Tran nsform mation nalTimeM Manage nt emen

Manag gingYour rPrioritie esforOpt timumPr roductivit ty

ByMig ghtyRasin ng http:// /www.Tr ransforma ationalLe eadership pHQ.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/l leadershipt thots YouTu ubehttp://youtube.com/migh htyonleader rship Facebo ookhttp:/ //facebook k.com/page es/Transfor rmationalL Leadership/ /236464835 5476

TableofContents

Introduction(2) 19TimeManagementWoesforTodaysKnowledgeWorkers(3) DiagnoseYourself:NineSignsYoureInfectedbyDigitalDistractionitis(6) KillYourInnerSaboteur:HowtoBeatProcrastination(8) ThePomodoroTechniqueforTimeManagement(14) ChetHolmesTimeManagementSystem(16) DavidAllensGettingThingsDone(19) GettingThingsDone&Pomodoro:AnIntegratedTimeManagementSystem(21) PracticingtheArtofEffectiveDelegation(22)

Introduction
Timemanagement,ormoreappropriatelyprioritiesmanagement,isoneofthemostimportant skillsthatthetwentyfirstcenturyleaderneedstomaster.Whetherinyourpersonalorinyour professionalactivities,youneedtomanageyourtimewell.Afterall,everyoneofusrichand poor,bossesorsubordinates,lazyorhardworkingpeoplearegivenonly24hourseveryday. Itsthegreatequalizer. Whatyoudowiththe24hoursgiventoyouwilldeterminehowsuccessfulyouwillget. Squanderitandyoullendupintheskidrow,wonderingwhytheworldpassedyouby.Work hardandstill,theworldmaypassyouby,becauseyoumighthavebeentoobusytonoticethat youreffortsarenotgivingyoutheleverageyouneed. Workhardandworksmartandsoonenough,youllseethattimemanagementisas muchaboutmaximizingtimeasitisaboutdoingtherightthingsattherighttimes. IcreatedthisfreeEbookasaresourceforyou.Mostofthearticlesinthisfreereportwere publishedattheTransformationalLeadershipBlog.Yougetallofthemhere,organizedinone documentforeaseofuse.YoucanalwaysprintthisPDFanduseitasareadyresourcein remindingyouofhowimportanttimemanagementis! Feelfreetosharethisdocumentwithyourfriends,officematesandfamily. Heresthelinktothereport.Itsallfree! http://www.transformationalleadershiphq.com/timemanagementfreereport/ PostitonFacebook.Tweetaboutit.Blogaboutit. Formorearticlesonpersonaldevelopment,socialentrepreneurshipandtransformational leadership,pleasevisitmyblog,www.TransformationalLeadershipHQ.com. Questionsandsuggestions? Feelfreetocontactmeviaemailatmightyrasing(at)gmail(dot)com. FollowmeviaTwitter@leadershipthots WatchLeadershipVideosviaYouTube/mightyonleadership ******
Disclaimer Alleffortshavebeenmadetoensuretheaccuracyoftheinformationcontainedinthisreport.Thisfree reportdoesnotcontainlegalorfinancialadvice,andtheauthorisnotliableforanypotentialproblemsit maycauseonthereader.Iencourageyoutoreadandresearchmoreaboutthetopics,orconsulta professional/consultantincaseyourenotsureaboutanythingstatedinthisreport.

19TimeManagementWoesforTodaysKnowledgeWorkers
Haveyouevermissedadeadline?Doyouhave

workersthataresochronicallylateyouhavealmost strangledthemtodeath?Areyouswimmingunder pressureorareyoubarelybreathingbecauseoftoo muchpressureatwork? Theknowledgeworkersoftodayareswampedwith deadlinesandwork.Ifwearenotcareful,wewill simplycaveintothepressure.Areyousufferingfrom thesetimemanagementwoes? Mindset.Someworkersjustshowupatworkat9AM sotheycanhavetheirpaycheckonthe15thor30thof themonth,paythebills,enjoylifeandjustdotheeasiestthingsatwork.Youknowthetype, theyarealwayslateasiftheyredraggingtheirfeetoneafteranother.Andifyougivethem anextrapushforperformancetheycryoutthatyouareunreasonablydemanding. Timemanagementbeginswiththemindsetofaknowledgeworker.Someonewithagoodgrasp oftimewillrespectforthetimeofotherpeopleheorsheisworkingwith. Anxiety.Peoplesufferingfromboutsofanxietywillfinditdifficulttofocusandcompletetasks. Theycanbecomeabsentmindedandjustgoingthroughthemotions.Ifanyofyourcolleagues areanxious,itmayevenspreadthroughthefloor!Andifyouarefeelinganxious,tryto rememberthatyourworkmattersandthereisalwaystimetodealwithpersonalmattersand thereistimetodealwithworkmatters. Lackofdiscipline.Moodswingsmayalsoaffecttheabilityofapersontomanagehistime. Anxiety,therightmindsetandevenmoodswingscanbedealtwitheffectivelyifaworkerhas discipline!Disciplineisthekeythatcouldhelpunlockthepassioninaknowledgeworker. LackofTimeManagementSystem.Atimemanagementsystemcanhelpmaximizeyourtasks, prioritizethemandhelpyoucompletethemwithinthedeadline!Ifyoudonothaveatime managementsystem,thenyouwillsimplyrelyonwhatyoufeellikedoingatanygiventimein theoffice. Multitasking.Atleasttenbrowsersareopeninyourcomputer.Youretalkingonthephone, textingandatthesametimetryingtoremembersomethingyouhavetotellthebossthe momentyougetoffthephone.Plus,acolleagueisstandingoveryourcubiclewaitingforyouto givehimsomething.Multitaskingmaysoundgood.Butbeware,itcandragyoudown.Trydoing onethingatatime,movingontoanothertask,onlyaftercompletingthetaskathand.Itjust mightchangeyourhabits! 3

