Chapter 15. Time Management |
237 |
|
Which scenario best describes you? |
|
|
|
|
|
Scenario 1 |
Scenario 2 |
|
Are you completely |
Do you already have a strategy |
|
overwhelmed because you have |
in place and are looking |
|
a failing strategy? |
to improve it? |
|
|
|
|
This chapter will help you to |
This chapter will help you better |
|
understand the basics of time |
understand the terminology needed |
|
management and get started with |
to perform focused searches for |
|
implementing a plan |
specific strategies that will lead |
|
|
to improvement |
|
|
|
|
FIGURE 15.2 Time management assessment
local book store you will inevitably find numerous resources– some helpful, some not. The best chance of choosing the one that is right for you is to conduct a personal inventory of your time management skills (Fig. 15.2). Once you understand where you are in the process of achieving excellent time man- agement skills, you will be better equipped to reach the next level.
Planning and Prioritizing
Planning and prioritizing go hand-in-hand, and are perhaps the most important time-management strategies (Fig. 15.3).
Simply scheduling how your day would go and prioritizing the day using a to-do list will help make sure that you can get your tasks completed.It is advisable to list both the things you want to accomplish and the allotted time for completion (Fig. 15.4). This ensures a complete list, and facilitates staying on time.
Delegating and Saying “No”
Keep in mind that you cannot (and should not) do every- thing.If you think you have too many tasks on hand,delegate. Goal setting and mentors can greatly facilitate your ability to delegate and to say “no”; Fig. 15.5 depicts the Urgency– Importance Matrix.1 Excepting a few clinical specialties,
238 C.M. Pugh
USEFUL TIPS FOR PLANNING AND PRIORITIZING
Make big plans for daily achievement. You are likely to accomplish more. Book everything as an appointment.
Apply the 80/20 rule -The 80/20 rule states that 20% of your tasks account for 80% of the value in your to-do list. Some tasks have a much greater return on your investment of time and energy than others. Use prioritization to identify and focus your time on these high-payoff tasks.
Take the time to plan your week and forecast what your week will look like. Put aside thirty minutes Sunday night or Monday morning to plan your routine or develop a list of what needs to be accomplished during the week.
“The best planning strategy is to do the ugliest thing first.” Dr. Randy Pausch
FIGURE 15.3 Useful tips for planning and prioritizing
TO-DO LISTS |
Sample list |
Sample list |
Sample list |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
||
|
Simple |
Prioritized |
Partitioned |
|
Write it down. A common |
Email Mary |
1- Finalize Travel |
Major |
|
mistake is to try to use your |
Call Tom |
1- Call Tom |
1- Finalize Travel (30 min) |
|
memory to keep track of too |
Finalize Travel |
1- New cell phone |
2- Book chapter images |
|
Book chapter images |
charger |
(2 hrs) |
||
many details. This can lead to |
||||
Start lit review |
2- Email Mary |
3- Start lit review (1 hr) |
||
information overload. Writing |
New cell phone charger |
2- Book chapter |
Minor |
|
things down is a great way to |
|
images |
1- Call Tom |
|
take control of your projects |
|
3- Start lit review |
1- New cell phone charger |
|
and tasks and keep yourself |
|
|
2- Email Mary |
|
|
|
|
||
organized. |
Comment: Better than |
Comment: Numbers, |
Comment: Can facilitate |
|
Prioritize. Prioritizing your |
nothing, but should be |
days or times can help |
multi-tasking (ie, Call |
|
to-do-list helps you focus and |
prioritized |
add priority |
Tom while searching |
|
|
|
for images) |
||
spend more of your time on |
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
the things that really matter. |
|
|
|
|
Rate your tasks into categories |
|
|
|
|
using a prioritization system |
|
|
|
|
that is meaningful to you. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FIGURE 15.4 Sample to-do lists
high-urgency, high-importance events are rare. Everything else can be planned. Keeping a list of your daily, monthly, and annual priorities handy can help you decide what to accept, delegate, or reject. Although, there will invariably be situa- tions where you find it difficult to say no, there are key strate- gies to handling this as well (Fig. 15.6). It is imperative that you learn to say, “no”. Quality of work is often more impor- tant than quantity.
High
Importance
Low
Chapter 15. |
Time Management 239 |
||
|
Urgency |
Low |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
2 |
Urgent and Important |
|
|
Important Not Urgent |
Examples: |
|
|
Examples: |
Bleeding patient |
|
|
Career planning |
Crying baby |
|
|
exercise |
Do now |
|
|
Prioritize |
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
3 |
Urgent Not Important |
|
Not Important Not Urgent |
|
Examples: |
|
|
Examples: |
Email initiated requests |
|
|
Time wasters |
interruptions |
|
|
Busy work |
Delegate |
|
|
Avoid |
|
|
|
|
FIGURE 15.5 The urgency-importance matrix (Adapted from
Birshan1)
Action Plans
While to-do lists are great for managing daily and weekly tasks, action plans capture the big picture.Action plans help you to keep track of your progress toward achieving shortmediumand long-term goals. The necessary steps in creat- ing an action plan include: (1) clarifying your goals; (2) writing a list of actions; (3) analyzing and prioritizing the list; and (4) documenting the planned execution details (what, who, where, when, and how). The most common tool used in making an action plan explicit is the white board. Get one. Several project management software tools have this capability as well.