Are your meetings geared to results?
A recent international study by Priority Management revealed that 38% of people felt results and follow-up from meetings are rarely communicated and that 23% of meetings fail to start or end on time. Dan Stamp, Chairman of Priority Management Inc recently offered some "Golden Rules" to help guide meeting effectiveness. read more
Take Ownership of Your Own Stress!
People everywhere are worrying about their savings, their careers and the future. So this is probably a good time to talk about taking control of your own stress levels. Dan Stamp provides some practical suggestions ... read more
Technology can enslave or liberate, depending on how we use it
EMAIL is the biggest time-waster in business and nobody's doing anything about it," says Michael Keaton, general manager Lego ANZ. Clearly he doesn't know Priority Management! read more
Coaching for Improved Performance
Do you ever hear you supervisors and managers saying ... “We need to spend more time working with team” ... “Some people come back after training and make changes – others just go back to what they were doing before” ... read more
Training your way out of the recession
Investing in your staff will improve productivity and save you money. Recent studies have confirmed investing in training your people not only saves money but is more effective than shopping around for talent. read more
Technology Interruptions Eroding Productivity
Tips on how workers can manage technology, and not let it manage them.
Workplace productivity is being eroded by constant technology-based interruptions because people don't know how to manage it properly.
Office workers' attention is being diverted every three minutes by answering the phone, being alerted to an incoming email, responding to an alert on their BlackBerry, reacting to an instant message, or clicking on internet-based distractions such as YouTube or Facebook. These distractions consume much as 28% of an average knowledge workers' day (Basex research).
As we receive more and more e-mail messages and other technology-based interruptions, it can feel like being hit by a digital deluge Without the skills to manage e-mail and other devices effectively, many people are wasting time just trying to keep up instead of gaining productivity through technology.
These tactics for distraction management can significantly increase your productivity:
1. Turn off the alarm or visual alerts You wouldn't let the postman empty a mailbag on your desk 50 times a day and you certainly wouldn't let them ring a bell with each delivery. That's exactly what you are doing if you check each e-mail when it arrives. Turn off the alarm or visual alert and take control of your e-mail and your time.
2. Learn how to turn off or manage alerts on mobile devices As more and more people synchronize their phones and mobile devices they are being distracted by email alerts, meeting reminders at all sorts of inconvenient times. These alerts can ensure you are being distracted at home as well as work!
3. Treat e-mail like regular mail Try to check your e-mail at regular times in the day, i.e. early morning, mid-day and late afternoon. Even if you receive a high volume of e-mails, you shouldn't check more than four times a day. Checking email regularly can give you a very busy feeling but it is deceptive as it is unlikely you are focusing on your key priorities.
4. Take control of your in-box Subscribe to e-mail services selectively. Ask friends or colleagues who frequently send jokes or huge files to stop. Get a separate e-mail address for personal communication or one that you give just to key contacts, similar to an unlisted phone number. Set up rules to automatically delete or file low priority emails.
5. Focus on your priorities Commit 10 -15 minutes each day to plan for the next day. Ensure as part of this process you make "appointments with yourself" to focus on key priorities and projects.
E-mail, mobile devices, instant messaging and the like can save businesses considerable time and money, but managing these tools is a skill that's just as important to acquire as other essential time management skills such as communication, planning and prioritizing. Click here to learn how to work smart.