 Laziness.Thisisacurse.Anylazyworkershouldbefired!Theyarenothelpingtheorganization andtheyareusingupresourcesthatcouldbeusedforproductivepurposes! Nodeadlines.Ifyoudontspecifyadeadlineforyouremployeeorforyourcolleague,thenthey willnotgiveyouwhatyouaskedforuntilyouaskforit.Andwhenyouaskforit,thatisthe exacttimetheywillstartworkingonit.Sobettermakesurethattaskshavedeadlinesandthat theyshouldbedeliveredinatimelymanner. Waitingfortherighttime.Thereisnosuchthingastherighttime!Ifyouwaitforthatright timetocome,itmaybetoolate!Whatevertimeyouhaverightnow,maximizeit.Makesure thatyouaremakingthemostoutofit.Wishingfortherighttimecanleadyoutowastethe opportunitiesthatarestaringyouatthefacerightnow. Thetraffic.Whereveryouareintheworld,themetropolitanlandscapeiscursedbythereality oftraffic.Ifyougowiththeflowofworkersduringtherushhour,whichisironicallythe slowesttimefortraffic,thenyouwillbelateforworkorforyourappointments!Expecttraffic! Leaveearlierthanusual.Itsbettertobeearlythanlateforyourappointments. Thedogthatatetheassignment.HaveyoueverheardofMurphysLaw?Ifitcangowrong,it willgowrong!Haveyoueverbeeninahurryoverapresentationorsomeappointmentyou needtomakeandthecomputerfreezesover.Theprinterwontwork.Thefaxmachinebreaks down.Ivehadplentyofexperienceslikethat.Duringcrunchtime,thetendencyforequipment tobreakdownisheightenedexponentially!Bewareoftechnologicalglitches;theycanruinyour dayandevenyourprofession. Facebook!Thenexttimeyourcolleagueoremployeeappearssointentinfrontofthe computer,hejustmightbeoglingsomepictureorsomestatusatFacebook.com.Facebookhas becomethesinglebiggesttimewasterinthecorporateworld.Ifyoucanbanitatthe workplace,doso!Unlessyouhavespecialconsiderationswhyyouneeditatwork. Email.Emailshavespedupourlives.Wenowtransmitdataatthespeedoflight,oratleastit seemslikeit!Butitalsomadeourlivesabitcomplicated.Howmanytimesdoyoucheckyour emailinanhour?Ifyoupeekatitevery30minutes,youredoomed!Wheneveryougetan email,youopenit,trytodealwithitandcomplete.Meanwhile,theworldgoesonandthe clocktickstowardyournextdeadline. Setatimeforemailcheckinginthemorningrightafteryousitatyourdesk.Anotheremail checkingtimeafteryourlunch,andthelastemailcheckwouldberightbeforeyoucallitaday! InstantMessenger.Bewareofinstantmessengers,theycanmakeyourlifemiserable!When peoplefeelthatyouandyourresponsetotheirquestionsisjustattheirfingertips,theywill haveaninstantmessengerchatwithyouandaskyoutodosomanythingsinrealtime.Justlike youremail,managethetimespentoninstantmessengers. 4

 PhonesandMobilePhones.Theyjustkeepringing,right?Ifyouareacallcenteragent,then youdonotreallyhaveanyrighttocomplain.Butifyouareinthemiddleofameetingorinthe midstofcompletingaproject,itcandragyourtimeaway.Soputthemonsilentmode.Activate youransweringmachineandgetthemawayfromyoursightandjustcheckthemessageslater! Complicatedtimemanagementsystem.Timemanagementsystemshouldnotbetoo complicated!Yourtaskcanbecompletedintenminutesbuttheprocessofmanagingthelistof taskstakes3hours,thenyoubetterdiscardthattimemanagementsystem!Insteadofhelping youout,acomplicatedtimemanagementsystemwillsimplydragyoudown. Toomanydemandsatwork.Takealookatyourjobdescriptionandyourdailytodolist.Isit toolong?Howareyoudoingatworksofar?Ifthedemandsofyourjobaresimplytoohigh,you maybesacrificingyourphysicalandmentalhealthandevenyourcareer!Manageexpectations andthedemandsfromyou.LearntosayNO!SayYESonlytothetasksthatyouaresupposedto carryout! Workspace.Thedesignofyourworkplacecanalsocontributetoyourtimemanagementwoes. Clutteredworkspacesareabanetoproductivity.Eachtimeyoustartatask,youmaybe temptedtocleanupandclearyourdeskofstuff.Youendupnotdoingtherealtaskexpected fromyou.Makesurethatyourworkspaceiscleanandclearenoughtogiveyoubreathing room.Ifitiscluttered,thenyoubetterdevoteatleastthreehourstocleanitup. Complexandconvolutedprocessesintheoffice(Redtape)!Howmanysignaturesdoyouneed togetaprojectgoing?Howmanymanagersdoyouneedtotalktobeforegoingthroughtothe CEO?Ifyourofficeprocessesaresofullofredtape,youbettersimplifythingsbecausetheyare draggingyoudownandtheyaresabotagingtheproductivityofyourworkers. Streamline!Thatshowsmallorganizationsmakeitinbigindustries.Ifyoucandothat,youll getamazingresults! Frequentsmalltalksandfrequentvisitors.Ifyourethefriendlyguyintheoffice,becarefulof frequentsmalltalksandfrequentvisits.Sure,itfeelsgoodtotalkabouttheweather,thelatest newsandtrendsinfashionorsportsandwhateverstuffyouwanttotalkabout.Butifyou frequentlystopbysomecubicledowntheaisleandchat,youmaybecompromisingyour productivityandinducingotherstodothesame!Shameonyou.Reservesmalltalksduring lunchtimeandonbreaks.Youcanmaximizetimethatway.

Timeissuchaprizedcommodityinthebusinessworldrightnowthatyou cannotaffordtoloseitovertrivialthings.Inaworldthatputsvalueon productivity,effectivenessandefficiency,besuretomaximizethetimethatyou have!

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DiagnoseYourself:NineSignsYoureInfectedbyDigital Distractionitis
DoyousufferfromDigitalDistractionitis?Areyourworkandstudyhabitsaffectedbyyour online(andevenoffline)habits? IveheardthetermsFacebookeryandTwitteritisfromYahooLaunchcast. Ilaughed. Butithasaringoftruthinit.Wereallyareintheageofdigitaldistraction. Ifyoureafflictedbythefollowingsymptoms,thenyouvegotdigitaldistractionitis. 1.CantplugoutofthecomputerandtheInternetwithoutemotionalanguish.Youcant imaginepluggingoutofthecomputer.Ifyoudo,itiswithutmostregretsandapainfulsigh. 2.GluedtoFacebookforanhourorso.IfyouspendmorethananhourstraightinFacebook, youreallyhaveFacebookeryandisseriouslydistracted. 3.Twittering,Plurkingaftereveryfiveminutesabouttheweather,thefoodyoureeating, whenyouregoingtothebathroom,orreallypersonalmattersyourethinkingabout.Give yourselfabreakdude! 4.SigningupforOvertimeattheofficejustsoyoucanenjoyfreeinternet.Yougotthe overtimepayandyouvecheckedyourfavoritesites,too! 5.Youvegotdarkspotsonyourwrists.Toomuchtypingandmouseoveruse. 6.Thedeadlineforyourprojectwasyesterdayandyourejustdoinghalfwaythroughit.And Facebook,PlurkandTwitterarebeckoningyoutologon. 7.Yourewiththefriendatthecoffeeshop(withfreeWiFi)andyoujustcantresisttheurge tocheckyouremailonyourphone.Theregoesthegoodconversationalist. 8.YouvegotFirefox,InternetExplorer,ChromeandSafariopen.Eachofthemwithnumerous tabsopen.Ontopofthat,yourechattingwithatleastfivefriendsonYahooMessenger,AIM, GoogleChatorSkype. 9.YourecheckingyourfavoriteYouTubevideos,blogsandwebsiteseveryhourtoseeif therearenewpostsandcontentforyoutoreadorwatch. 6

Ifyouredisplayingallninesymptoms,youbettergiveyourselfabreakandstartworking!Dont waitforthebosstocomearoundandcatchyou.

