I don’t want to hear about how busy you are. We’re all busy. Work isn’t a hobby – it’s what you’re paid to do, so quit whining. Learn to manage your time. Shut down Facebook. Don’t multitask – single task and get one thing done at a time.
Yeah, yeah. I know that sometimes we’re all buried with too many assignments, but even these need to be managed, communicated, and prioritized. As a project manager I’m always stumped when it’s the same people that are late with work over and over. And, ha-ha, it’s the same people I see on Twitter all day posting comments about “how freakin busy” they are. Really? Too busy for work, but not too busy to Twitter about beer and donuts? In case you haven’t picked up on the theme, yes, I have someone who works with me that Twitters about beer, donuts, football, too much work, and other nonsense… and then they’re late with assignments.
So let me help you out on how to get your work done. These are free so you can print ‘em out and share:
1. No whining.
Whining doesn’t do anything for you and especially for others. Suck it up and get it done. It’s called work for a reason. In fact, I think things would be much better if we mandated a project ground rule of “No whiners. No pouters. No crybabies.”
2. Do the hard part first.
Usually the thing we dread the most is the thing we need to do the most. When you’re buried with assignments you have to prioritized, but usually the most important thing is the hardest thing. Do that one first. Or as Mark Twain allegedly said, “Eat a live toad first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen the rest of the day.” In other words, once you get the thing done you’ve been whining about, delaying, and dreading, you’ll be more productive the rest of the day.
3. Create goals.
Goals are a great way to plan your day, your life. Create objectives, write ‘em down, and then get it done. Chunk out your day and set accomplishments for each chunk of the day: I’ll get this report done by 10. I’ll complete these calls by 11AM. I’ll finish this assignment by noon.
4. Be productive.
Productivity and efficiency aren’t the same thing. If you had to paint 600 identical rooms in a hotel the first few rooms might take you seven or eight hours each. As you become more efficient, however, you’d develop a system and do the work faster. This is the learning curve – as tasks are repeated efficiency goes up. Productivity, however, is what you produce per day, per week, or whatever time period you want. The fallacy of the learning curve is that just because you’re more efficient doesn’t mean you’ll be more productive. With the painting analogy, you can paint more efficiently, but if the customer is only expecting you to paint one room per day you might kick off earlier, take your time, or snooze a little. My point being, when you’re efficient find ways to be more productive too.
5. Single Task.
Everyone gets excited when they talk about multitasking. It’s a myth. If you’re writing a report and doing email at the same time look again. You’re working on the report now. Now you’re reading email. The report is waiting for you to hop back over and finish. And then there’s the Internet, the phone calls, the meetings. Forget it. If you want to get things done pick one thing and do just that one thing. Shut down your email. Shut off your phone (GASP!). And get to work.
So there. Now quit whining and get some work done. And if I see one more Twitter post about beer and donuts I’m going to do the hard part and single-task someone’s day.
