Author: Sue Robins

Lately it seems that I have had many conversations about time management and the interest in Time Management for training programs has been high. As a reminder to students of recent Time Management training programs and as a service to other readers, following is asynopsis of some of the important points of these programs.

First and foremost, the issue of time blocking: a popular approach to time management addressed by many of the gurus in the time management field. With time blocking, it is recommended that you block out specific time periods for project work, meetings and specific tasks. The reason for this is that interruptions are major time wasters. If you look around in the literature you’ll find estimates of anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes lost for every interruption as your focus must reorient twice for every interruption.

For this reason, time blocking advocates recommend that you set aside specific blocks of time for specific tasks. During the time block, you work ONLY on that task, not allowing yourself the distraction of email pop-ups, telephone calls or drop-in meetings. It’s also important to stick to the time allotted; start and stop on the clock. Admittedly, this is no small task and is very difficult to do, especially if you are currently operating in a primarily responsive mode or worse, crisis mode. Of course, you want to be responsive to client needs and requests and address problems quickly. This doesn’t preclude the use of time blocking, however. My suggestion for the time blocking resistant: just block a portion of your day. Allow a portion of it – perhaps even half – to be unplanned time for the day to day activities of telephone calls, emails, impromptu meetings and the like.

Here’s my recommendation for how to get started with minimal frustration.
■First, create a list of the important activities in your work week. Most importantly, include those you’re not getting to but know you should. Next, block out specific times over the next two days to work on one or two of these projects and commit to working on just a specific task without interruptions. Reduce your own hesitation by scheduling these blocks at a time that isn’t a known “busy” period for your business. Refer to this list each time you schedule yourself so you put these important items in the calendar.
■Second: turn off the alerts on your email service. Allow yourself two, three if you must, time periods per day for emails and phone follow up. During that time, read and process emails and phone calls and nothing else. Read emails and respond, archive or delete. Don’t waste time reading and leaving them for later to respond. If you don’t have time to respond, don’t look at your emails!
■Third: commit to following your time plan; make it your personal policy that if it’s on the calendar, that’s what will happen with the exception of true emergencies.

The time blocking approach to time management can be a very difficult transition, particularly if you are dealing with customers face to face for much of your day. If your job description includes ONLY customer service activities, it may be that your entire day is blocked for customer service, but are there particular times of day when certain clients are easier to reach? Might there be value in blocking time for certain customer categories, geographies, order types or shipping time frames? Recognize, however, that time blocked for customer oriented activities such as follow up, answering questions, creating proposals and making proactive telephone calls are all “blockable” activities, which might just reduce crisis related activities!

Tweet Sue @robinssue

sue@ascendtrainingsolutions.com

By Susan Riddering

A great team is made up of people with complementary skills and strengths. A great team has synergy, collaboration, and energy. A great team doesn’t happen by accident, it takes practice, instruction, change .. it takes coaching!

Coaching can help teams communicate, problem solve and create a shared purpose. “Team coaching provides a dedicated time and coach to help teams work through specific business challenges. All members on the team can contribute and share their experience and together develop a plan to overcome that challenge,” explains Susan Riddering, vice president of NorthStar360.

Often times teams may reveal other business challenges that can be impeding an organization’s growth and success. It may be lack of communication from management or lack workflow with other departments. The solutions can be simple and many times zero-cost to implement.

Team coaching is effective for a variety of industries and roles within an organization including managers, sales reps., customer service, systems, marketing, finances, work spaces, equipment, safety, compliance, training, personal development, opportunities, planning and communication. All these roles are interdependent in providing a product or service to customers. Team coaching not only improves the team environment; it also advances how a particular team or department works with other departments.

“It’s amazing to see the team transform even after one coaching session. Everyone is invested in their team and works together to enact positive changes,” states Riddering. “And the improvement is contagious. It brings a whole new energy and sense of excitement to an organization.”

www.northstar360.com

Author:  Carlos Gonzalez

Professor Erwin H. Schell, one of America’s most respected
authorities on leadership, says, “Obviously, there is something more than
facilities and competence that makes for accomplishment. I have come to believe
that this linkage factor this catalyst, if you will, can be defined in a single
word…attitude. When our attitude is right, our abilities reach a maximum
effectiveness and good results inevitable follow.”

Robert Louis Stevenson was bedridden much of his life with
tuberculosis. One day, his wife heard him hacking loudly and said, I suppose
you still believe it is a wonderful day.” Turning towards the brilliance of the
sunlight outside his window Stevenson responded…” I do I will never let a row
of medicine bottles block my horizon.” Thank God for his amazing attitude for
without it we may have never laid our hands on his most famous works like Treasure Island, Kidnapped and Dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde.