KillYourInnerSaboteur:HowtoBeatProcrastination
Dontyoujusthateit!Youhaveadeadlineinafewhoursandyourefidgeting.Younoticethe disheswaitingtobewashed,thelaundry,thewhiningdogandeverythingelsebutyourtask.Or considerafriendofyourswhoisALWAYSlateforappointments,withoutexception!Ifyourea supervisororamanager,Imsureyouhavegotsomeemployeeswhoturnedinanassignment late,makingyourprofessionallifealittlemoremiserablethanithasto!

Whydopeopleprocrastinate?
Weresurroundedbyprocrastinators.Weprocrastinate,too!Procrastinationisaterroristliving insideyouitsabotageseverythingyoudo!Ifyoudonotkillyourinnersaboteur,youwillend upkillingyourcareerinstead.Herearethirtyonetipsonhowtobeatprocrastination. 1.Unloadeverythingfromyourmind. Setaside510minutesandgrabasketchpadandapen(orpencil,ifthatswhatyouprefer). Youreprocrastinatinganyway,youmightaswelldedicatethenextfewminutesactuallydoing somethingproductive.Startwritingdownallthestuffthatsinyourmindthedishes,some emotionalturmoilyoumayhave,confusions,schedulesforthedayandfortheweek, somethingyouhate,andanythingelsethatcrossesyourmind.Afterthat,takealookatyour listandfleshoutanytaskthatyoumayneedtoaccomplish. 2.Admittoyourselfthatyoufeeloverwhelmed. Ifyouhavefilledoutawholepageofthesketchpad,youareprobablyoverwhelmedbuttoo proudtoadmitit.Oneofthetopreasonswhypeopleprocrastinateisthefeelingofbeing overwhelmedandoverrunbysomanythings! 3.Listdownyourtasks. Dontworryaboutaccomplishingthosetasks.Justlistthemdownandthenputbesideeach taskthetargetcompletiondateforeachtask.Bewarnedthough.IfyoulistdownALLyour tasks,youmayendupbecomingoverwhelmed!Ifyoudo,takeabreakandbreathedeeply. 4.Askyourselfifyoureallyneedtodothis. Thisisagoodquestion,really.Becauseiftheanswerisno,thenyoucanstopworryingaboutit. Sotellmewhyyouvebeenworryingaboutthistaskagain? 8

5.Delegatetasks. Ifyoudontneedtodoaparticulartask,itstimeforsomemudslinging!Golookfortheright persontodothis.Itmightbethetaskofyourbossoryoursubordinates.Thenexttimeyou startincludingaparticulartaskinyourToDolist,youbettermakesurethatitsreallyyourjob. Otherwise,justsayNO!

6.Grabacupofcoffeeandworkoutside. Thisworksformemostofthetime,exceptwhenmystomachisalittletooacidicorIcantfind aWiFihotspotintheStarbucksnearmyhome.Itdoesnothavetobecoffeeifthatsnotyour type.Youcangotoafancyrestaurantandspend25hourstherejusttryingtolookbusyand actuallygettingthingsdone. 7.Stopthinkingofthebeach.OryourfavoriteTVshow. Oranythingelse.Isntitnicetodaydreamofyournewcar.Newhouse.Abeachinthe Philippineislands.Amilliondollarsinyourbankaccount.Orperhapsthinkofotherthings:like whydidIeveragreetothisproject?orberateyourselfforworkingatyourdeskwhenthere 9

aresomuchmoreopenopportunitiesforyou.Itsreallynicetothinkofsomethinganything buttheworkrightinfrontofyou.Sostopthinkingofthoseotherthingsandthinkofthework athand. 8.Dontunderestimatethetimeneededforeverytask. Ifyouneedtosetupablog,youwillneedatleastaweektogetitgoing.Ifyouthinkyoucan getitdoneinjusttwodays,thinkagain!Ifyoufeelthatyoucanwritea30pagepaper12hours beforethedeadline,Icanjustgiveyouaropeandperhapsyoucangohangyourselfwhenyou discoveryourgradeforthatpaper.Mypointis,donotunderestimatethetimeyouneedfor yourtasks. 9.Setasideenoughtimeforthingsthatmustbedone. Youshouldalsotakeintoaccountasmallamountoftimeforprocrastination.Wealldoitat differenttimes.Butifyouallowyourselfalittleslackinbudgetingyourtime,youcanprobably stillfinishyourtaskevenwithalittleprocrastinationgoing.Justmakesure,thatitsjustalittle procrastination! 10.Identifysituationswhereyouusuallyprocrastinate. Lookatyourhabitsandthetasksthatlandinyourdesk.Aretheresomekindsoftasksthatyou dreaddoing?Isthereaparticulartimeofdayordayoftheweekthatprocrastinationis unusuallyhigh?Howaboutaplaceinyourhomewhenyouprocrastinatemorethanusual?If youmanagetoidentifythesesituations,avoidthem! 11.Enumeratethepriceofdelayandnotdoingitontime. Bytellingourselvesthepriceofdelay(inhundredsofdollars,orthousandsperhaps)wemay becomemotivatedbysheerfearandpanic.Well,Isaybeingmotivatedbyfearandpanicevery nowandthenisbetterthannotbeingmotivatedatall.Sure,itisapoormotivatorandmay leadtofurtherproblems,butyouhavetoinstitutelongtermsolutionsforyourprocrastination problems. 12.Workwiththetimeavailableforyourightnow. Dontwaituntilyouareinspired.Dontwaituntilyouhaveall5hoursneededtosolvethat problem.Workwiththetimeavailablerightnow.Ifyoucantcompletethetask,thenworkatit againonyournextworkingtime.Puttingoffworkwilljustleadtomorestuffpilinguponyour desk.Alittleworkdoneisnotasgoodasataskdone,butitiscertainlybetterthannotdoing anythingatall! 10

