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Free articles by Morris Taylor

How to Handle Face-to-Face Interruptions
Our Goals Must Be More Than SMART
Is Multitasking a Good Thing?
5 Tips to Make Better Use of Your Personal Organizer
How to Stop Procrastinating
Great Internet Resources to Make Travel Easier

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How to Handle Face-to-Face Interruptions

According to workplace statistics, the average office worker is interrupted 5-6 times an hour. In many cases it takes only a few seconds of your time to respond, but it can take 3-5 minutes to recover and regain the momentum you had before the interruption!

Clearly some of the most important and productive meetings in the workplace take place face-to-face. Whenever possible, you should try to be the initiator of those meetings so that you can control them. However, when individuals drop by unexpectedly, follow these seven tips to use the time as effectively as possible:

1. Determine the nature of the visit as quickly as possible. A simple

question such as, "So how can I help you today?" is a good way to

find out the topic of conversation. You can then guide the

discussion by asking questions. Ask open-ended questions if you

need the person to elaborate or give more information; ask close-

ended questions if you want a brief, concise response.

2. If you have a door, keep it closed while working. Most people will

take the hint and come back when you seem more inviting. You

might even put a "Do not disturb until __ AM/PM" sign on your

closed door or outside your cubicle.

3. If someone "drops by" unexpectedly to see you, ask them to give

you a few minutes and you'll meet them at their office or desk. In

this way, you'll be able to control how long the conversation lasts

by politely ending the visit and leaving.

4. Stand up when someone walks into your office and interrupts your

work. If you move towards them it will prevent them from coming

any further into your work area and communicate that you don't

have a lot of time available at the moment. You can also pretend

to be heading out and indicate that you only have a moment to chat

or that you will arrange to meet them at their desk or office later.

5. Don't be hesitant to tell visitors that you're pressed for time. If they

seem to forget and wander to extraneous conversation, politely

remind them that you have other tasks that need your attention.

6. It's always best to be honest with unexpected guests, but there are

some coworkers who are notorious for not getting the 'message'

no matter how clearly you communicate it. To handle people like

this, you may want to develop prearranged signals with a

coworker. If an unwanted visitor drops by, walk them in the

direction of your co-conspirator. Catch that person's attention,

then nonchalantly rub your face (or perform whatever signal you've

agreed upon). At that point, the coworker knows to interrupt you

with an 'important message' or question that needs attention

"ASAP!"

7. To decrease the likelihood of face-to-face interruptions, find a

place where you can isolate yourself or hide during your peak

productivity hours. Let one or two people you trust know where to

reach you in case of an emergency, then leave your desk or office

and log some valuable time alone.

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Our Goals Must Be More Than SMART

Most of us know that having well-defined goals is an integral part of effective time management. But now psychologists are saying that having goals is also essential to mental health. Goals help give direction to our lives and ensure that we live by purpose and not by accident. Those without goals tend to wander in circles. They find life aimless and boring and are plagued with depression. They are missing the ‘spark” of life.

To increase the likelihood of achieving the goals we set, time management experts encourage people to set SMART goals. SMART is an easy to remember acronym that is taught in the most modern time management courses as a tool for structuring and clarifying goals. SMART stands for:

Specific – don’t be vague about your intentions. Your goals should be clear and well defined. Avoid words like more, better, good, some, etc. Instead, identify specific quantifiers by asking yourself questions such as “How much?” or “By when?”
Measurable – Build in a way to measure whether you’re making progress. State your goals in terms of quality and/or quantity.
Achievable – You should possess or be able to obtain the resources necessary to get you to the thing or state that you desire.
Realistic – Regardless of the degree of challenge that may be involved, your personal circumstances and limitations indicate that your goal is within the realm of possibility
Time oriented – Each of your goals should have a specific timeframe, i.e., a time to begin and a deadline for achievement. Otherwise they will constantly get put off under daily pressures.

In most cases, however, making our goals SMART is not enough. To get off to the best possible start and increase the likelihood of follow-through, persistence, and achievement, goals need to also be:

Compatible – Your various goals should be consistent with each other. If they are not, their conflict will lead to confusion, wasted time, and eventually bring your best efforts to naught.
Personal – The goals you set must be your own. Other people may be involved, but your motivation will be greater if you are personally and emotionally committed to the outcome.
Written – When a goal or desire is written down, the mind begins to focus on it in a unique and powerful way; the subconscious actually begins to look for opportunities to the make the desired outcome a reality. Putting goals in writing also helps us to refine them over a period of time. So don’t try to keep them in your head – write them down!

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Is Multitasking a Good Thing?

In today's technology-rich environment, people are often tempted
to try to perform many tasks at once. This requires them to
juggle their limited mental resources in order to accomplish
each of these tasks successfully. This mental juggling – commonly
known as “multitasking” -- is not always easy, and in many cases
can lead to greater inefficiency in performing each individual
task. Problems can also occur when a person switches from
performing one task to another. Performing two or more tasks in
rapid succession requires an individual to reorient to each new
task, which itself takes time and other mental resources.

