WorkMatters Tips Issue #28 – September 4, 2007
Publisher: Gayle Lantz mailto:lantz@workmatters.com
https://workmatters.com
WorkMatters, Inc.
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A quick tip to help leaders and executives who need to motivate their teams and themselves, and catapult their business.
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Protecting Your Time
Your time is valuable. If you’re like many of the leaders I work with, you think you need more time in a day to get things done.
No matter what your business concerns may be — whether you’re concerned about productivity, completing a project, meeting an important deadline, increasing billable hours or achieving specific business results — how you spend your time affects the outcome.
Some executives are chasing the latest time management system. Others seek out time management books, CDs or seminars to help them better manage their time. In many cases, the results are short-lived.
So what’s the real key? Clarity. Clarity about yourself and your priorities.
* Self clarity
The better you know yourself and your tendencies, the better you can master yourself. For example, if you know you like being responsive, you might answer the phone every time it rings. It may not necessarily be the best use of your time. You don’t have to do it, you just want to. Understanding why you do what you do is a first step to gaining more clarity which can ultimately help you gain more control over your time.
* Clear priorities
A top priority that seems clear today may change tomorrow. That’s business reality. Clear priorities help you establish better direction so you can spend your time creating or following a path to get you to your destination more easily. Otherwise, you may allow yourself to be pulled off your path to put out too many fires, attend too many unproductive meetings or listen to too much whining. You may find yourself stuck on the side of the road in analysis paralysis or winding down a twisting road that leads to a dead end.
Take control of your time by taking control of yourself. You ultimately decide how you spend your time, with whom, doing what. Use it to your advantage. Protect it at all cost. Be clear about what you want. Set expectations and boundaries. Reset them as needed.
Challenge yourself to do more in less time. You will find ways to do more (or to simply do better) in less time when you seek those ways.
Help others do the same. Helping others in the business spend their time more wisely ultimately helps you and the business.
P.S. Because your time is so valuable, I appreciate your reading WorkMatters Tips and hope you find them helpful. I welcome your suggestions for future topics and tips.
mailto:lantz@workmatters.com.
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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
Make use of time, let not advantage slip.
~William Shakespeare
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Reprinted from "WorkMatters Tips," a free ezine produced by Gayle Lantz featuring tips for leaders and executives who want to grow themselves, their team and their business. Subscribe at
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