13.Gobacktoyourlistoftodos. Someprocrastinatorsputoffthingstheyhavetodobecausetheyarenotawareofthebulkof thingswaitingtobedone.Sotheydillydallyandtrytoappearcoolwheninfact,the professionalworldaroundthemisjustaboutreadytoburst.APsychologyTodayarticlestates theprocrastinationessentiallymeansthattheprocrastinatorlacksthewillandtheskillsto regulatehimself. 14.Dothesimplertasksfirst. Thiswillwarmyouupandgetyoustarted.Doingthesmalltasksservesasawarmupforthe biggerstuffyouneedtoaccomplish.Ifyoueverworkoutinagym,youprobablydoliftsome lighterweightsbeforegunningfortheheavierones.Sameprincipleappliestoworking.Smaller tasksprepareyourmindandmoodforthebiggertasksahead. 15.Dothemoredifficulttasksfirst. Ifthisworksforyou,fine!Ifyouwanttheshockandaweapproach,though,youcanstart doingthebigtasksrightaway!Thiswillflexyourmentalmusclesrightawayandwillgiveyou explosivepowerasyougothroughthetasksoftheday.Justdontforgetthesmallertasks though.Becausebigonescaneasilycrowdoutthesmallertasks. 16.Audithowyouspendyourtimeforaweek. Observeyourtimemanagementhabitsforsignsofprocrastination.Keepajournaloftime spentandtasksdoneforaweek.Afterdoingthat,gothroughyourtimeauditandcrossout unnecessaryactivitiesthatyoukeepdoing. 17.Ifyourealizethatyoureallydonthavetime,thenwakeupanhourearlierinthemorning orgotobedlateratnight. Ifyoucouldnotfindtimeforsomeimportantactivities,trycarvingoutanhourfromyour mornings.Sure,itwillbedifficultatfirst,butifyoujustgoatitforatleastsixweeks,itwill becomeahabitandcomeeasierforyou. 18.Beamonk. Closethedoor.Disconnect!Dontbedisturbed.Minimizeinterruptionsanddistractions.Ifthat meansdisconnectingfromthetelephoneandtheinternet,doso.Dontworry,theworldwill notstoprunningifyoudisconnect.Makesurethatyouspendthatdistractionfreetime productively. 11

19.Makeyourworkspaceconduciveforworking. Removeclutterandanyotherstuffthatdonotbelongtoyourdesk.Sometimes,physicalclutter canalsocrowdoutourminds.Theycanalsodistractyoufromwhatyouaredoing. 20.Setsmalldeadlinesinincrementsof25minutes. UsethePomodoroTechnique.ThePomodoroTechniqueisanamazingtimemanagementtool, ithelpsyoubreakdownyourtasksinincrementsof25minutes,thenyoupausefora5minute breakbeforeworkingagain.Breakdownyourbigtasksintobitesizechunks.Theywillbeeasier toaccomplishthatway. 21.Broadcasttotheworld(FB,TwitterandotherSNS)yourdeadlines. Ifpeopleareawareofyourdeadlines,theyarelesslikelytodisturbyou,unlessyouallowthem to.ButifyoupostyourdeadlinesonFacebook,onTwitterandsomeothersocialnetworking site,youarepressuredtoprovetotheworldthatyoucandoyourtaskswithinyourdeadline.If allelsefails,peoplecancheeryouonorberateyouifyoufail.Now,wouldntthatstingyour pride?Goprovetheberatersandhecklerswrong.Dosomethingrightnow! 22.Punishyourselfifyoudontfinishthetaskbythesetdeadline. Cancelyourplansforthenightifyoudontcompleteyourtasksfortheday.Orifyoudont completeyourtasks,fastfromyourfavoritefoodordrinkforaweek. 23.Rewardyourselfifyoucompletethetaskbythesetdeadline. Celebratesuccesses!Buyyourselfabarofdarkchocolate.Goseethatmovieyouvebeen achingtoseeforaweeknow.Orgrababookfromthebookstore.Anythingthatwilladdupto yourmountingsenseofsatisfactionandgrowinglevelsofconfidence. 24.Dothingsastheyoccurtoyou,especiallythesmallertasks. Ifyouhavetocallsomeoneanditwillonlytake2minutes,goaheadanddoit.Thesesmall taskscouldpileupifyoudontdothemrightaway. 25.Donothingandstareatthescreenforfifteenminutes! Thiscouldmakeyousofrustratedatdoingnothingthatyouwillprobablystartdoingsomething evenbeforethe15minutesisup. 12

26.Startworking! Motivatingyourselfisonething.Butthereissimplynoexcusenottostartworking!Sogo ahead,takealookatyourtodolistagainandpoundatthekeyboard.Startworking! 27.ListentoDrivebyIncubusandchasethosefearsaway! RememberthesongDrivebyIncubus:ItsdrivenmebeforeAnditseemstohaveavague, hauntingmassappealButlatelyImbeginningtofindthatIShouldbetheonebehindthe wheel.Betheonebehindthewheel.Sometimesmusichelpsputyouinthemoodforworking. Usethatpowertostartworkingonthosedeadlines! 28.Lookforwaystobemotivated. Thereareasmanydifferentwaystobemotivatedastherearemanydifferentkindsofpeople. Butpleasefocusongood,wholesomefun!Ifyouunderstandyourmotivations,youcantweak thatsoyoucanstartdoingthingsforyourself,foryourorganizationandforthepeoplearound you. 29.Donttakeonprojectsthatyouarenotabletofulfill. Justlearntosaynoifyouarealreadymaxedup!Youonlyhaveonebody.Youcanonly maximizeyourtimesomuch.Ifyousayyestotoomanycommitments,youwilljustendup exhausted,burnedout,andchurninglowqualityoutputs. 30.Underpromise.Overdeliver. Ifyouacceptalimitednumberofcommitments(onlythosethatreallymatter),youendup beingabletomaximizethedeliveryofquality. 31.Learntorespectyourpersonaltime. Youassumeseveralidentitiesonlyoneofthemisaworker.Asahumanbeing,youalsoneed timeforyourselftohavefun,contemplateandmeditateandreplenishlostenergies.Setaside timeforthisandlearntorespectthat.Dontworkforallsevendaysoftheweek,respectyour restday/s.TheJewsareprobablywiseinnotworkingforonedayaweek.Ithelpsyourestand giveyourattentiontootheraspectsofyourlife.

