Practical Tips: Increase Your Efficiency

It is amazing how much time you can spend on routine tasks like reading/answering e-mail, voicemail and phone calls. Take control of these tasks to increase your efficiency.

Be More Strategic
Often people respond based on who is the most persistent or what comes in most recently. Set your e-mail system to open up to your calendar, not your e-mail, each morning. That way when you start the day you are focused on your priorities—not the priorities of others.

Employ Time Limits
As much as we like to think that multitasking is more efficient, studies have shown that it is not true. In fact, it is estimated that it takes about 25 minutes to get back to a task once you’re interrupted (Gina Trapani, Fast Company, "Work Smart: Stop Multitasking and Start Doing One Thing Really Well"). Set a time limit on how long you’re going to dedicate to e-mail/voicemail. Many executives choose 30 minutes at the start of their day/lunch/end of day and 15 minutes mid-morning or mid-afternoon. That’s almost 2 hours—isn’t that enough?

Set Boundaries
Train others to respect your time. Just because someone shows up at your door doesn’t mean you need to accommodate them at that moment. Be strategic. Respond based on your priorities and schedule…and manage the expectations of others. This will help them manage their time better because they will know when you can get back to them.

You are welcome to reprint this article as long as you include the following in its entirety: Reprinted from “Our Corporate Life®,” a biweekly ezine featuring practical tips and tools for navigating the corporate world. © MMXI Amanda Mitchell, Our Corporate Life, LLC. Subscribe at www.ourcorporatelife.com