Perspectives
Reprinted with permission from author, Article Source:
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Dancing with Time: Cha-Cha-Cha!
by Shirley Lee
Have you ever found
yourself trying to run faster than time because you have so much to do? Wouldn’t you rather be dancing in tune with
time instead of racing with it? Think of time management as little steps you
need to take with each project and you will find that not only do you get more
done, you actually feel better doing it.
When trying to dance with time,
learn the T.A.P.P. steps. These steps are: list tasks and priorities, schedule
appointments and priorities, and consider people when planning. When trying to dance to time’s melody, you can think of it in terms of
the three action steps (or verbs) noted in the T.A.P.P. Step* diagram: List, Schedule,
and Consider. Or you can look at it as
the four nouns that make up the components of the dance: Tasks, Appointments,
Priorities, and People (T.A.P.P.).
Let’s
first look at time management the traditional ‘verb’ way.
1.
List
tasks or to-do items and then set priorities to do them.
2.
Schedule
your appointments and cancel any that may overlap which are not personally
helping you meet your goals for the day.
3.
Consider
others only if it helps you get things done.
Doesn’t
that sound like fun? Wouldn’t you love
to be tag-team racing with others using this time management philosophy? If you
were dancing with someone using this philosophy, do you think it would matter
to them if they stepped on your feet?
Now let’s look at time
management using the four nouns as our guide instead of the verbs.
1.
Tasks
that are necessary should be written down do you don’t forget to do them. Believe
it or not, just creating a task list and following it can dramatically increase
your effectiveness. After making a list of tasks, then you must determine which
are the most important items to accomplish and when is the best time to do
them. If a task is necessary, it needs
to be part of a planned effort, plan for it by making an appointment with yourself for the necessary time. If it is not necessary,
delay it until it becomes necessary or may be eliminated all together. A good task list can also reduce time spent
creating progress reports or updating project plans.
2.
Appointments that are important should be kept. If it is not an important appointment,
then someone else should go to the meeting instead, cancel the appointment, or
not agree to make one in the first place. If the decision is to schedule the
appointment, then a planning calendar is the tool to use to schedule the
appointment. Having and using a planning
calendar will insure important
appointments are in writing for remembrance.
Using a planning calendar means always listing appointments and
referring to the appointment listing each day so appointments and meetings will
happen on time. In addition to making appointments with individuals or groups,
it is important for to make time for yourself in order to accomplish important
things.
3.
Priorities insure doing the important things to meet your goals. Typically priorities are set as high, medium,
or low. Then you do the tasks in order
of priority assigned: high first, then
medium, and then if time low. Remember
to assign higher priorities to those tasks that will lead to accomplishing
goals or important projects. When
scheduling time with yourself, put high-priority tasks during your individual
peak performance time.
4.
People are
instrumental to both important appointments and accomplishing high priority
tasks. It is therefore imperative to
consider other people’s needs and opinions. Learn to utilize and value the
people who can help with meeting your goals. Others can help with meeting
deadlines and accomplishing tasks and goals. Different people have different
skills, talents, abilities, and desires.
Each person can contribute where they best fit. Do not be afraid to ask for help or delegate
responsibility. Do not disappoint
someone by not meeting a commitment or missing and appointment, their time is
just as valuable as yours.
Does
this sound like a time management plan you can live with? Would utilizing the T.A.P.P. steps make you
feel like you were dancing with time instead of racing against it? If you
answered yes to either question, then why not try it for a couple of
months? What have you got to lose? Not
much other than an old mindset. What
have you got to gain? Hopefully, better utilization of your time and improved
relationships.
*T.A.P.P.
Steps are from the Managing Time unit of the “Wizard of When - a
Series on Planning”. Copyright © 2003 by Shirley Lee, All Rights
Reserved.
Copyright 2006 Shirley Lee. All
Rights Reserved.
Authored by: Shirley Lee
http://www.geocities.com/slee_rightfit/
Shirley Lee is a consultant/facilitator who helps organizations increase employee, communications, and system capacity to produce results. Shirley designs and facilitates a variety of team building, problem solving, and productivity improvement events. Her programs include managing time, facilitating meetings, project management simplified, workspace or group organization, the problem solving process, and team-building.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com