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ThePomodoroTechniqueforTimeManagement
IcameacrossthePomodoroTechniquebackinNovember2009.PomodoroistheItalianword fortomatoandthereareseveraltomatokitchentimers.ThisiswhatinspiredFrancescaPirillo incomingupwiththisproductivitytechnique.Itgoesagainstthepopularnotionthat multitaskingcanhelpyouaccomplishmorethingsinashorterperiodoftime. ThePomodorotechniqueisbuiltuponthenotionthatyoushoulddoonethingandonlyone thingatatime.Morespecifically,youshouldonlydoonethinginevery25minutes. Howdoesitwork? Inthefirstplace,youwillneedatimer.Youcanusethestopwatchofyourmobilephone.Or youcangetatimerfromtheclosestdepartmentstore.Setyourtimerto25minutes.Within thatperiod,youshouldaccomplishonlyonetask. Whatifyouareworkingonabigtaskthatwillrequiremorethan25minutes?Simple,break downthebigtaskintosmallertasksandgiveyourself25minutesforeachtask. FrancescaPirilliocallseach25minuteintervalsapomodoro.Youshouldbestrictincompleting yourtaskwithinthatpomodoro.Blotoutalldistractionsasyouwork.Ifyougetdistractedand youstartdoinganothertask,thenonepomodoroiswastedandyouwillhavetorepeatthat pomodoroalloveragain. Aftereachpomodoro,giveyourselfa5minutebreakbeforestartingonthenexttask. TolearnmoreaboutthePomodorotechnique,godownloadthePomodoroTechniqueEbook. Itsnomorethan45pagesandyoucanquicklybreezethroughitinjustonesitting.Italsohasa cheatsheetforreallybusy(orlazy)people! YoucanalsogetseveralresourcessuchastheToDoList,theActivityInventory,togetherwith otherstuff. Tohelpyouapplythistimemanagementtechnique,youcanalsodownloadtheFocusBooster app,adesktoptimerapplicationthatyoucanuse.ItisbuiltonthePomodorotechniqueand willsaveyousomemoneybecauseyouwonthavetobuyatimeranymore.Before downloadingthisapp,youwillneedtheAdobeAirapplicationfirst. Trythissystemforamonthandseeifitworksforyou.Ifitdoes,thenyoucancertainly incorporateitaspartofyourworkinghabits. Ihavepersonallytriedthistimemanagementtechniqueanditworks.The25minutechunksof timeisagreatwaytoreallymakesurethatIamdoingsomethingproductive.Iencourageyou 14

togiveitatryforatleasttwoweeks.Thengobacktothisblogandletmeknowwhatyouthink aboutit.Ifitimprovedyourtimemanagementskills,thenperhaps,youcanrecommenditto others.

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ChetHolmesTimeManagementSystem
ChetHolmesistheauthorofthebestsellingbookTheUltimateSalesMachine.Heisalsoa topkaratemartialartist,corporatetrainerandbusinessconsultant. ChetHolmesbasictimemanagementsystemisbuiltonthemindsetthattimemanagement shouldbesimpleanduncomplicated.Itsfunny,howhewroteaboutatimemanagement seminarheattendedwherethespeakertoldthemtotrackhowtheyusetheirtimeforthree months!Hecouldntbelievehisears!Hejustrolledhiseyes,gatheredhisthingsandleftthe seminar!Sincethen,hewentontodeviseasimpletimemanagementsystemthathecoulduse inmanaginghisbusinesses.

1.Touchitonce. 2.Makelists. 3.Planhowmuchtimeyouwillallocatetoeachtask. 4.Plantheday. 5.Prioritize. 6.Askyourself,willithurtmetothrowthisaway?

1.Touchitonce. Donotbeginataskifyouarenotyetreadytodealwithit.Aconcreteexampleisemail.Once youopenandreadyouremails,preparetodotheactionitemsyoufindrightthereandthen. Withtheprevalenceofemailsinourcommunication,wetendtojustreadtheemail,tryto rememberwhatitsaidanddecidetogobacktoitlaterintheday. Thatisawasteoftime!Ifyoucouldjustallot35minutestodowhatisaskedbytheemail,you candiscardthatemailrightawayandthenmoveonwithyourothertasks.Thelessonhereis simple:onceyoutouchit,dealwithit! 2.Makelists. Listsareagreatwaytoorganizeyourtasksfortheday,fortheweek,andforthemonth.You canprepareasmanylistsasyoucan,storethemonyourplanneroryourcomputer.Becareful though.Ifyoulistdowntoomanythings,youwillendupnotfinishingthemallbytheendof theday.Thatwillalsohaveanegativepsychologicaleffectonyou.Youmayfeelasifyoure doingeverythingyoucanandstillitisnotenough.Orthatyoumayendupfeelingthatlistsare nonsense! ChetHolmessuggestslistingdownonly6itemsthatyoumustabsolutelydofortheday.No more.Noless.Thisway,youcouldlookbackatthedayandbesatisfiedthatyouhavedone yourbest. 16

3.Planhowmuchtimeyouwillallocatetoeachtask. Aftercreatingalist,youneedtoestimatethenumberofhours(orminutes,perhaps)youneed toallocateforeachtask.Ideally,eachtaskshouldonlytakeyouuptoanhour.Sixtaskswould thenbedonewithin6hours.Thatleavesyouwithextratimeforcheckingyouremails,goingto meetingsandotherroutinetasksinyouroffice.Ifthenumberofhoursexceedstenhours,then perhaps,youneedtoreassessyourworkhabits.Perhaps,youarenotworkingasefficientlyas possible! 4.PlantheDay. Nowthatyouhaveyourlistandyouknowhowmuchtimeyouneedtoallocateforeachtask, youneedtoplotyourtasksaccordingtothetimeperiodthatyouwantthemworkonthem. Youwillneedyourschedulingskillsforthis.Dothisinthemorningfor510minutesatthestart ofyourday.Considerthistimeasyourplanningtimesoyoucanbemoreeffectiveandmore efficientthroughouttheday.Keepinmindthough,thatyouhavetosticktoyourscheduleno matterwhat! Ifanofficematestopsbyforasmalltalk,trytobepoliteandsaythatyouareworkingon something.Ifthatcantbehelped,thengivehim35minutesandwhenthattimeisup,goback toyourdeskandstartworkingagain. 5.Prioritize! Attheendoftheday,lookatyourlistandyourscheduleagain.Planforthenextdayandput themostimportanttaskfirst.Whenyouhavesurmountedthebiggestandmostimportant challengefortheday,youcancertainlymoveonwitheasetotheeasierones.ChetHolmesalso recommendsthatbusinessownersshouldspendatleast2.5hoursadayingrowingthe business!Notbad!Onceyougotthatgoinginyourdailyworkinghabit,itbecomeseasier! 6.Askyourself,willithurtformetothrowthisaway? Weareinundatedwithemailsandotherformsofcommunicationdaily.Nodoubt,youalso havelotsofreports,referencematerialsandotherdocumentsonyourdesk,onyourdrawer, onyourinboxandonyourcomputerfilefolders.Mostofthesethingsadduptoclutter.Clutter willmakeyourlifemoredifficultbyslowingdownyourmachineorbymakingitdifficultforyou tolookforthemoreimportantfiles. Declutter!Ifyoudontneedaparticularfileordocument,getridofit.Ifyoureasupervisoror aboss,mostlikely,youcanstillhavethosefileswhenyouneedthem. Forsure,therewillbeinterruptionstoyourschedule.Thatcantbeavoided.Whenthereare interruptions,justdealwithitandthengobacktoyoursked.Wouldntitbegreattogobackto yourlistattheendofthedayandcrossoutallsixitemsoffyourlist? 17

