Time Management for Librarians

Myths of Time Management

• Time can be managed• Organized people have more time• Efficiency is the Holy Grail of time

management• Touch each paper only once• A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind• A clean desk equals productivity• A cluttered desk equals creativity

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Reactive or Proactive?

• Being Reactive:– Responding to events– Priority goes to URGENT tasks– “Putting out fires”

• Being Proactive:– Anticipating events– Priority goes to IMPORTANT tasks– “Being a fire marshal”

• Which would you rather be?

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Processing vs. Producing

• Processing: dealing with information– Categorizing, sorting, prioritizing– Checking e-mail, answering messages– Necessary to stay on top of things

• Producing: creating results– Working, accomplishing– Getting things done– The part you actually get paid for

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The information explosion

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Proce

ssing

Producin

g

Keep Processing and Producing separate!

• Do both every day• Process before you produce• Processing:

– checking voice mail, e-mail, in-box daily– reviewing Action categories weekly

• Producing– working Action categories (To Do,

Routine, Tickler) daily

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Procrastinationpro·cras·ti·nate Etymology: Latin procrastinare, from pro- forward +

crastinus of tomorrow, from cras tomorrow

transitive verb: to put off intentionally and habitually

intransitive verb: to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done

• “The act of putting off something until later by either not starting it, starting it at the last minute, or starting but not finishing”

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No, you do not work better under pressure.

Types of procrastination:• Functional• Dysfunctional• Short-term• Long-term• Chronic

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Why do people procrastinate?

• Perfectionism• Job is too big to do all at once• Job takes too long to do all at once• Job is too difficult• Don’t like to do it• Fear of failure• Fear of success (!?!)• HABIT!

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Repercussions

• The high cost of perfection: Pareto’s 80/20 principle

• Backlogs affect downstream routines

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Remember:

• You spend more energy avoiding a tough job than doing it.

• The best way around is through!

How to deal withprocrastination?

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Procrastination strategies

• Don’t do it!– If job is unnecessary

• Get someone else to do it– Someone who likes doing it– Delegate it– Hire it out (if economically feasible)

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Procrastination strategies

• Dare to make a decision• Make yourself accountable to

someone• Break the task down• Focus on the first step• Be proactive: do before it’s due• Start with the worst part first• Reward yourself for progress!

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Procrastination strategies

• Distinguish between the routine tasks and those that must be done well

• Set aside time for routine work• Make realistic appraisals:

– How good is good enough?– Is the allotted time reasonable to do it?– Do you have the skills/resources you need?– Can the job be delegated, subcontracted,

eliminated?

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“Nuclear option” for procrastination

• Strict personal rule:– NO working late– NO working weekends– NO taking work home– If it doesn’t get done during normal

work hours, it doesn’t get done.

• Cf. Scott Adams’ OA5 management model, The Dilbert Principle, ch. 26

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So…let’s get organized!

• Greg Vetter, Find it in 5 Seconds• This is one system of many

– David Allen, Getting Things Done– Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly

Effective People– Jeff Davidson, Complete Idiot’s Guide to

Managing Your Time

• If it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work!

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Paper flow

• Every piece of paper’s goal is to get out of your office.

• OATS system:– Out– Action– Trash– Support

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First, clean your desk!

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Five things on your desk:

• In box• Out box• Calendar/appointment book• Telephone• Computer

And the sixth: the one thing you’re working on right now

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But what about my…

• …stapler?• …pens?• …coffee cup?• …Rolodex?• …sorting folders? • …potted plant?• …stress ball?

• …calculator?• …paper clips?• …kid’s photo?• …note pad?• …trophy?• …ref. books?• …candy dish?

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Action Categories

• To Do• Routine• Projects• Tickler

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Action category: Tickler

• Use for date-specific items only• NOT for items with a deadline!• 44 Files:

– 1-31– January-December– Pending

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Action category: Routine

• Tasks that you do routinely• Gather like tasks together• Doing them all at once increases

efficiency• Unspecified number of files

– Call, Read, Send, Expense Report, Travel Arrangements, Fill Out, Copy, Order, Review, Monthly Report, Bills, etc.

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Action category: To Do

• 8 files:– A, B, C– 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

• A: Very Important tasks• B: Important tasks• C: Somewhat Important tasks• 1-5: The top five tasks, which you will

be working on during Quiet Time24

Action category: Projects

• 1 file for each project– Project name

• Each file contains a Project sheet, Step sheets, and support material

• Don’t work out of Project files per se• Step sheets go into To Do category;

work them from there.

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Where do the files go?

• File drawers, hanging folders: anything that will fit comfortably– Papers, photos, envelopes,

• Bookshelf for format-specific files: Support > Books, Support > Binders

• Drawers: tools, supplies• Shelf or credenza: larger 3-D objects

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By the way…

Arrange your computer the same way!• Store your files in categories• E-mail folders, too• Process your e-mail 3 times daily

• Keep processing and producing separate!

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A Day in the Life

of a Good Time Manager

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Don’t schedule every minute

• Flexibility is adaptability• Things come up• Free time is not wasted

– Thinking– Planning– Creativity

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Start with the In Box

• Everything that comes into your office goes into the In Box first!!

• Process your In Box 3 times daily• Do not work (produce) out of your In

Box

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Processing your In Box

• Stand• Take an item, look at it• Out, Action, Trash or Support?• Decide the Category and the File• Use your senses• Repeat

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Schedule some Quiet Time

• Quiet Time is when you work on your To Do category

• About 20% of your total work time– 90 min. every day is ideal– Same time each day if possible

• Schedule it like a meeting with yourself– You’re busy, not to be interrupted– No phone, no e-mail, no visitors

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Get out of my head, get into my file!

• Carry 3x5 cards around with you

• Anything you think about, write it down and put it in your To Do!

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Overfiling

• Don’t ask “Where can I put this so I’ll find it again if I need it?”

• Ask “What will happen if I want it and it’s gone?”

• If the answer is “minor inconvenience” or less…

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Get rid of it if:

• It’s replaceable• It’s a duplicate• It’s outdated• It’s a hard copy of a

computer file• Someone else can

keep it

• Someone else already is keeping it

• It’s not yours to decide on / act on

• You don’t use it any more

• It’s part of a CYA file

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Interruptions

• Part of the job description!• Hard to block out uninterrupted time

• Unnecessary: avoid, or end quickly• Necessary: handle at once• Untimely (necessary but

inconvenient): reschedule

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Avoiding interruptions

• Remove yourself– In space: work at home, in an unused

conference room, etc.– In time: work during off-peak hours

• Protect yourself– Close your door– Get a colleague to run interference for

you (return the favor)– Don’t answer the phone—use voice mail

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Overcommitment

• As libraries are asked to do more without more resources, library staff are asked to do more without more time

• Failure to say NO because of:– Desire to please everyone– Don’t want to thwart supervisor– Dedication to customer service– Unrealistic idea of own abilities/commitments– Just didn’t think before saying yes

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How to say No

• Never say Yes without thinking about it• Offer a counterproposal or alternative• Keep explanations short & simple• Head off requests before they are made• Psych yourself up to say No

– Ask what’s the worst that could happen if you say No

– Be firm; control your body language

• Be polite!

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Thank You for Attending!

Questions?Questions?

Russell Palmer800-999-8558

ext. 4854

russell.palmer@lyrasis.org

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