You have heard the old saying, “It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease?” Well, this phrase is nowhere more true than when it comes to time management. Your day can be running along smoothly, and you are beginning to think you just might get the spreadsheet finished in time for the board meeting tomorrow, when the screechy sound of a cell phone call from a sales rep downstate interrupts your concentration. He wants you to fax him a list of sales data from two years ago, so he can get ready for an appointment with a client tomorrow. Should you stop what you are doing, research the figures, print them out, fumble with the fax machine, and delay your progress by at least an hour?
Probably not. Maybe you can delegate that request to someone else; maybe you should promise it by the end of the day (that is, IF you get your project done); maybe you should tell him to find a way to get the data himself. Unless the meeting he is prepping for is clearly MORE important than yours, it would not be wise to let his perceived “emergency” create a real emergency for you.
Do you organize your life according to priorities that are important to you, or do you spend most of your time – check that – do you let other people spend most of your time, on things that are important to them? Do you consistently focus on the activities every day that provide you with the biggest payoff professionally, financially, or personally? How can you, if you spend every day jumping through other people’s hoops?
Maybe it is time for you to learn how to use time management’s most powerful magic word. It is quick, simple, effective, and it has the power to protect your schedule from annoying requests and distracting interruptions. The word is “NO,” and once you get the hang of using it, you will be astonished at how much simpler your schedule is to manage.
Surprisingly, very few people have discovered the power and simple elegance of this word. Some people don’t want to rock the boat; they are afraid that they might offend someone by saying no, so they agree to the requests of others – even though they don’t really have time and they don’t really want to and they will secretly resent it – just to keep the peace. Some people are just too nice; they genuinely want to help others, be a team player, etc., so they readily agree to make room in their busy schedules for the requests of others. The only problem with this outpouring of generosity is that the Nice Person inevitably ends up skimping on quality, postponing another important commitment, burning the midnight oil, or working through a weekend and maybe neglecting family activities in order to fulfill his regular responsibilities plus the ones he cheerfully agreed to a couple of days ago. Except now he is probably not quite so cheerful.
And then there are the heroes who thrive on “rescuing” other people. They have poorly defined boundaries, a high need to be needed, and an inflated opinion of their own ability to be efficient and productive, no matter how many projects they take on. Sometimes they really are very productive and effective, but eventually something has to give. Usually it is their health or their family life that begins to suffer. If they are lucky, burnout will get to them before any more permanent kind of damage is done.
There is nothing wrong with saying no to the requests of others, especially if you would be forced to sidetrack other valuable projects in order to accommodate them. Of course, it helps if you have already developed a clear set of priorities and goals, so that when an unscheduled request arises, you can balance it against the activities that you have already rated as having great value. Once you have established the items and activities that are really important to you, then it will be easier to protect your time from the requests of others. Here is how to know when to say no.
Will it cause you to set aside another high-value, high-priority project that is also facing an important deadline? You would do well to say no.
Is the request inappropriate, that is, are you being asked to do something that is irregular or that is against specific rules, policies or laws? Better say no.
Will it interfere with family commitments or drain away valuable time that should be reserved for your family? Definitely say no.
Saying no doesn’t require you to be rude, harsh or unsympathetic. You just have to be honest and say something like, “Mark, I am really sorry. I know you are in a bind, but I am covered up here, too. I have a project due tomorrow and I promised Emily and the kids I would be home in time for dinner and family night this evening.” There, that is what a kind, compassionate no sounds like. Mark may be disappointed, but he probably will not go away mad at you.
Unless the number one item at the top of your job description is to solve everyone else’s problems for them and keep the entire world happy, give yourself permission to make liberal use of this wonderful magic word. One thing is for certain, it will limit the number of problems you deal with everyday, and keep your corner of the world happier and more productive.
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September Time Management Quick Tip of the Month – Know Your Prime Time
Athletes sometimes talk about being “in the zone,” a state of consciousness that occurs periodically when it feels like all their reflexes and skills are achieving maximum potential. Most of us experience a smaller version of this everyday; we just need to learn to recognize it and take full advantage of it. Our biological clocks are set to give our minds and bodies a boost at certain times during the day. Some of us are “morning people. Others may be night owls. Whatever the time frame might be, most of us have a period of three to four hours each day when it is easier for us to concentrate, and when our creative juices are fully flowing. If you haven’t done so already, figure out when your prime time occurs. Then, whenever possible, plan to work on your most important projects during this time. You will get more done, and the quality will be consistently better.