 IrecommendChetHolmestimemanagementsystemforpeoplewhoarereallyswamped.Itis straightforwardandsimple.Anditdoesnotrequireanyspecialtools,timerorequipment.But thisispredicatedandbuiltonanimportantconceptthatChetHolmesalsoputforward:what hecalledpigheadeddisciplineanddetermination! Dontstopdoing,dontstoppracticinguntilyoucansaythatyouarealreadyanexpertatwhat youredoingtimemanagementsystemandpracticesincluded!

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DavidAllensGettingThingsDone
GettingThingsDonebyDavidAllenisperhapsoneofthemostcomprehensivetime managementsystemavailable.Hehaswrittena267pagebookdetailingalltheprocessesyou needtoimplementwiththeGettingThingsDonesystem. Wearebesetwithsomanythingsinourdailyworklives.Justtakealookatyourown workplace,thedemandsimposedbyyourboss,thenumberofemailsyouhavetoanswer,in short,youareharriedfromallcornersbythesomanytimemanagementwoes! DavidAllenbeganhisbookbydescribingwhatStuffis.Notsurprisingly,wedohavelotsof stuffinourpersonalandprofessionallives!Ifyoudonotmanagestuff,youwillinundatedbyso manyimpossibledemandsandyouwillliveaclutterfulllife! AttheheartofDavidAllensGettingThingsDonesystemisfivecoreactivitiesandphases: 1.Collect 2.Process 3.Organize 4.Review 5.Do Heresagraphicalrepresentationof theGTDSystem Letsgothroughthedifferentphases onebyone: 1.Collect MostprofessionalsIknowkeepa planneroranorganizeritcouldbe anoldfashionednotebook,adesk calendar,acomputerbased calendar,apocketcalendarinthe smartphoneoralloftheabove! ThemaintaskoftheCollection phaseistogetitoutofyourhead.If youhaveanidea,amessageleftto youbyyourboss,byyourcustomers 19

orsomeoneelse,youneedtocaptureitandwriteitdown.Youcouldrelyonyourmemory alonebutthen,afterseveralbumps,twistsandturnsinyourday,youmayforgetallabout thosethings. Youcanhaveseveralcollectionbucketsforyourstuff.Makesurethoughthatyouhavea masterbucket.Thisway,youcanminimizetheriskofmissingoutsomethings. 2.Process Afteryouhavecollectedalotofstuff,youneedtoprocessthem.Youneedtoevaluateeach stuffthatcomesin.Isthereanyactionyouneedtodowiththeseitems?Ifnoactionisneeded fromonepieceofitem,youcanprobablycrossitoffyourlist,puttheletterinthetrashbinor discardit.Iftheactioncanbedoneintwominutes,thenjustdoitrightaway.Otherwise,you needtodecidewhichnextactionisneeded.Todothat,youneedtomoveontothenextphase. 3.Organize Afterprocessingthestuffthatcameinyourcollectionbuckets,youneedtoorganizethem, dependingonthenextactionstepsyouneedtotake.Youcancategorizethestuffyouhaveinto Projects,Waitinglist,Someday/Maybe,Calendar,orReferences.Projectsaretasksthatwill requireseveralactionsfromyourendbeforeyoucandeclareitdone.TheWaitingListiswhere youputtasksthatrequireyoutowaitforsomeoneorsomethingbeforeyoucancompleteit. TheSomeday/Maybelist,ontheotherhand,canbealongtermgoal,adesire,orawishthat youcanfulfillintheindefinitefuture.YouwillalsoneedtoupdateyourCalendartokeeptrack ofyourtimesensitiveappointments.Referencesarematerialsthatyoucanuseinthefuture foryourprojectsandanyothertasks. 4.Review TheGTDTimemanagementsystemrequiresperiodicreviewstomakeitwork.Youneedto reviewthewholeprocessdaily,especiallyyourcollectionbuckets,theactionableitems,aswell astheotherstepsinthissystem.Atfirst,thismaybedifficulttoimplement.Youmayfeelthat itsalittletoocomplicatedforyourbusyworklife.Butasyougetthehangofit,youcaneasily implementit. 5.Do Beforeyouactuallyforgetit,DOthings!Makesuretofollowthrougheachactionitemuntilitis done.Whilealotofpeopleadvocatemultitasking,theGTDsystemcouldpotentiallyhelpyou doawaywithmultitaskingandyoucanfocusonyourtasksuntilyoucanproclaimthemDONE! AlotofpeoplealsocriticizeDavidAllensGTDbecauseitseemscomplicatedandabitdifficult tofollow. 20

