MANAGING TIME - PART THREE

ONE THING AT A TIME

One of the great moments for any leader is to be able to get to the end of a day and know that you were able to get everything done that you wanted to. It’s not going to happen every day but with the right approach and the right tools, you can enjoy that sense of accomplishment—often.

So what is the right approach and what are the right tools?

This is the third installment in our musing about Managing Time or How to Get All My Necessary Work Done So I Have Time to Do Some Things I Enjoy Outside of Work!

Step One — Use some kind of daily planner. This is your primary Managing Time tool.

There are so many different ways to make your list of priority items for the day. You simply need to choose one and try it and if you don’t like it, then try another. For years I have kept a daily planning diary on my desk that is small enough that I can easily put it into my briefcase when I travel. I like a daily planner that allows me to list at least a dozen items and/or appointments. Most P.C.’s have a calendar or a planner; laptops have daily calendars; BlackBerry’s have daily calendars; your cell phone has some kind of daily calendar; or you can go to a Palm Pilot. You may make your list on a piece of notepaper and that’s OK, too. Whatever you use will work if you will work it.

I usually make my list for the next day at the end of the day or the very first thing in the morning. I try to prioritize my list so that the top of the list shows items that I must get done; then I work down from there. I list any meetings and appointments that I have and then the list becomes my marching orders for the day. I keep my planner open on my desk or available throughout the day. Keeping it in my line of vision helps!

If I don’t get everything done on my list, but I tried, then I have no feelings of guilt. Mentally I just tell the undone items, “You’ll be first in line tomorrow!”

Step Two — Do one thing at a time. This is having the right approach.

Yes, I know there will be interruptions, but when you are finished with the interruption, go back to what you were working on from your list. You need to stay with that task until you get it done and then go on to the next task. Most of the current talk about multi-tasking is not realistic, so I wouldn’t put too much faith in many of these theories. The idea of driving, talking on the cell phone, eating and fixing your hair or your makeup is not multi-tasking. It is sheer lunacy waiting for the right moment to turn into a disaster.

It is a very human tendency to think that as leaders and gifted people, we can juggle many tasks at the same time. Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but NO, NO, you can’t, not when it comes to the tasks you need to get done that day. Our ego will tell us, “YES! You can do that,” but it is not so. You may handle a variety of responsibilities for your company or your organization but when it comes to getting your tasks done for the day, you need to handle them one at a time.

In all of music history, the major composers (Bach, Handel, Haydn) all worked on just one composition at a time. These were all highly talented, highly gifted men who produced major musical compositions—one at a time. They would work with the musical score until it was finished and then they would go on to something else. And then there was Mozart. Mozart was the only composer we know of who was capable of working on thee or four major symphonies at one time. Mozart had the ability to keep all the music in his head, keep the pieces separated, and have all of them turn out to be masterpieces. Mozart is an anomaly because he doesn’t fit the normal mold of creativity at all.

I love leadership and I love the challenge of leading in tough situations. I am not afraid to step into chaotic situations and try to help find a semblance of order for them. I am also a realist and I know that I am no Mozart and if you are honest, neither are you. Stick with the task until you are finished and then move on.

Many leaders find it very helpful to schedule time out of the office so they can work at home or in a quiet place with fewer interruptions. Two or three uninterrupted hours can often produce a lot of work and if creativity is required, a quiet atmosphere is a must. I know one well-known leader who will move out of his personal office and go to the corporate boardroom and work when he needs to do creative work. His secretary knows where he is, as do a few key associates, but they will interrupt him only if it’s urgent.

As a leader, you will need creative time and you will probably have to work at finding it. One thing to recognize about yourself is whether you are a morning person or a night person. I am a morning person and I try to do most of my creative work early in the day because that is when I am most alert. Later in the day I try to do more mundane things like talking to you (just kidding). I have worked for a lot of public speakers, most of whom did their speaking in the evenings (for the uninitiated, they are called evangelists). All of the evangelists I have ever worked for and most that I have known are night people. Why? Because evangelists need to be at the peak of their mental powers in the evening when they are normally speaking. Whether they realized it or not, they had trained themselves to be alert and creative late in the day.

Most administrators and ministry leaders are morning people. We rise early and often start our day around dawn. Whichever you are, a morning person or a night person, I know you will find it helpful to schedule your work with your own body clock in mind. You will get more done and do it better if you heed this simple advice.