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Time Management

Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present.
- Roger Babson

Time is our scarcest resource and we all need to work on time management! This is going to be the first of many columns on this subject, as I am convinced that time management is one of secrets to empowering each and every one of us to become more productive in our work and more able to enjoy our other activities.

For most of my life, I thought time was a continuum in that it was an inexhaustible resource. If I wasn't getting my work done, I would get up earlier the next morning to do it (I am not a night person). Well working harder just did not work! Earlier became earlier and earlier. This process led me to be grumpy and irritable (a lot of people are going to say that I am still this way). I have had to learn time management to work smarter, because continuing on this path of self-destruction just wasn't good for me or those around me.

Everyone has his or her own style of working, but we need to have critical self-examination. Some people are fine with constant interruptions, but this does not work for most people or for me. What I find that works best for entrepreneurs is to allocate specific time periods for specific functions and to then stay focused on the particular activity assigned to that time of day.

One of the greatest time wasters is the telephone. Sure you have to be available to talk to customers who are having problems, but I encourage you to limit your time on these calls. Sure this is important, but your time is important, too, and your attention needs to focus on the big picture: What is in your business' best interest?

Telephone tag is notorious for wasting time. I encourage folks to find times that they will be available to take calls. When I return a call from an entrepreneur, I try to encourage them to call me back in the office or on my cell phone at a certain time to avoid the “tag, your it” syndrome that is a huge waste of time. When you are calling and leaving a message, try to remind the person you are calling why you are returning their call and tell them a good time to return the call. It drives me crazy to receive a call from an unknown person who leaves no message, only their name and phone number.

I encourage entrepreneurs to restrict the time they spend on the phone to a concentrated time period. I try to allocate an hour a day to return calls and make new calls. I try to do this either around 9 AM or later in the day around 3. I have found these times work best, as folks are generally available then -- they have finished startup activities and are into the flow of the day.

Another tip that is worthwhile is to prioritize your calling. If an associate can return lower priority calls or calls while you are out of the office on appointments or sales calls, this is a great time saver, especially if your phone has a message transfer feature. Decide which calls are most important to your business and make them first. Everyone who calls you needs to have his or her call returned in a reasonable time period (either the same day or the next day at the latest), but not necessarily by you. If you are going to grow your business and manage your time, then delegation of your tasks is critical.

Just because you are in the office, doesn't mean you have to pick up the phone each time it rings. You can have your calls picked up by voice mail so you can concentrate on the task at hand. Constant phone interruptions really eat up your time. At the appointed time during the day, you can go check your voice mail, return the important calls, and assign some of the calls to your various associates. This method saves your time and helps you to delegate responsibilities to your staff. Don't worry, your spouse and emergency callers will find you!

Concentrating and limiting the time you spend on the phone is the first step towards effective time management and freedom.