t Stop There
Yes I got some good ideas and made some progress. I cannot say how long it took me to develop that much of a system but it was still not enough. With all that technology and innovation, I still needed the insight of a wise, experienced individual who cared enough to share their wisdom. There was such a person in the organization; a successful director, one of my internal customers, whom I admired for her ability to juggle multiple projects, tasks and problems while managing, an extremely large staff, staffing schedules, work assignments, quality assurance checks and more on a daily basis while still managing to stay on top of mail, messages, email and paperwork. She was the leader who never lost her notes, always came to meetings knowledgeable and prepared, completed projects on time and she ran a tight ship. But as tight as her ship was, she maintained dignity and respect among her team! Now that’s a leader worth following!
So I sat down with her and told her how overwhelmed I was. She knew. What she didn’t know was that I was ready to quit and say “forget this madness.” She showed me what she did and how she did it. She shared her methods and her mindset when it came to her work day and work week. And come what may, she did not deviate. When I left her office I had a plan. One I was excited about. It wasn’t reaching for the stars it was simply reaching a few short range goals that would help me breathe again.
Some of the simple rules and mindset changes she inspired me with:
- I set my schedule according to my professional needs and what I needed to accomplish.The first hour of every day was for making calls, checking morning messages. No more flying in the door turning on my office lights with my first appointment sitting in the waiting area or walking in with me.
- No appointments on the schedule until 9:00.
- I set a short window of time mid afternoon to check messages
- The last 60-90 minutes of each day was blocked to allow for checking messages, returning phone calls and scheduling appointments
- Every project started with a Manila folder or binder, if it was a bigger project, and a spec sheet describing a project overview, key participants and other details placed on the inside of the folder. Then everything related to the project was maintained in that folder and filed away nearest my workstation for easy access. Completed projects were filed away in another file cabinet further from my desk because the need to access it was much less frequent.
- Specific days were identified – Monday and Wednesday afternoons for example – for project work
- All of these designations were marked on my calendar so I would not deviate! It was colorful and eye-catching so it was hard to miss or ignore. My assistant knew the same drill and we both stuck to these specifications.
My Prayers Were Answered
There may have been more but you get the point. You don’t have to live in mass chaos. We’re all busy, some, more than others and some with more control over their schedules than others, but the fact remains that you can have less stress, less strain and greater productivity if you make a few smart tweaks to your schedule and your mindset. The above examples of practical ideas that I learned and implemented resulted in more productivity and greater quality in my work. I actually began to like the job and started to gain professional comfort and clarity in the role. I could actually “think” about what I was doing so I could do it well.
What I also realized was the value of my time. People will always demand time and attention. It’s up to you to decide how much, when and how you give it. I used to think my time was “their” time and that resulted in stress and chaos. Such thinking can mistakenly lead to allowing others too much latitude in governing my time. The reality? My time is my own. It is mine to govern and mine to share. I therefore must be thoughtful and intentional in how I choose to spend it. I believe those who are most accomplished in life are people who are careful in how they share the most important things – time, talent and treasure.
Closing Thoughts
Sometimes the productivity killers are not the things or the people around us but it is us and the way we do things…as so eloquently stated by the cartoon character Pogo in days of old, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” The answer to your chaos does exist, you just have to find it. It may be in the mind of the person in the neat cubicle next to us, the house next door or the organized office down the hall. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not a sign of weakness but a sign of wisdom.