Organizational+Methods,+Tips,+and+Tricks

= = = **Chapter 4 - Organizational Methods, Tips, and Tricks**=

Organization is a vital component of properly managing time. There are a variety of self-management techniques and technological resources at your disposal with which you can use to more easily and efficiently conduct your time management plan.

__Self-Management Tips__
Self-management in relation to time management is the term used to describe resources such as planners, lists, delegation, and multi-tasking that will aid you in effictively managing your time.


 * Planners and Lists
 * Daily/Monthly planners or to-do lists are extremely useful when scheduling your day. Not only do they help you to remember the many tasks and components that make up your day, they also allow you to PRIORITIZE.
 * MindTools.com gives a few basic rules to follow when prioritizing:
 * It is important to only schedule 70% of your day and leave the remaining 30% open for unexpected events or interruptions
 * Rank tasks on a scale from "must be done today" to "can be put off until tomorrow" to "can be put off until next week"
 * Schedule and tackle the most important jobs first, and do not waste time on trivial tasks.
 * Remember to carry out all necessary tasks
 * Delegation
 * Delegation refers to entrusting a task to another person
 * Delegation is the MOST UNDERUSED resource of time-management
 * MindTools.com outlines three aspects to consider when utlizing the tool of delegation
 * Time: Do you have the time to delegate? Delegation might simply allow you to entrust work to another trusted individual that will be able to complete the task completely independently. On the other hand, you might have to commit time in support and response to those that you delegate tasks to which might take more time than if you did not delegate in the first place.
 * Availability: Are there available staff members that possess the needed expertise in order to complete the delegated task?
 * Criticality: Is the project high profile and critical to the success of the organization and assignment? Or is it of relatively neutral importance? It is typically more effective to delegate low profile tasks and therefore create more time for you to work on vital assignments of your job.
 * Multi-Tasking
 * Multi-tasking, the concept of "killing two birds with one stone", or completing several tasks at once or in close sequence in order to be more efficient may seem to be a simple idea - but many of us don't utilize this simple tool or we utilize at inappropriate times!
 * Multi-task when completing simple tasks such as delivering a report to a supervisor and scheduling a meeting with him to talk about an assigment.
 * Don't multi-task in-depth projects because you will more likely than not end up losing time rather than gaining time! Each time you take your attention away from a complicated project in order to multi-task - you will have to spend more time leading yourself back to your train of thought and reaquainting yourself with the project.

__Technological Organization__
Technology has allowed our society to become more efficient in ways never thought imaginable! Utilizing the progress that has been made within the technological realm will be extremely beneficial to managing your time. The computers that are available to you in the workplace already possess several programs with which to schedule your day and organize your time more efficiently.

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 * Microsoft Calendar 2007**
 * Microsoft Calendar 2007 is a program that you can use to create a personalized calendar, schedule your day, month, and even year, and create timers to notify you of upcoming events or listings on your calendar
 * Found below is a demonstration of how to use Microsoft Calendar 2007


 * Spreadsheets**
 * INeedMoreTime.com outlines how spreadsheets can aid you in making lists, keeping track of projects and people, or following up on delegated items.
 * You can create and organize spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel found on your company computer

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 * Forms**
 * Forms refer to templates that can be used multiple times for frequent paperwork or correspondence. For instance, instead of typing up a monthly performance report every month, you could create a basic form, and then simply fill in the specific results each month.
 * An example of a thank you letter form is shown below. Thank you letters are often needed to send out to other employees, clients, or customers. You can create a thank you letter form, which you can utilize each time you need to send a thank you letter. You will simply "fill in the blanks" when specializing the form for a specific purpose.

"How Well Do You Delegate." __Mind Tools__. 10 Nov. 2008 ."The Time Manager." __I Need More Time__. 10 Nov. 2008 .