““15 Ways to be More Efficient 15 Ways to be More Efficient and Have Less Stress in Your and Have Less Stress in Your

Life”Life”

Time Management Time Management TechniquesTechniques

Prepared by Yuri PiltserPrepared by Yuri PiltserNovember 30November 30thth, 2006 , 2006

“Power x 3” – Our Foundation

Knowledge is Power

Pipeline/Contacts is Power

Being Organized and Efficient is Power, too

#1. File, File, File (paper and e-files)

Keep sub-folders in Outlook Keep different color folders (e.g. green for

F/S; red for underwriting, etc.) Filing frees you of clutter (like unclogging

arteries); file things frequently; empty your “buckets” regularly (also refer to #6)

Use Magazine Files (holders) for various projects (as you work, prior to filing)

Key Message: Unclutter your work flow and your work space!

ORGANIZED QUOTE # 1

“There is usually an inverse proportion between how much something is on your mind and how much it’s getting done.”

David Allen (“Getting Things Done”)

#2. Delegate Effectively

Know who does what within the Bank Keep a tickler/checklist system for the

delegated tasks Set the realistic deadlines for tasks you

delegate Delegation frees you up to do other things (e.g.

business development) Expect a delegated performance at least to

equal your own standards Use the delegation of tasks as an effective way

of training your colleagues

ORGANIZED QUOTE #2

“Be steady and well ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.”

Gustave Flaubert

# 3. Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan

“Begin with End in Mind” (Steven Covey) Map out your Plan of Action (in the morning); Start every morning with a clean “To Do Today” list;

no need to clutter your brain with too many items (“stuff”); Clutter is a major stress contributor

Always ask a Question: “What’s my next action?” TaDa and Basecamp lists on the Web are great Review your lists as often as you need to; cross out

the “done” items See “Urgent/Important” Chart; try to be in the upper

tier (i.e. doing what’s important)

Urgency

Importance

Important but not Urgent

Important and Urgent

Neither Important, nor Urgent

Not Important but Urgent

ORGANIZED QUOTE #3

“When hungry, eat your rice; when tired close your eyes. Fools may laugh at me, but wise men will know what I mean.”

Lin-Chi

# 4. Use Technology/Web Effectively

Scan Documents and e-file! Use a Card Scanner (cardscan.net) Label Maker for letters and folders [“P Touch”,

“Dymo”] PDA/Blackberry (syncs with Outlook) Send files home via GMail (has a great search

feature; holds many gigs of memory). Mini Recorder for notes (on the road/office) Speed Dial for frequently dialed phone numbers

(Personal List) Know how to transfer calls, conference calls,

redial, etc.; know how to forward calls to your cell when you are out of the office

Learn various software tricks/shortcuts

ORGANIZED QUOTE #4

“It is not enough to be busy. The question is: What are we busy about?”

Henry David Thoreau

# 5. Use “Cheat Sheets” for various occasions/Organize your thoughts Help you sound better, more professionally

on the phone Don’t have to rummage through memory Prevents “senior moments” You’re more relaxed/”in the zone” as you

don’t spend the energy on “what to say” Use Notes on Outlook Index Cards are great for many uses!

ORGANIZED QUOTE #5

“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.”

Will Rogers

# 6. Take care of your In-Box!

After you collect your information, there are only Four “D” choices: Do it, Delegate it, Defer it, or Drop it;

Use the OHIO technique If actionable, then ACT! One idea: if it takes less

then 2 minutes, Do it! If more, Defer it or Delegate it;

If it’s a Project (e.g. underwriting package) – plan it first (use a “Mise en Place” technique, discussed in #8) and then do/execute it

If not actionable, you must decide what to do: a) Trash, b) Someday/Maybe or c) Reference (file)

ORGANIZED QUOTE #6

“I must create a system, or be enslaved by another Man’s.”

William Blake

# 7. FOCUS!

Energy follows thought! Don’t get distracted easily by small talk Focus on what the other party is saying; use

notepad Don’t open your e-mail every time there’s a ding Focus helps in making work look effortless (e.g.

Federer, Woods) To be successful, one must rise above the daily

minutue and manifest the Clarity of Focus/”Clear Head”

Fly 10,000 feet above the Runway (“daily work”); Be in “the Zone”; pro-active vs. reactive

ORGANIZED QUOTE #7

“You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all small things go in the right direction.”

Alvin Toffler

# 8. Put Effective Systems # 8. Put Effective Systems in Place; Be Efficient! in Place; Be Efficient!

• Always Search for Efficiencies in Your Daily

Work/Routine (even at home)• The better your systems are, the more you don’t

know you have them• Operate on the assumption that every process

(no matter how routine) can be improved, from filing to faxing to memo-writing, etc.

• Get into the “What’s My Next Action?” mode on all the things which need to be done; Don’t “Freak out”/Freeze (use TaDa lists/To do Lists/Notes on Outlook)

• Mise en Place – before completing a project, make sure you have all the pieces of information

ORGANIZED QUOTE #8

“What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn’t have any doubt – it is sure where it is going, and it doesn’t want to go anywhere else.”

Hal Boyle

# 9. Always Know Where to Get What (Information, Forms, etc.)

Panagon, XTender, Moody’s, IDB Info Center, etc. – learn to use them effectively

Reference, websites (use bookmarks) Google, Ask.com, Yahoo Finance, Financial

Calculators; Use Index Cards, Notes (in Outlook), Outlook

folders, etc. to store important information Keep Reference and Forms’ Files and E-Files

ORGANIZED QUOTE #9

“Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape.”