GettingThingsDoneandPomodoroTechnique:AnIntegrated TimeManagementSystem
IhavesetupGettingThingsDoneSysteminmyworkspaceandIdliketoletyouknowthatitis anamazingsystem!IhaveabettersenseofcontrolofmyprojectsandthethingsIhavetodo, andIhaveminimizedclutterinmyworkspace!WhatIamdoingnowisworkingatasystemthat couldintegratethethreetimemanagementsystemswevecoveredinthisblog.Indoingso,I knowthatIcanbeatprocrastinationandmaximizeproductivity. IdidthestepsImoutlininghere.Ihopethatyou,too,couldbuildontheprinciplesand productivitysystemoftheGTDsoyoucanmaximizeproductivityandminimizeprocrastination andclutter! GetacopyofDavidAllensbookplushisAudiobook.Itisagreatproductivityhandbook!Itis verydetailedanditisnotdifficulttofollow.WhileImtravelingandIcantreadthebook,Ieven reviewtheGTDsystemthroughmyMP3player. GetanInbasket.Thisservesasthecollectionplaceforallthatcomesinletters,ideas,bills, notesonameeting,stuffIwanttoreadpracticallyeverythingthatcomesmyway. Buylotsofenvelopesandfolders.Tossinsomeplasticorganizersandboxes.Byhavingthese, youwillbeabletofileandlabelallthefilesandreferencesyouneed.Youwillalsoneedthese fortheticklerfilethatDavidAllendescribedaswellasforfilingyourreferencematerials. Sweepyourmindforallprojects,thoughtsandideasthatneedaction.Listdownallyour openloops.Youcanwritethemonpaper,thenputthemintotheinbasket.Youcanprocess eachoneindividuallyandyoucanidentifynextactionsteps. Gatherallyourstuffandputtheminyourinbasket.Goaroundyourroom,yourhomeoffice area,andevenyourstoragespacestogatheryourstuff.Allofthemshouldgointothein basket.Ifanitemistoobig,writeitsnameonapieceofpaperandoffitgoestotheinbasket. Preparetoorganizeyourinbasket.Setupyourticklerfile,whichisessentiallyacalendarof43 folders12foreachmonthoftheyear,and31envelopesforthedaysofthemonth.Youwill usethisasameansofsendingsomethingtoyourselfatsometimeinthefuture. SetupyourReferencefilefolders/envelopes.ItisbettertojustuseoneAlphasystem.Itmight betemptingtousealotofcategoriesbutitssimplybettertofileyourreferencesfromAZ.Its simpleandallowsyoutofindyourfileseasily. Onceyouvegatheredallyourstuffandyourmentalopenloops,processalltheitemsonyour inbasketanddeterminenextactions.Iftheitemdoesnotneedanyactionfromyou,youcan either, 21

 Throwitaway.Ifitstrashandyouwillnotneeditanymore,thenjustthrowitaway. Incubateit.PutitintheticklerfileorinyourSomeday/Maybelistssoyoucanlookatitagainat sometimeinthefuture. Fileitasreference.Iftheitemhaspotentialvalueforanyofyourprojectsandforyourlife,its besttofileit.Getanenvelope,labelitproperlyandthenputitinyourreferencedrawer. Ifanitem,however,requiresactionfromyou,youcan: Doit!Ifitwilltakelessthentwominutes,doitrightaway! Delegateit.Ifyourenottherightpersontodoit,thenendorseittotherightpersonor organizationforprocessing. Deferit.Ifitwilltakemorethantwominutes,youshouldprobablyputitinyour calendar,dependingonthepriorityyouassigntoit.Ifthenextactionstep,however,is urgentorshouldbedoneanytimesoon,putitinyourNextActionsListforprocessing rightaway. TheGTDSystemalsohelpsyoumanageyourprojectsitemsthatrequiremultipleactionsfrom you.TheGTDProjectmanagementsystemadvocatesasimpleandnaturalplanningmodel awayfromcomplicatedsystemsusedbymostcompanies.Foreveryprojectthatyouhave,you alsoneedonefolderforthoseandfilethemwhereyoucanseethemrightaway. Reviewyourinbasket,yourticklerfilesandyourcalendardaily.ThisiswhereChetHolmes TimeManagementSystemcomesin: 1.Touchitonce. 2.Makelists. 3.Planhowmuchtimeyouwillallocatetoeachtask. 4.Plantheday. 5.Prioritize. ChetHolmeslastsuggestion:AskyourselfwillithurtifIthrowthisaway?hasalreadybeen integratedintotheGTDsystemandyouwillnotneeditatthisstage. Whenyouhavecarefullyplannedyourday,youcanintegratethePomodoroTechniquein accomplishingtasksthroughouttheday. Grabatimerandtimeyourself.Ideally,youshouldonlydoonethingforevery25minutes. Interuptionsareokayiftheydonttakeupall25minutesthatyouhaveallottedforthetask. 22

Afterevery25minuteworkmarathon,havea5minutebreaktobreathe,replenishenergies andprepareforthenexttask! Reviewyoursystemdailyandweekly!Thatisasurewaytomakesurethatyoucancoverallthe openloopsandthenextactionsexpectedfromyou.

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PracticingtheArtofEffectiveDelegation
Justlikemybrother,whois11yearsyounger,IloveNarutothemangaandanimeseries aboutaredheadedyoungloserwhoisouttobecomehisnationsbestninja,althoughhe startedouttobeworstloserintheninjaschoolforkids.EveryFriday,mybrotherwouldaskme ifIvealreadyreadtheweeksNarutomangaepisode.Wethenexchangestorieshowcool Narutosnewmovewasorhowamazingthebattleisgoingandwedspeculateonwhatsgoing tohappennext. NarutohasonespecialpowerthatIwishIhad.ItscalledKageBunshinorShadowClone technique.WheneverImfacedwithlotsofdeadlines,scheduleformeetingsandwhatsleftof mysocalledpersonallife,Ijustwanttoraisemyhands,crossthemtogetherandshoutKage BunshinlikeNarutodoes.IfIwereNaruto,thattechniquewouldhavesummonedtenora hundredofclonesofme.

IfIcoulddoalotbymyself,imagineifwhatahundredmoreofmyselfcoulddo?
GoodleadershaveNarutosKageBunshintechnique.Butitcomesinanothername.Itscalled theartofdelegation. Asaleader,youmaybetalentedandyoumayknowalotofthings.Butyouarestillone individualandyourelimitedbyyourhumanbodyandyourtime.Soifyouwanttodomore, theninvolvemorepeopletowork!AlotofyoungpeopleknowthetwisttotheFilipinoadage

