Time Management: Tackle that List

In honor of the national month of Time Mangement, I wanted to share a link to some of my past time management posts. As we all know, the pace of change is just not slowing down. One of my favorite time management models is the 4 D model. If you are trying to figure our how to get a handle on things take look at your TO DO list and divide it into these 4 Ds:

Do it - What are the activities/tasks that you want to, or need to do? Figure out how much time these will take and SCHEDULE it! Remember, what doesn't get scheduled, doesn't get done.

Defer it - Again looking at your list, what can you defer, or put off to later. Perhaps there are some tasks that really aren't urgent or don't need to be done to next quarter. Again, SCHEDULE these or put it on a separate list for mid-term activities, not daily or monthly activities.

Delgate it - What's on your list that can be delegated to others? To other staff members (or others in your life - i.e. spouse/family member). If you are delegating ensure that people have the resources (budget, knowledge, tools) as well as the responsibility to complete the task. The time spent up front in handing it over may seem like a lot, but should pay off in the end.

Dump it - Take a look and notice those tasks that have been carried forward, and forward, and forward. Hopefully these are the only items that cannot be categorized anywhere else (do, defer, delegate). What do you need to dump? Just say no! What do you need to let go of?

Next time you go to tackle that to do list, consider the 4 Ds to shorten it!

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching
Coaching Services for Teams, Managers and Groups
Follow me: http://twitter.com/jennbritton

Teamwork and Leadership: Complimentarity

“ The most effective leaders know better than to try to be someone they are
not. Whenever they spot an opportunity, they reinvest in their strengths….
Leaders stay true to who they are – and then make sure they have the right
people around them. Those who surround themselves with similar personalities
will always be at a disadvantage in the long run to those who are secure enough
in themselves to enlist partners with complimentary strengths.”
Tom Rath and Barrie Conchie – Strengths Based Leadership

Consider the following questions:

What skills do you bring as a leader?
What are your strengths?
What blindspots are these strengths creating?
What complimentary strengths do you need to really be productive? What complimentary strengths does your team need?
Who do you want to enlist to boost your team and results?

Have a great week,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP

Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley,2010)

Team Coaching Services

Great Book - The Orange Revolution

I've been enjoying a great book which any team leader can benefit from. The Orange Revolution - How One Great Team Can Transform an Entire Organization, is a must read for teams across any industry.

I really liked this book for its' practicality, as well as the research included of 350,000 participants by the Best Companies Group.

The book covers practical suggestions for leaders and team members in creating "breakthrough" teams.

Authors Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have done a terrific job in creating a book that also provides practical approaches to building highly motivated, breakthrough teams.

You can pick up a copy at Amazon, and you may also want to check out the resources available at their site at http://www.organgerev.com/resources.

Have a great week
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)