TIPS: IMPROVING YOUR ORGANIZATION SKILLS!

  I. MEETINGS: Spending too much time in meetings? Try these ideas.

A. Meeting Agendas. Don’t commit to a meeting until you are furnished an agenda prior to the meeting. Of course if your boss or customer invites you to a meeting it is hard to insist on an agenda, but you can still ask for one. Otherwise you simply don’t agree to go to the meeting. This technique allows you to decide before you go to the meeting if you need to be there. Most people once they are in a wrong meeting will not get up and leave.

B. Rules for meetings.
     1. All meetings should have an agenda.
     2. All meetings should start on time.
     3. All meetings should end on time.
     4. All meetings should have notes published following the meeting.

 II. E-MAIL

A. Distractions. Turn off the “mail drop” voice or buzzer. Many people are constantly distracted by e-mail announcements. Unless your primary job is to answer e-mails, don’t stop whatever you are doing when you receive a new     e-mail. Instead, only check your e-mail two or three times a day. This technique will decrease your distractions and increase your concentration and you will get more work done!

B. Rules Wizard. Have you ever used Rules Wizard? Microsoft Outlook has a tool that will help you reduce or redirect your e-mails. It works like the internet software that screens your e-mail for Spam. You will find it under the Tools section in Microsoft Outlook.

 III. NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GET YOUR WORK DONE?

A. Time on Calendar. Reserve time on your calendar ( Paper or Electronic) for yourself. Very few people schedule time on their calendar for themselves. In the electronic scheduling world you must reserve time on your calendar for yourself or other people will take that time away from you.

B. Calendar Schedule. Make sure your calendar is doable. I work with many people every year and it is very common for me to find people who can’t do what they have scheduled on their calendar. Don’t set yourself up for failure: make sure your calendar is realistic!

Have any questions? If you do, please go to the “Contact Me” page and e-mail me and I will be happy to answer your questions.