Mastering Workflow Jennifer Pecor Advocate Experience Coach Time Management The big problem is that your mind keeps reminding you of things when you cant do anything about them. Multi tasking when it comes to paying attention, is a myth. - Dr. John Medina People who are interrupted: Take 50% longer to complete a task. Make 50% more errors. The 5 Steps: 1.Collect 2.Process 3.Organize 4.Review 5.Do Step 1: Collecting Gathering 100% of the incomplete stuff. Gather representations for each of these items; whatever captures input for you best. As soon as you attach a should, need to, or ought to, it becomes an incomplete. Collecting involves both physical gathering and mental gathering. The mental gathering, or mind sweep, involves writing down each thought, idea, project or thing that has your attention on a separate sheet of paper. Exercise Take out your lists including the one from this morning. Take out your calendar. Spend 10 minutes gathering all of your incomplete work stuff: I should be working on I need to I am going to Step 2: Process Processing does not mean spend time on it. Processing means decide what the next thing is and what action is required, and then dispatch it accordingly. Rules for Processing Process the top item first. Process one item at a time. Never put anything back into in. The Key Processing Question Whats the next action? If there is no next action required, there are 3 possibilities: Trash/delete Someday/maybe Reference The Key Processing Question Whats the next action? The next action is the next physical, visible activity that needs to be engaged in, in order to move the current reality towards completion. Do it, delegate it, or defer it. Exercise In pairs, select five items from your collection list and decide: 1.What is it? 2.Is it actionable? 3.If yes decide the very next physical action required. Step 3: Organize 4 Key Action Categories Projects Calendar Next Actions Waiting For Review Daily Review: Calendar and Next Actions list. Weekly Review: Projects, Next Actions, Waiting For and Someday/Maybe. Do Every decision to act is an intuitive one. The challenge is to migrate from hoping its the right choice to trusting its the right choice. Do The four criteria model for choosing action in the moment: Context Time available Energy available Priority Delegation Delegation is primarily about Assigning a task that you currently have in your activity list (for which you are ultimately responsible) and assigning it to other person with confidence that he/she will complete with minimal or no involvement from you. Delegation or Work Assignment? Delegating - Supervisor tells employee what results are required - Employee determines what completed assign should look like - Employee decides how to do the assignment - Supervisor offers support in planning assignment and achieving results - Supervisor follows up on planning and progress Assigning Work - Supervisor tells employee what the assignment is - Supervisor tells employee what the completed assignment should look like - Supervisor tells employee how to do the assignment - Supervisor offers support and help in carrying out the assignment - Supervisor follows up to check on progress of assignment Delegation Roadblocks - I can do it better myself - I cant trust my workers - I dont have time to involve others - I cant delegate something I dont know how to do myself - I cant bring myself to delegating busy work - I cant delegate to my friends - Everyone is already busy LOSS OF CONTROL Resistance to Delegation - They dont know how to do the task - They have a fear of criticism for mistakes - They lack confidence in their ability - They dont understand what is wanted - They dont have the time - They dont like doing it. When to Delegate - When somebody else is more skilled in the task than you - When an individual has approached you with willingness to help on a specific project - When someone can develop himself or herself by taking on a challenging task - When you dont have the time to handle your other responsibilities effectively - When planning takes more time than implementing When Not to Delegate - When the person has a negative attitude about the task - When the person is too busy to complete the task - When the person cannot handle the responsibility - When you will have to change the persons attitudes or behaviors Why Delegation? Development of Personnel Helps in Time Management Increasing Total Power of manager/leader and organization Demonstrates professionalism and effectiveness Creates a win-win situation Develops a sense of accomplishment, trust, opportunity to grow and gain recognition. Steps of Successful Delegation 1 Define the task 2 Select the individual or team 3 Assess ability and training needs 4 Explain the reasons 5 State required results 6 Consider resources required 7 Agree to deadlines 8 Support and communicate 1 9 Feedback on results