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Performance Tip:  Control Workload Chaos and Go Home On Time? E-mail

In 1966 Peter Drucker wrote a best seller book titled “The Effective Executive”. Forty two years latter individuals and organizations are still struggling to control their workload, tame the “digital deluge” and manage a balanced lifestyle.

Just as few people are trained in information management, even fewer are trained in workload management. Yet every job in the world entails balancing a series of to-dos with the clock. The Gulas Group in conjunction with Priority Management Systems Inc. experience with over 1,000,000 customers worldwide in best-practice productivity processes shows that very few people have a realistic plan for each day. Most plans that we see are non prioritized lists of to do’s that are comprised of hopes, prayers, and dreams-more of a wish list than a plan.
Think about where you presently keep all the things you have to do. For example, how many of the following tools do you use each day?

Notepad, paper to-do list, scraps of paper, post-it notes, whiteboard, piles on the desk, Inbox, electronic to-do list, diary, electronic calendar and your memory.

No wonder we so quickly lose control and find ourselves unable to finish 'a day's' work.

Best practice demands just one place to plan (yes, that’s ONE). When our work is in one place then we have something we can manage and control.
Now that we have consolidated our tasks into one location we have a five step process that will allow you to effectively plan and manage your workload in order to get you home on time with less stress!

1. Write down all the things you need to do tomorrow in one place. (It can be your Priority Manager Planner or your electronic software like MS Outlook or Lotus Notes)
2. Estimate how long it is going to take to get each item done. Total the time - does it fit into your scheduled 8 to 10 hour work day?
3. Are you likely to be interrupted tomorrow? If so, how will that impact your work? It will most likely double the time it takes to accomplish your work. Ask yourself if you can still get the work done after the interruption time is added?
4. Have you included time for lunch? What about travel time to and from your appointments? What about time to check your email? Remember that time for lunch, coffee breaks and checking email can easily add up to one-and-a-half hours.
5. Now total the realistic time and block out your calendar. What time are you going home? Is it the time you want to go home?

Effective planning and controlling clutter is one of six Priority Manager processes The Gulas Group teaches. These six processes create “organizational consistency” in twenty workload skills. These workload skills include issues such as collaboration to taking control of your schedule. Pre and Post assessments surveys show over a 45% increase in results across 20 workload skills three months after the workshop.

The system can be used with software platforms like Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, GroupWise and sophisticated CRM packages like Goldmine, ACT or Landslide. This can also apply to paper planners and smart phones.

Ted Gulas will outline these six vital processes and discuss two in particular on August 26, 2008 at the North Alabama ASTD Showcase 2008 Learning and Performance Expedition from 9 AM till 10 AM. Ted’s session will also provide some real world examples of integrating these two processes into a software platform like Microsoft Outlook.

If you can not make the ASTD Showcase on August 26, 2008, register for one of our on line Executive Briefings on this subject.

Start today to develop the skills that will help you stay balanced and in control of your personal agenda. By developing essential skills such as personal organization, WORK/LIFE balance and workload management you will improve every aspect of your life.

Go to these links to learn more about controlling the workload chaos:
Working Sm@rt with Microsoft Outlook
Working Sm@rt with Lotus Notes
Working Sm@rt with BlackBerry
Priority Manager