The following abstract article written by Stephanie Bernardo is from the September 1985 issue of SUCCESS.
"Hey, Jack, got a minute?"
These words, spoken by a fellow employee, are often a clue to run fast in the opposite direction, according to Dr. Larry Baker, president of the Time Management, Inc., in St. Louis. "Seemingly innocent 'one-minute conversations' can turn into a tremendous time waster in any executive's workday," Baker says. "It's like taking a $5 bill from the company till and putting a match to it."
"I'm not against socializing," says Baker, "but we can over-communicate. When you're working, you can't afford to be constantly interrupted. You have to be firm, and make sure that your work comes first. It's hard to break habits, but let me remind you of a Mark Twain quote: If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.'" Baker is clearly someone who thinks in terms of can. At 47, he is a much-sought after lecturer and consultant; he is also blind.
"If you shorten the average drop-in visit by a minute or two," continues Baker, "you could save your company thousands of dollars each year. How can you guard against these time thieves?
"It's unrealistic to think that you can spend the entire day undisturbed. One simple solution is to close your door. Another is to place your desk so that your back faces the doorway; this is sure to discourage casual visitors. To people who pop in and ask for a minute, if necessary simply say, 'It isn't convenient now, but I'll be glad to work with you if you can come back at ___.' This helps impress upon them the value of your time.
"Another effective approach is to stand up to greet the person who enters your office without an appointment. This way you can control the situation. It is rare that a visitor will make himself comfortable when his host is standing. Or you can try a more subtle approach and use phrases such as, 'Well, I guess we have a lot of work to finish,' or 'I don't want to take up any more of your time.' And as a last resort, there is always subterfuge. I know one person, for instance, who cut the front legs of his visitor's' chairs shorter than the rear. The slick plastic seats cause the person to slide forward, making him uncomfortable. As a result, most visits are quite short."
Cut the Weather Report
Some of these methods were recently covered in another time-management seminar, conducted by Peter Turla, director of the National Management Institute in Roanoke, Texas, and co-author of the book Time Management Made Easy. Another longtime foe of that most clamorous of time thieves is the telephone. "Did you ever get a long-distance weather report?" he asks the 50 executives who attended the seminar. "You know the kind. The person calls long distance to waste 20 minutes on small talk, before getting to the point. 'How's the weather up there? We've just had three solid weeks of rain down here ... .'"
To cut off these callers who are short on substance but long on wind, Turla suggests taking a positive but forceful approach. "When the caller identifies himself, immediately ask, 'What can I do for you?' And keep a repertoire of conversation-enders on hand: 'I'll get to that right now,' or 'I'd better let you go.'"
Directness, without question, is always the best approach when you become locked in a conversation with a boor who won't take a hint.
Learn How to Delegate
"If you can't delegate effectively," Turla stresses, "you aren't managing effectively. Delegating not only frees you to be more productive, it establishes you and your subordinates as a team. Delegating also forces you to become more organized; you have to have clearly defined objectives and deadlines. Don't be a would-be delegator. Instead of asking yourself, 'Can others do the job as well as I can?' ask, 'Can they do the job well enough?'"
"When handling paperwork, follow the four D's: Dump it, Delay it, Delegate it, or Do it! And when paper begins to accumulate, follow the G.U.T.S. principle: Give it away, Use it, Throw it away, or Sell it." Also, designate one of your lower desk drawers as a dump drawer, and into in dump items such as flyers, brochures and unimportant mail. Let them simmer for a month and then throw out.
"One approach to procrastination is the salami technique. Slice the assignment into a series of less threatening parts, giving each its own deadline. Take it a slice at a time. Also schedule 'rewards' for yourself: Once I finish this page of the report, I'll take a five-minute break."
The chattering visitor, the screeching phone, the groaning inbox - these are all familiar time thieves, but who is really your worst enemy? You, Turla says. Turla's advice: "Organize! And act! Do something! Babe Ruth was the home-run king. You can't hit the ball unless you swing the bat!"
