it’s about time: managing your most precious resource planned giving council of houston annual...
TRANSCRIPT
It’s About Time: Managing Your Most Precious Resource
Planned Giving Council of Houston Annual Conference, April 23, 2015
Anne T. Melvin, Director of Training and Education, Harvard University
Who has the time?
Anton Chekhov
“If you want to have no time, just do nothing”
Anne’s uncle
“If you want to get something done, give it to the busiest person you know”
Outline
• Work smarter, not harder
• Know thyself: The Five Time Work Styles
• The 27-hour day: tips and tricks to wring more time out of your day
Work SMARTER, not harderRule #1: The Professor’s Jar
The Professor’s Jar
Work SMARTER, not harderRule #2: the matrix
Work smarter, not harder: Stephen Covey Matrix
Work SMARTER, not harderRule #3: email
Work smarter, not harder
Work SMARTER, not harderRule #4: the ‘anti-gym’ rule
The upside of going to the gym….
The downside of going to the gym….
Work SMARTER, not harderRule #5: Time is fungible. So fung it!
Work SMARTER, not harder
Rule #6: Newton’s Third Law of Work: Work expands to fill the time that is allotted to it.
Nike Corollary: Just do it.
Work SMARTER, not harderRule#7: Sophie’s choice
How do you make Sophie’s Choice?
The five time work styles
Time work style #1: The “Cliff-hanger”
• Needs deadlines
• Doesn’t get started until deadline looms
• Does things last minute
• Fast and furious - caffeine-charged all-nighters
• Nip-and-tuck until the end
• Can be brilliant when
it’s done!
Helpful hints for the “Cliff-hanger”
• Don’t wait for inspiration to strike before starting the task
• Make ‘fake’ deadlines earlier than real Give yourself the luxury of procrastinating – but only with small tasks and deadlines
Time work style #2: The “Marinator”
• Gathers lots of information and inputs before making a decision
• Likes to “sleep on it” for a couple of nights
• Well thought out decisions• Team can follow confidently
Helpful hints for the “Marinator”
• Break down decisions into small steps with individual deadlines
• Use ranking system when comparing a number of alternatives – make pros and cons and explicitly weigh them.
• Pay attention to your gut instincts
• Make a deadline for the decision
Time work style #3: the “Perfectionist”
• Super high standards in everything
• “No one else can do it as well as I can”
• Wants to know all the details, work precisely and is highly organized
• Turns out error-free, excellent work-product
Helpful hints for the “Perfectionist”
• Check the bottom line: what’s really required?
• Say “NO” to new items that may cause overload
• Learn to delegate
• Retain projects you enjoy and only you can do
Time work style #4: The “Big picture thinker”
• Enjoys dealing with the overall picture
• Would rather formulate a plan than carry out the details
• Likes to move quickly and resists routine tasks
• Vision needed to lead organizations forward
• Thinks about the future
Helpful hints for the “Big picture thinker”
• Create simple basic routines
• Find someone to help you devise follow-up procedures and carry them out
• Improve your organization by writing things down, tacking up reminders and tracking assignments
Time work style #5: The “Hopper”
• “Energizer bunny”
• Enjoys variety and change of pace
• Likes to be busy, easily distracted
• Constantly multi-tasking
• Desires quick gratification
• Gets lots done
• Can throw any project at him/her
Helpful hints for the “Hopper”
• Slow down
• Do ONE task at a time until it’s finished. Only then move on to another
• Eliminate distractions and interruptions when possible
• Create more structure in your day
• Break down projects with mini-goals
The 27-Hour Day:
Tips and tricks to wring more time out of your day
Which mode of transportation
gets me to work faster?
The 27-Hour Day: Tip #2
NEWS FLASH!
• Don’t complain about how much work you have to do: DO YOUR WORK
• Don’t worry about how much work you have to do
• Organize, but not excessively
• Don’t clean your room/office
The 27-Hour Day: Tip #3
Handle paper ONCE
Handle paper ONCE
The 27-Hour Day: Tip #4
Laziness = Efficiency
Leave a problem alone long enough and eventually, it may go away or another person will solve it for you
The 27-Hour Day: Tip #5
Relax: work BETTER, not harder
Learn from those with ADHD: the road to hell is paved with the souls of those who multi-task.
Define: multi-tasking
Taking twice as long to do something poorly
The 27-Hour Day: Tip #6
Relax: work better, not harder…Meditate
• Improves focus and concentration
• Lowers stress levels