If you know someone who seems to be a successful multitasker, at
some point you’ve probably been sick with envy over his or her
apparent talents and efficiency. But now, new research suggests
that habitual multitaskers are actually making themselves sick,
too!

David Meyer, a professor of psychology at the University of
Michigan, is one of many researchers building on studies that
have shown that multitasking takes its toll not only on the
task but also on the health of the taskers, too. Recent studies
show that multitasking not only lowers efficiency and creates
errors in the tasks performed, but also compromises memory,

causes back pain, can give people the flu and indigestion, and
even hurts teeth and gums.

The body releases hormones to cope with extra-challenging
situations. If the situation goes on for extended periods – such
as in the case of air traffic controllers, traders in a Wall
Street pit, or single mothers – it leads to brain malfunction and
deteriorating health.

In today’s society, the reality is that most people multitask.
We may not be air traffic controllers, but most of us are
challenged by the demands of modern life. And let’s face it --
modern technology’s wide range of gadgetry and electronic

marvels makes it easier than ever to pile our plates with

simultaneous activities. Even if we don’t have to multitask

at work, chances are we do so at home and in volunteer

commitments.

Why it’s unproductive

Studies conducted two years ago by the National Institutes of
Health showed that different parts of the brain are activated
during certain tasks. For instance, when people are presented
with a visual task, neurons in the visual cortex part of the
brain are working. When people pay attention to auditory
stimuli, neurons in another part of the brain begin to work.

But when people try to do both – such as drive and talk on a cell
phone – metabolic activity in both parts of the brain goes down.
The brain actually beings to shut down. The brain not only can’t
do it, it refuses to do it. The result is poor task completion
and lowered efficiency.

Here are some tips to begin breaking the multitasking

habit:

· Do not drive and talk on the telephone.
· Be disciplined in setting out blocks of time to do a
task.
· Focus on that one task, and do not give in to
interruptions.
· Take short mental breaks between tasks to reorient.
Close your eyes, breathe deeply or take a little nap.
· Schedule regular stress relief. Exercise aerobically at
least four times a week for 30 minutes.

· Meditate or learn another method for closing out the
   noise of the world. Take a few minutes each day
   just for some quiet time.
· Take a physical break from your work every 90 minutes
   even if it just means walking around your office for a
   few minutes.

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5 Tips to Make Better Use of Your Personal Organizer

Most professionals utilize some type of organizer to help

them keep track of their various tasks, projects, and

commitments. Whether your personal organizer is as simple

as a pad of paper and a pencil, or as complex as an expensive

electronic gadget that can link directly to your PC, here are

five ways to help you make better use of it while improving

while improving your overall efficiency.

1. Use only one organizer. Consolidate all of your task lists

and the many notes you’ve collected into one record-keeping

system. By doing this, you’ll insure that you always know

where to look for any information you need. Failure to do

this can be disastrous. After all, with so many sources of

incoming information, including email, voice mail, electronic

scheduling software, office memos, etc., the risk of losing

valuable information is significant. So discipline yourself

to consolidate all of this important information in one

location.

2. Keep your organizer with you. You never know when

you’re going to receive an important piece of information.

Whether you're in a meeting, talking on the phone, or surfing

the Internet, as long as you have your organizer on hand you

can immediately schedule appointments, make notes about

a new assignment, or record addresses and phone numbers. And

best of all, you won’t have to wonder later where you put

that note. You’ll know exactly where it is when you’re ready

to use it.

3. Eliminate scraps of paper. Just as you should record those

notes to yourself directly in your organizer, in the same

manner, if someone hands you an important piece of

information on a slip of paper, immediately record it in your

organizer. Internet addresses, book titles, names of

contacts -- whatever it is, record it in the organizer as

soon as possible. By doing this, you will eliminate the risk

of ever being unable to find important data when you need it

most.

4. Refuse to let pieces of paper or other types of information

accumulate on your desk. Instead, discipline yourself to

record the information in your organizer in the form of a

task as soon as you receive it. Also record a target date for

completing that task. For example, the task might be to

read a specific article by the end of the week, or to prepare a

report, or call a specific person. Whatever it is, record the

task and then file the original documentation out of sight. Now

you no longer need to worry that you’ll forget about it; you

won’t forget because it’s recorded in your organizer.

Review the information in your organizer once or twice each

day and select the items you want to work on next. This

strategy totally eliminates the risk of losing track of

important information or critical tasks that need to be

completed. And you’ll also maintain a neat, uncluttered

desk!

5. Customize your organizer to fit your needs. If your

organizer consists of a three-ring binder, try using dividers

to separate certain types of jobs or responsibilities. Or

you might try color-coding your various tasks and projects to

indicate their level of importance. In my time management

workshop, we provide over a dozen different copy-ready forms

for participants to experiment with to create just the right

tool to fit their lifestyle and their needs.

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How to Stop Procrastinating

Are you guilty of procrastination? Many people are.