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kungkayangiba,kayakorin!(Iftotherscan,Icandoit,too!)Forleaders,indeed,Kungkaya ngiba,ipagawasakanila.(Ifotherscan,letthemdoit!) Thisisnotaninvitationforyoutobelazyortoletotherpeopledoyourjob.Instead,itmeans mobilizingotherpeopletohelpyoubecomemoreeffectiveandefficientinachievingthe organizationsgoals.Afterall,aleaderisnotsupposedtodoeverything.Youhavefriendsand followerswhocanwalkwithyoutowardstheattainmentofyourcommonpurposeandgoals. Bypracticingtheartofdelegation,youcanenhanceyourleadershipwithoutneglectingother areasoflife.Youmayevenbeabletojointhe5Kmarathonyouvedreamedofjoiningorstarta newblogonleadership. Youcanfreeupyoursked.Ifyouareworkingonaprojectandyoualwaysfeelexhaustedatthe endoftheday,youreprobablydoingtoomuch.Youretoohardworking!AndIdidntmean thatasacompliment.Youarenotdelegatingenough.Whenyoudelegatetasksand responsibilities,youcanfocusonthethingsthatyoudobest. Delegationmaximizesthetalents,skillsandtimeofthemembersofthegroup.Whyworkon thelayoutofthenewsletterifyourteammateMichaelcandoitbetter?Areyousupposedto writeEVERYarticleinthenewsletter?Nope.Whileyoumaybeagreatspeaker,agoodwriter andanaveragelayoutartist,youcanletgoofsomeoftheserolesandmaximizethetalentsand skillsofyourteammates. Insomecases,youmaybeabetterlayoutartistthanyourfriendMichael.Butdelegation enableshimtodevelophislayoutanddesignskillssothatafterafewmoreprojects,youcan dependonhimtodolayouts,insteadofyoudoingitbyyourself.Delegationhelpsyoudevelop andenhancethecapabilitiesandskillsofthemembersoftheorganization. Throughdelegation,youarealsogivingthemessagethatyoutrustandbelieveinyour teammates.Isntthatgreat?Doyourememberatimewhenanateorkuyatrustedyoutodo somethingandyoudeliveredit?Youngpeoplecandoalotofthings,especiallyifleaders believedinthem.Surethesebuddingleadersmaycommitmistakes,butasyoucontinuegiving themtasksanddelegatingresponsibilities,theywillbecomemoreproficientandgoodatit. Whoknows,theymayevenshineasthenextgenerationofleadersinyourorganization? Lastly,byassigningresponsibilitiestomembers,youarehelpingthembecomemore committedtotheorganization.Theyknowthattheircontributionmattersandtheyfeelproud toworkwithyouandfortheorganization. Youcanprobablydosomemultitaskingbyyourselfanddothreetofourthingsatatime eatingwhilecheckingyouremailswhilecomingupwithaplanforyourorganizationalproject andbangingyourheadtotherhythmoftherockmusicplayinginthebackground.Butifyou usetheartofdelegation,five,tenorevenmoretaskscouldbedonesimultaneously!Thats multitaskingatitsbest! 25

DelegatingDosandDonts
Delegateresponsibilityandauthority.Dontjustasksomeonetodosomethingsforyou.You needtoletthemknowthattheyalsohavetheauthorityandthecapacitytodothethingsyou askedthemtodo.Empowerthemtomakedecisions.Butletthemknow,aswell,thelimitsof theirauthority.Inmattersinvolvingmajordecisionswithbudgetaryconsiderations,itwouldbe betterforthemtoconsultyouorotherleaderswithintheorganization. Choosetherightpeopleforthejob.Makesurethattheassignedpersonknowshowtodothe job.Orattheveryleast,heshouldknowwheretogetresourcestogetthejobdone.Ifthe membersofyourteamareallnewbiesorrookies,youmayneedtowalkthemthroughthe processofdoingthingsbeforelettingthemdothejob.Thatscalledempowerment. Inspirethembyexplainingthepurposebehindthetasks.Dontjustpointyourfingersata memberofyourorganizationandtellhimthathehasbeenchosentodosomeimportantthing fortheorganization.Byaskingiftheyarewilling,youalsomakethemfeelspecial.Andyouare givingthemtherighttorefuse.Itwouldbebetterforsomeonetorefuseyourightawayinstead ofcreatingproblemsbystartingthejobandquittingafterafewdaysorweeks.Peoplewill happilyaccepttasksiftheyrealizehowimportantthesetasksare. Clarifyexpectationsandoutcomes.Dontjustassumethattheassignedpersonknowshowto dothejobrightaway.Tomakesurethatyouareonthesamepage,youneedtoclarifywhat youortheorganizationexpects.Letthepersonknowthedeliverablesanddeadlines.Ifyouare organizingaconcertandyouaredelegatingthetaskofcontactingamobilesoundsystem company,thenletthatpersonknowwhatkindsofservicesyouneed,whoheneedstowork with,andthedeadlineinwhichheneedstocompletethetask.Byclarifyingexpectationsand outcomes,youavoidmiscommunication,whichmayresulttomisunderstandingsandproblems inthetask. Dontmicromanage.Whenyoudelegateresponsibilitytosomeone,trustthem.Sure,theymay notbeabletodoitaswellasyoudo.Infact,theymaydoitbetterornot.Dontcalltheperson dailyandtellhimhowtodohisjob.Thatsmeddling.Youmaydomoreharmthangood.Trust thepersonandlethimdealwiththeconsequencesofhischoicesandactions.Ifyou micromanageandgetintheway,youactuallypreventthatpersontogrowindealingwith responsibility. Whichgetsustothenextpoint.Dontfocustoomuchonmethodsandprocess.Focusinstead onresultsanddeliverables.Understandthatthepersonyoudelegatedthetaskisnotyou. Therefore,hehasadifferentpersonality,adifferentsetofskills,adifferentwayofdoingthings. Astheysay,thereareahundredwaystokillthecow.Aslongasthepersonisnotbreakinga laworthepoliciesofyourorganization,heshouldbefine.Youmaybecomeuncomfortableat hisstyleofworking,butifhecandelivertheresultsandoutcomesyoutalkedabout,great! 26

Ensureaccountabilitythroughmonitoringandfollowup.Dontletthepersonfeelallalone andforlornindoingthejobentrustedtohim.Dofollowupontheprogressofthetasks.A simplequestionhowsthetaskgoing?shouldbeenoughtoaskdelebouttheproject.Askif thereareproblemsorissuesyouandtheorganizationshouldbeawareof. Evaluate.Whenthetaskisdone,youneedtositdownandevaluate.Didthepersondelivered theoutcomesyouagreedupon?Whatkindsofproblemsdidheencounter?Howdidhesolve them?Astheleader,itsyourjobtogatherfeedbackfromappropriatesources.Youalsoneed toformyourownfeedbackboththepositiveandnegativeonesandrelateittohim.Dont forgettopraisepubliclyandcelebratetheresultsachievedfortheorganization.Ifyouneedto criticize,doitprivately.Wecouldallimprovefromourfailuresandmistakes.Bypointingout specificareasinwhichthejobfailedorhitsnags,youarehelpingamemberimprovehisskills andbythenexttimehetakesonajob,hewillknowhowtohandleitbetter. Ittakestimetopracticetheartofdelegationbutalwaysresistthetemptationtodoeverything byyourself!

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