UP AGAINST THE
CLOCK
HOW YOU CAN
DOUBLE YOUR TIME?
A MANAGER’S GUIDE FOR THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ TIME MANAGEMENT BOOKS
RONALD C. MENDLIN
REGENT PRESS
Berkeley, California
Copyright © 2009 / 2015 by Ronald Mendlin
ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-153-9 ISBN 10: 1-58790-153-6
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008924839
E-Book ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-311-3 ISBN 10: 1-58790-311-3
REGENT PRESS
2747 Regent Street Berkeley, CA 94705 www.regentpress.net ph: 510-845-1196 fax: 510-704-1543 [email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express heartfelt appreciation to Milt Reiterman, Barry Newborn, and Shirley Melnicoe, who have contributed, in their own words, practiced insight and managerial wisdom to this work.
I should like to thank John Schofield, former C.E.O. of A.F.C. (mid-cap company) for reviewing this book.
I would also like to thank my wife, Lorraine Mendlin, for her invaluable support and encouragement with this project and in all things.
Finally, thank you to Jist WORKS, Inc. for allowing me to excerpt much of the material included in Chapter 8, “Unstressing.”
A Balancing Act. Analyzing. A Streamlined Attitude.
Your Desk. Decluttering. Papers, Papers, Papers! Emails and Electronic Files. The Big Sort. Work As You’re Sorting. Types Of Piles. Know Your Piles. Lists. Letting Go Of Lists. Calendars. Filing System. Types Of Files. Rethinking Your Files. A Word About Forms. Reading Material. Setting Your Reading Priorities. Skimming. When to Read. After Reading. Don’t Be Afraid To Purge. Nuggets Of Efficiency. Write Your Own Rules.
Essential Efficiency. Focusing On the Big Picture. Obstacles To Effective Prioritizing. Identifying Obstacles. Break It Down. Blueprint. Examples. Setting Your Goals. Plan of Action. The Task of Writing. Scheduling. Efficient Scheduling. Overcoming Perfectionism. The Principles for Getting Things Done.
Bringing Out The Best. Motivation. Your Example. Evaluate Yourself. Respect. Respectful Criticism. Letting Employees Go.
Why Meet? Who Should Come To A Meeting? Meeting Agenda. When Should You Meet? Where to Meet? Plan For Perfection. Facilitating the Meeting. Snags and Distracters. Prepare For Distractors. Resolving Conflict. The Best Meetings of All.
Why Delegate? What Should You Delegate? To Delegate Or Not Delegate. To Whom Should You Delegate? Plan To Delegate. What Your Delegate Needs From You. Doing Your Part. Motivating Your Delegate. The Responsibility Is Still Yours.
Common Types of Problems. Defining Problems. Analyzing Problems. Attitude for Addressing Problems. Choosing Solutions. Getting Input From Staff. Implementing Solutions. A Word About Crises. Evaluating Your Solution. Preventing Problems. Continual Improvement.
Staying On Track. That Monster, The Phone. Matching The Mode To The Task. The Magic Word: No. Social Interruptions And Long Talkers. A Manager Is Not A Counselor. More Tips For Reducing Interruptions. The Procrastination Monkey. Recognize Your Patterns. Outwitting The Monkey.
Most Common Causes of Stress. Relieving Stress. Stress Reduction Exercises. Stress, Self-Management, And Limits. Creativity And Anxiety. The Wisdom To Know The Difference. Self Check-In