Do you tend to avoid making big decisions? Are you guilty of

making big plans but never carrying them out? Do you avoid

trying something new? Do you tend to get sick when you have a

job you don’t want to do? If you habitually put things off and

answered, “yes” to any of these questions, you may be a chronic

procrastinator.

What is procrastination?

Procrastination is the habit of putting something off until a

later time. The problem with procrastination is that we often

delay doing things that really need to be done immediately, and

when this happens our effectiveness and productivity are severely

reduced. The truth is that careers fail, businesses fail,

relationships fall apart, often because of procrastination.

Why we procrastinate

Here are three of the most common causes of procrastination:

1. Fear of failure is the biggest culprit. However, different

procrastinators are afraid of different things. Some procras-

tinators are afraid of failure. Many of these people are

perfectionists who believe that doing the task “just okay” is

totally unacceptable and, therefore, they’d rather not do it all

People such as this may even have convinced themselves that they

are only lovable and worthwhile if their performance is excep-

tional.

Other procrastinators are afraid of being successful. Deep down

they fear that their achievement will cause other people to envy

them and see them as a threat, which could lead to a lost of

friends and the support of coworkers. Some fear that their

success may lead others to expect the same performance level

all the time, thus putting them under great deal of pressure.

Still other procrastinators fear they may become workaholics or

believe that they are not deserving of success.

2. Another common reason for procrastination is the individual’s

emotional need to defy authority. These people often see all of

life as a battle for control; procrastination allows them to

exercise some modicum of control, if only in their own lives.

3. Some procrastinators are bored by the task before them and,

as a means to “liven it up”, create an artificial crisis by

choosing to wait until the last minute to tackle it. Coming

up against a tight deadline and making it can be immensely

satisfying. This tactic can raise a boring, uninteresting job to

the level of high-risk drama, complete with enough thrills,

perils, and excitement to maintain this type of procrastinator’s

interest.

How to stop procrastinating

1. The first step is to identity why you procrastinate and the

specific situations that tend to trigger your procrastination.

It helps to articulate what you get out of procrastination

(Examples: “I turn in my reports late so I can avoid being

criticized as long as possible," or "I never pay my bills on time

because I hate boring work.”). This is what keeps you locked

in your procrastination habit.

2. Next, consider the problems your procrastination creates and

compare it to what you get out of procrastination. (Example: “I

hate preparing the monthly financial report, but that means my

boss sees me as unreliable and, therefore, un-promotable.”) If

you can honestly examine your procrastination in the light of

its negative impact, you’ll begin to gain the necessary motivation

to break the habit.

3. Prioritize your tasks. If everything feels like a priority, you

will feel overwhelmed and probably get none of it done. On

the other hand, if nothing is deemed a priority, you’ll do noth-

ing at all. So make a “to do” list and put the highest priority

items at the top and the relatively less important tasks at the

bottom. Then set deadlines for each task. If an item on your

list is a particularly big job, break it down into smaller tasks

or “chunks” and set deadlines for each of the parts. This will

also help to make the job seem less daunting.

4. When you start a new task, take a few moments to visualize

yourself having finished it, and how great you'll feel when it's

no longer hanging over your head. If other people are directly

or indirectly dependent on its completion, visualize them

thanking you and otherwise responding to your accomplishment

in a positive way.

5. Avoid multi-tasking. Most procrastinators move from one task

to the next and fail to complete anything. Discipline yourself

to complete a task before moving on to something new.

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Great Internet Resources to Make Travel Easier

Work-related travel has become much easier in recent years.

Most of us now enjoy smaller LCD projectors and laptops,

wireless Internet connections at Starbucks, and PDAs that allow

last minute edits of PowerPoint presentations. But who isn’t

looking for even more ways to make travel easier?

Here are some exciting Internet resources to ease the pain of

travel:

* Tired of dragging your luggage through the airport? A new

service sponsored by FedEx will pick up your bags from your

home, fly them by airfreight, and deliver them to your hotel. Go to

www.skycapinternational.com .

* Frustrated with complicated hotel alarms and wakeup calls that

come an hour late or not at all? Try www.iping.com to set up an

automated phone call to your hotel room.

* To find the wireless hotspots in your destination city, go to

http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com .

* Visit www.executiveplanet.com to find tips on business etiquette,

dress, conversation, and customs from around the world.

* Not sure if you’re getting the best hotel deal on those discount

Internet sites? Try http://travelweb.flexrez.com/tweb/

This site is partially owned by Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental,

Marriott, and Starwood which offer lowest price guarantees at

10,000 hotels.

* Do you create, copy, pack, and ship your own handout material and

workbooks? Go to http://www.fedex.com/us/officeprint/main/ to

download your materials, have them copied, and delivered to your

hotel door.

* Direct your family to www.webflyer.com so they can track your

flights, worldwide in real time, and know the second your plane

touches down. (Click on “Flight Tracking”.)

Hopefully, these tips will help lighten your load the next time

you take to the sky!

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