The Greek poet
Hermessianex lived about 400 years before Christ. Although his accomplishments
and works are obscured by history, Hermessianex left us a four word phrase
still meaningful today. That is…”As within, so without”. The attitude you
possess within determines external attractions. Taken to further explanation,
as you are within, so will be the quality of your life.

As humans we are
the only life form on earth that has been given complete dominion over our
attitudes, by virtue of the fact that we were born human and given the dignity
of choice. Yet it’s surprising how many of us never choose to exercise control
over our attitudes and channel its creative power for constructive purposes.
Some people see the positives in every situation, while others go through life
seeking their induction into life’s eternal negative attitude hall of fame.
It’s all a matter of perspective.

Finally speaking
of perspective…when Robert Fulton’s first American steamboat was finished, a
trail run was scheduled on the Hudson River. A curious crowd gathered to watch
the fate of the Clermont. One skeptical observer predicted, “They’ll never get
it running.” But the Clermont did run. In fact, the
steamboat picked up speed as black billows of smoke poured from its stack. The
crowd erupted in joy and celebrating applause. How about the negative skeptic?
He shook his head in disbelief as he turned to walk away and then commented.
“They’ll never get it stopped.”

Author:  Carlos Gonzalez

Romana Banuelos had the spirit of a fighter. As you will see she would not be denied. At the ripe old of sixteen (16) her husband deserted her and her two children. She was completely financially broke, untrained at any skill or job, and could not speak a word of English. However, she did have that burning desire that burns within all men and women of achievement. Determined that she was not going to allow circumstances to dictate her life, she packed what little she had, gathered her two children and boarded a bus for Los Angeles.

Romana arrived in Los Angeles with a grand total of seven dollars, which she quickly spent on cab fare as she arrived at the home of a distant relative. Romana immediately began her quest for a better life. She was beaten down, her self-esteem ripped away by the fortunes of life. Moreover, she had no clue how she was going to survive. She did, however manage to hold on to the vision of a new life for her and her children. Her willingness to do whatever it took and her capacity for hard work earned her a job as a dishwasher. Then making Taco’s from midnight to six-o’clock in the morning she managed to save $500, which she invested in a Taco machine. One thing led to another and one day Romana found herself the manager of the largest Mexican wholesale food business in the world.

The story gets better… on September 20, 1971 she was handpicked by then President Richard Nixon to become the thirty-fourth Treasurer of the United States of America. She served from December 17, 1971 to February 14, 1974. Not bad for a women who a few years earlier found herself in a foreign land, penniless, unable to speak the language, single parent mother of two.

Romana had a dream. She was not going to let anyone or anything stand in the way of her dreams and goals. Whenever you think of the incredible accomplishment of this woman; let’s also remember the words of the noted British statesman Benjamin Disraeli when he said…”Nothing can resist a human will, which will stake even its existence on the extent of its purpose”.

www.seenewhorizons.com

Author:  Carlos Gonzalez

It was a cold and dreary day that Fourth of July in 1952. The California coast was blanketed in a thick misty fog. Twenty one miles to the west lay Catalina Island. Florence Chadwick, a thirty four year old long distance swimmer jumped into the icy waters and began swimming to California. Already a conqueror of the English Channel in both directions, she was determined to be the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel.

The eyes and admiration of a nation were upon her. Millions of people were watching on national television. The weight of lofty expectations mounted with every swimmers stroke. As the hours ticked away, Chadwick was faced with bone chilling cold, dense fog and sharks. On several occasions the sharks had to be driven away with rifles. Fatigue never over took her, but the icy waters numbed her to the point of desperation. Her mental faculties were beginning to take leave. She strained desperately to see the California coast line, but her swimmer’s goggles and the murky dense fog prevented her from doing so. She was not a quitter as she proved on numerous occasions, but she realized in her heart she could not go on. She gave a shout to her mother and trainer in the boat to be taken out of the water. She heard the urgings of her mom and trainer not to give up, but all she could see were layers upon layers of thick fog.

Consequently, fifteen hours and fifty five minutes of fighting the elements she was taken out of the water and her dreams of conquering the Catalina channel were at an end. Frozen beyond description and her spirit defeated, her ordeal was magnified when she discovered she was only a half mile from the California coast line. The realization of failure cut to the depths of her soul. The fog robbed her chances of success. Without making any excuses she told a reporter “but if I could have seen land, I know I could have made it” She had been beaten, not by lack of courage, fatigue or the cold. The fog alone had defeated her because it obscured her goal. It had caused her to temporarily lose sight of her dream.

Two months later Florence Chadwick swan the same channel, and as before the fog swept in and again played havoc with her view. This time she would not be deterred, in her heart, mind, body and soul she knew that behind the dreaded fog there was land. Her faith was rewarded with a marvelous victory….she succeeded. Not only was she the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, but she beat the men’s record by two hours.

www.seenewhorizons.com