Management Article – Time: Every Business Person’s Most Precious Resource June 2007
I use even the smallest bits of time. I’m such a fanatic about it that I have been known to talk on my cell phone while using the men’s room. Though that may seem funny, I do it because I feel compelled to use every minute wisely.
Another way that I maximize every minute is by delegating. As businesspeople and managers, among our most crucial skills is being able to pass a task on to an employee and exercise effective oversight. A writer works for me who does not understand how to delegate and his business cannot grow beyond what he can produce from his own labor. And that limit applies equally to any business owner or manager who isn’t good at delegating.
For those who want big success, delegation is necessary. Smart businesspeople should also look for ways to recycle lost bits of time.
What are some of the ways you can add at least an hour of productivity to each day? Use a PDA to organize your notes and keep track of your objectives more efficiently. Don’t play phone tag! Use a fax machine (or email) to communicate with people who are hard to reach. Use your cell phone whenever possible. Carry your callback list with you (preferably on your PDA) and make those calls while you’re waiting at the doctor’s office and work on something else while your computer reboots. You will be amazed how many snippets of time are available to you in any given day.
When you’re in your car between meetings or going to and from work, you may be able to handle two or three pieces of business on your cell phone (though laws may require you to pull over in some states). Technology is now to the point where you can add voice-activated calling and speakers to your cell phone for safe driving while you talk. You’ll save twenty minutes you’d otherwise have to take later in the day in your office.
If you can accomplish something other than nature’s call while using the restroom, why not do so?
Using time efficiently is a sure way to advance on the path toward significant success. Time is your friend if you use it correctly; your enemy, if you don’t.
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Remember, only you can make BUSINESS GREAT!
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