Organizing for Success Book

Introduction: The 4th Dimension of Time Management 1

The History of This Book 4

The Best Way to Start 6

Why Typical Approaches Don't Work 7

How to Use This Book 9

Lights, Camera, Action! 9

Chapter 1 Lost, But Making Excellent Time 11

The Reasoning for Keeping Track of Your Time 11

Let'S Get Started by Downloading the Timekeeping Journal 12

How to Keep the Journal for Best Results 13

Chapter 2 Taking Control of Your Day 15

What You'll Learn in This Chapter 15

You Have Choices 16

Understanding the Ringmaster "Mindset" 18

The Ringmaster's Strategies 19

Chapter 3 Using a Master List to Create a Plan That Works 29

Using a Master List to Create a Plan That Works 29

How to Create and Use a Master List 30

Quick Tips 35

Chapter 4 Organizing and Planning a More Effective Day and Week 37

Using the End of Your Day to Increase Your Productivity 37

The First Key to Productivity Is How You End Each Day-The End of Each Day Is The Springboard for Getting Off to a Fast Start the Next Day 38

The Second Key to Productivity Is How You Start Each Day-Using The Veggie Principle to Focus on What Matters Most 41

The Third Key to Productivity Is How Much You Get Done by Noon 43

Making an Effective Daily List 43

How to Put Together a Powerful Morning 45

How to Put Together a More Productive and Powerful Week 50

Quick Tips 55

Chapter 5 Prioritizing and Giving Others Your Priorities 59

Why We Have Trouble Prioritizing Accurately 59

How Human Nature Affects the Way We Prioritize 60

Determining and Handling Priorities 61

Establishing Priorities 62

The Five-Part Model to Influence Others 65

How to Negotiate Requests 67

Successful People Do One Thing at a Time 68

See If You Can Fit It into Your Schedule 69

Write Down the Task and Circle the Deadline 70

Show Your Leader and Team Members Your Plan 70

Quick Tips 71

Chapter 6 Controlling E-mail and Using Your E-mail System More Effectively 73

How to Control Your E-Mail 74

Don't Use Your In-Box as Your To-Do List 78

Use Your E-Mail System to Manage Your E-Mail 80

Quick Tips 87

Chapter 7 Organizing Your Writing and Speech to Get Faster Results 89

What You'll Learn in This Chapter 89

Use Your Subject Line to Get Your Reader to Open Your E-Mail 89

What Is the Purpose of Your Letter or E-Mail? 91

Have One Key Point or Issue per Message 91

Consider Your Reader or Audience Before You Write 92

Understand Your Overwhelmed Reader 92

Your Message Should Have These Three Characteristics 93

Understanding What's at Stake 93

Make Your Writing Reader Friendly 94

Use the PADD Model to Organize Your Writing 94

If You Must Forward a Message Give Instructions 95

When You Hit The Reply Key, Modify the Subject Line 95

E-Mail Etiquette 96

Quick Tips 97

Chapter 8 Organizing and Streamlining Your Projects 99

What You'll Learn in This Chapter 99

What Is The Objective of Your Project? 100

Leave Room in Your Plan for Things to Go Wrong 100

Focus on Your Project and Work on It When You're at Your Best 102

To Accurately Set Up Your Project, It's Important That You... 104

Nine Easy Steps to Effective Project Management 105

Quick Tips 113

Chapter 9 Effective Delegation That Works 115

What You'll Learn in This Chapter 115

Why Don't We Delegate More? (The Obstacles) 117

Benefits of Successful Delegation 117

Use Your Master List to Track Tasks You've Delegated 119

The 10 Steps to Delegating Successfully 120

Quick Tips 127

Chapter 10 Planning and Executing an Effective Meeting 129

Characteristics of Unproductive Meetings 130

There Are Three Types of Meetings 130

Planning an Effective Meeting 131

Organize Your Agenda and Meeting This Way 134

Let the Meeting Begin 137

At the End of the Meeting 143

Other Meeting Ideas and Strategies 145

Quick Tips 149

Chapter 11 Managing the Phone and Interruptions 151

Why Interruptions Can Be so Damaging 151

Criteria for a Worthwhile Interruption 152

Try to Control the Noise Around You 153

Turn Your Monitor or Laptop 154

Chairs in Your Office 155

Have a Selective Open-Door Policy 155

Reduce "Drive-by Shootings" 156

Put a Sign Outside Your Cubicle 156

Work Somewhere Else 157

Tell People 157

If Your Computer Schedules Your Time... 158

Learn How to Tactfully Interrupt 158

Stand Up 159

Arrange a Later Time 159

Don't Prolong the Interruption 159

Agree to a Group Power Hour 159

Delegate the Interruption 161

Managing the Phone and Voice Mail 161

Incoming Calls 166

How to Use Voice Mail Effectively 168

Quick Tips 172

Chapter 12 Developing a Simple, Effective Filing System 175

An Example 176

Take Everything off Your Desk 176

Have a Clock Visible 178

Organize Your Tools 179

Remove the Future and Past from Your Desk File 180

How to Set Up Your Working Files 181

Quick Tips 189

Chapter 13 Finding Two More Hours a Day 191

The Law of Subtraction 192

When You Review Your Journal 193

Quick Tips 195

Chapter 14 Recognizing and Managing Procrastination 197

It's Important to Recognize... 197

Major Causes of Procrastination 198

How to Manage Procrastination 199

Quick Tips 203

Appendix: Time Management Action Plan 205

Index 207