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FindingMORE TIME
A Wildly Assorted Tip List to Help Busy People
for PR and Project Management
Lori Miller | WHNT News 19 for Birmingham Chapter PRCA November 2, 2011
Seriously?
You’re not going to learn anything new today.
(sorry)
The Big Four Productivity Killers
1. Poor Planning
2. Personal Disorganization
3. Procrastination
4. Failing to Manage Distractions
no planning = chaos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicora/2125624321/
FIGHT POOR PLANNING
Time Audit
Priority Setting Tools
Time Audit
1. Record all your daily activities for 3 days -- where do you spend your
time?
2. Record your personal stuff, too
3. OPTIONAL: Color code your categories of time
4. Things to look for:
PUTTING OUT FIRES
DEALING WITH INTERRUPTIONS
DOING PLANNED TASKS
WORKING UNINTERRUPTED
UNINTERRUPTED DOWNTIME
What have you been doing?
Setting Priorities
1. Choose three important tasks to complete each day and focus
relentlessly (take MASSIVE steps toward your goals daily)
2. Do the most important thing first -- which is easier if you’ve
organized the day before so you already know what that is
3. How do you decide?
• Priority Matrix
• Urgent / Important Matrix
Stop Thriving on “Being Really Busy”
Finish time mgmt presso
Draft offsite agenda
Point Mallard ROI
Submit catering order
Intern to-dos while out
Finalize Facebook policy
4
1
3
5
0
2
URGENT / IMPORTANT MATRIX
urgent not urgent
not important
important
FIGHT DISORGANIZATION
Does your brain go in 27 directions at once?
Then you may be susceptible to being overwhelmed in response to a mess
Organize Your Day & Desk
1. Get everything else off your desk
2. Keep a to-do list - COMPREHENSIVE
3. Keep a to-do list - BY PROJECT
4. Keep a to-do list - FOR TODAY
PROJECT ACTION PLAN:Updates statusReferences where info can be found
COMPREHENSIVE TO DO:Keeps track of the big picture without duplicating
Organize Your Day & Desk(continued)
1. Get everything else off your desk
2. Keep a to-do list - COMPREHENSIVE
3. Keep a to-do list - BY PROJECT
4. Keep a to-do list - FOR TODAY
5. Share documents with others - Google Docs / shared server (everyone
knows and they can help keep it updated)
6. Set up an effective reference filing system for inbox and personal files
Nested folders will help you find information when you’re ready for it
(Yeah, that’s too many unprocessedemails!)
to do listsnote takinginfo/news gatheringfile sharingmore
There are lots of productivity tools out there
Organize web articles with keyword tags
Easily choose a meeting date
Get an email digest of Facebook activity -- even if it’s not your page
Easily share documents
More tools just for PR pros - some free, some purchased
An often-asked tip: how to schedule Facebook posts
HERE’S ONE: If it’s a business page - go to your page and click “Edit Page”
Then click on “Mobile”
and “voila” – there it is
Now use Outlook’s deferred delivery option
(1) Open a new blank email(2) Type your post into the SUBJECT line (not the body)(3) Click OPTIONS tab(4) Click on DELAY DELIVERY
Choose your date and time, close and send – DONE!
TIPS for Procrastinators
1. Set time limits and be accountable for them (if we have lots of free
time we do the easier stuff first)
2. Book time for lagging projects -- and stick to them
3. Clean your desk at the end of every day
4. Calendar your tasks - especially the small, repetitive stuff
FIGHT DISRUPTIONS
Three Big Disruptors
1. Email
2. Reactive Personalities
3. Information Overload
Organize Your Email
• Not all message are created equal - “not every virtual hug needs to be
reciprocated”
• Stop scrolling up and down your inbox and calling it work - organize with
nested folders and don’t use the inbox as a to-do list
• Go through your inbox and deal with them. The goal isn’t to respond to each
of those emails but to ruthlessly process them
• Stop “scanning the horizon” to see if something shiny just popped in - check
emails on a schedule
DISRUPTOR #1: EMAIL
On a schedule, you say?!?
TIPS for Email
1. Turn off notifications - audible and visual
2. Give it 3 days!
3. Use templates for repetitive emails
4. Use folders to route emails (Facebook notifications, newsletters)
5. Check emails at set times (if you can stand it, set your email software to only
receive messages at certain increments)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chachijones/821204996/
Learn to Say No - Or At Least Not Now
DISRUPTOR #2: REACTIVES
1. Block time in advance for big projects
2. Close your door. Turn off your phone. Don’t check email.
3. Announce time limits for meetings
TIPS for Filtering Info
1. Pick your two or three social sites and, unless your JOB is to spot the
next big things, stick with them.
2. Subscribe only to the blogs you read - be honest - and unsubscribe
from the ones you don’t, without apology.
3. Remember the email filtering!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephrobertson/11083117/
Keep It Simple, Stupid
DISRUPTOR #3: INFORMATION OVERLOAD
• Never call a meeting to make a decision. Work with people one on one, and then
call the meeting to let the group share and own the decision that's been made.
• Stop volunteering - “What SPECIFICALLY do you need from me?
• Say no to nonessential tasks and meetings
• Set up a weekly 20-minute meeting with yourself to assess
• Delegate - and allow things to happen.
• Type instructions for repetitive tasks you can delegate (no excuses!)
Finding More Time!
1. Plan Better!
2. Get Organized!
3. Get Moving!
4. Manage Distractions!