Michael McGriffy

# 10 Don’t be a Perfectionist Let’s not try to be a Mark Twain or a Leo Tolstoy Clarity, not perfection, is the most important

factor Use the “KISS” approach to memo-writing Do “spellcheck”; don’t stress too much over

grammar If readers come across a slightly clumsy

construction of a sentence - it’s not a big deal! Focus on Big Picture: why the deal makes

sense, does management have a lot of experience, what the major risks are, what we need to do to win the deal, etc.

ORGANIZED QUOTE #10

“The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials.”

Lin Yutang

#11 Try to Do and Think One Thing at a Time

Two (or more) commitments in your head are likely to create stress and possible failure

Juggling gets harder as more balls are being juggled

Important to train oneself to process & dispatch everything appropriately (see In-Box slide)

Prioritize your tasks! [A= urgent and important; B= either/or; C= neither/nor (routine task/”busy work” task)]

Be 100% available for the task at hand; then execution becomes clean, clear, precise. You are in control, “in the zone”!

“Mise en Place” – learn from the chefs

ORGANIZED QUOTE #11

“A person with a watch knows what time it is. A person with two watches is never sure.”

Segal’s Law

# 12 Manage Your Time Effectively! Watch for phone conversations/small talk turning into

fluff; look for an elegant way to end them Try to avoid unnecessary interruptions (some hints:

close the door, redirect phone calls, make yourself less visible, etc.) [Also, think before interrupting others: their time is as valuable as yours.]

When scheduling outside calls, try to schedule other calls nearby as well

Be aware of your physical and mental peaks and troughs so that you know how long they last and when they start/end; plan accordingly.

Since your performance levels will fluctuate, the most demanding A-tasks (e.g. writing a memo) should be done while you’re at your peak; leave C-tasks (filing, in-box, Dashboard) for energy troughs

ORGANIZED QUOTE #12

“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

#13 Create Attractive Physical Environment in Your Office Make some instant changes; Be aware of: a)

reading material stuffed into a file and forgotten, b) filing cabinets overflowing with irrelevant/old information, c) sticky notes and other pieces of paper all over the place, d) important contact names stuck on the side of a computer, etc.

Keep pencils, pens, clips in a single accessible container; know exactly where your tools are (stapler, adhesive tape, hole puncher, etc.)

Think of a desk as an “assembly line”; i/of raw materials, it’s information – make it flow

Review your filing systems and general décor every six months or so

Know where everything is!

ORGANIZED QUOTE #13

“A guest sees more in an hour than the host in a year.”

Russian proverb

#14 Do the Weekly/Daily #14 Do the Weekly/Daily Review of Your WorkflowReview of Your Workflow

• Start each week with a clean slate and clean desk; feel the energy of a new day/new beginning.

• Clean up, update and maintain your systems; review your lists of open items on a daily basis.

• Make the right choices, focus on priorities.• Capture, identify and manage your

inventory of commitments. • Master your workflow! Don’t become its

slave.

ORGANIZED QUOTE #14

“Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex and intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior.”

Dee Hock

#15 Don’t Procrastinate!

Use the “Just Do It” approach; “Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today”

Take control of your time, not vice versa; Procrastination creates mental pile-ups and often leads to mental blocks

If it’s on your mind, it’s probably not getting done; Fact: Bright people procrastinate the most (reason: vivid imagination of things going haywire – it often freaks them out)

Avoid information overload (snowball effect) Hint: If we master the other 14 Techniques,

procrastination will become a non-issue

ORGANIZED QUOTE #15

“It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do.”

Elbert Hubbard

Summary: KEY IDEAS

Unclutter your workflow and space Be your In-Box’s boss! Develop good time management skills Use “Mise en Place” for organizing the

various processes of daily work Focus on Important (both Urgent and

not Urgent) items Work Smart; Search for efficiencies in

daily work/routine “Waste not (time), want not” still

applies

Appendix 1: “Mise en PlaceMise en Place” Exhibit to issue a Term Sheet

1. Obtain 3-year financials and latest interim statement

2. Obtain PFS of guarantors (if applicable) 3. Spread the numbers (Credit Dept.) 4. A/R agings and inventory listings5. Order D&B and Expirian reports (Credit Dept.) 6. Prepare Deal Discussion (brief) and Term Sheet

(draft) 7. Discuss with and obtain “green light” from higher-

ups/credit

Final Product/”Dish”: Issue a Term SheetIssue a Term Sheet

Appendix 2: “Mise en PlaceMise en Place” Exhibit to Obtain Approval

1. Obtain signed TS with good faith deposit 2. Create a Face Sheet 3. Ask Credit Dept to do searches/liens and

prepare Top Sheet, Back Sheet and Finsum

4. Get references/document it 5. Prepare a DC Memo 6. Fill out a Risk Rating form 7. Put together a Credit Package8. Distribute it Final Product: Obtain an ApprovalObtain an Approval

Appendix 3: “Mise en PlaceMise en Place” Exhibit to Book a Loan 1. Obtain the approval 2. Oversee a field exam 3. Prepare legal docs/Negotiate docs 4. Ensure searches have been done by attorneys5. Legal docs to be reviewed by our Legal Dept6. Fill out KYC Forms7. Schedule a Closing with client and attorneys 8. Documents are signed at the Closing 9. UCC-1 forms to be prepared and filed 10. Obtain a Payoff Letter from the client’s old bank

Final Product:

Book a Loan (pay off the other bank) Book a Loan (pay off the other bank)