Taking Control of your Workday

Dustin B. Oslick, Associatewith special thanks to Miriam P. McHenry

Permian Basin Paralegal’s AssociationApril 15, 2015

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Today’s Agenda

• Prioritizing Tasks• Achieving Excellence• Allotting Time• Other Time Gremlins

Central to Good Time Management…

• Doing the Right Task • At the Right Time • In the Right Way • For the Right Amount of Time

What to do first?

• Structure Your Day – Before you check any

e-mails or voicemails, make a “To Do” list

– Lay out everything you need to get done today

– Approximate how much time each task will take

Wild Cards

• Check your voicemails • Check your e-mail

(bet that “to do” list just got a little bit longer)

Adjust & Prioritize

• Number your “To Do” list

Time Matrix: What is the Right Task?

• I: Urgent and Important

• II: Important, but not Urgent

• III: Urgent, but not Important

• IV: Not Urgent, and Not Important

Level One Priorities

• Important AND Urgent – Hard deadlines – Immediate crises and emergencies– Last minute preparations – Coffee

Level Two Priorities

• Important…but Not Urgent– Soft deadlines– General day-to-day tasks– Future crises and emergencies – That second cup of coffee

Level Three Priorities

• Urgent…but Not Important– Emails and phone calls

requiring a reply – Incoming calls– Meetings– Those pesky clients dropping

in unannounced

Level Four Priorities

• Not Urgent and Not Important– Surfing the Internet – Office gossip– Facebook updates – Your Trivia Crack game– Decaf Coffee

We have the right task, we are doing it at the right time….now what?

The Right Way

• Time management is all about maximizing your results

Excellence vs. Perfection

• Excellence– When you aim for

excellence you will achieve an excellent result

• Perfection– When you aim for

perfection you may never quite get there

But Doesn’t It Need To Be Perfect?

• Perfection is not:– Proofreading – Spell checking – Providing an excellent work product

Define Perfection

• Perfection is: – The inability to stay within the time you budgeted because

of: • Over-editing• Over-analyzing every word choice• Inability to ever finalize your work product

Perfection is the Enemy of Good

Which Leads Us To…

The Right Length of Time

• We have our “To Do” list, now we have to apportion our day

Organize & Prioritize

• Assign every task on your “To Do” list a time – Be realistic– Be flexible– Be positive

Be Realistic

• Do not randomly assign an amount of time • Use past projects as guidelines• If it’s completely new to you, it will take longer• Factor in time to ask questions or review templates

Be Flexible

Set Boundaries….

• Stuff will pop up– Phone calls– E-mails– Drop-in clients– New crises

but Remain Flexible

Be Positive

• As your day progresses, it will be easy to get anxious and feel overwhelmed if you get off schedule

• Take a deep breath• Remember the “To Do” list is our roadmap to where

we are going • Re-assess priorities, re-apportion time, and relax• You’ve got this

• Doing the Right Task • At the Right Time • In the Right Way • For the Right Amount of Time

How Else Can We Improve Our Time Management?

So Now That We Are

Define the Task At Hand

• Clarify instructions and standards so you know exactly what your task is

• Do not be afraid to ask questions if something is unclear

• Alternatively, if you are assigning or delegating a task, do not assume people can read your mind. Be clear on what you want and how you want it

Do Not Re-Invent the Wheel

• Ask if there are form templates you can use so you do not have to waste time with trial and error

Eliminate Procrastination, Distractions, and Interruptions

• The 3 most common barriers to managing time well– Procrastination– Distractions– Interruptions

Procrastination

• If procrastination is your problem, then find the source. Find out what triggers you to procrastinate.

• What is your trigger?– Confused?

• Do you not fully understand the task?

– Overwhelmed? • Do you not know where to begin?

– Fear of Failure? • Are you afraid you will not succeed?

– Attitude? • Do you just not feel like doing it?

Eliminate Distractions

Distractions Clyde Dog Squirrel

What Are Your Squirrels?

Distractions:• Phone calls?• E-mails?• Chatty co-workers?• Text Messaging • Social Media/Internet?

Solutions:• Utilize Caller ID• Turn off alerts• Be assertive with drop-in

visitors • Put your phone on silent• Keep the browser closed

Interruptions

• Interruptions happen all day, they are tough to control

• Take time to consider how you are controlling this time zapper

Eliminating Interruptions

• Practice not answering the phone and e-mail just because it is ringing (Tough, I know!)

• Schedule a block of time to return e-mails and phone calls

• Disconnect instant messaging • Put the iPhone on silent

– Tell the kids and/or spouse to call the office ONLY if it is an emergency

Delegate

• Do not be afraid to assign tasks or ask others for help when necessary

• Remember your time is valuable, are you REALLY the only person qualified for this task?

• Avoid the “it will take too long to explain” mentality – Think long-term and invest in the development of your

team members.

ALMOST OVER

Meetings

• Establish an agenda with time frames

• Invite the smallest number of people required

• Keep presentations to a minimum

Clear the Clutter

• Organize your workspace, especially your desk

• Clutter breeds confusion, so give yourself room to work

• Items in your peripheral vision compete for you attention

Lifestyle

• Be well-rested• Exercise regularly • Stay positive• Know your body

– 8 a.m. - 64% are most productive– 12 p.m. - 13.4% are most productive– 4 p.m. - 10.9% are most productive – 8 p.m. - 6.2% are most productive– 12 a.m. to 8 a.m – 5.5% are most

productive – Lesson: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE

Most importantly, remember…

Structure Your Day - Without Structure, There is Chaos

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Dustin B. Oslick223 West Wall Street, Suite 400Midland, TX 79701 Phone: 432-253-8607Email: doslick@burlesonllp.com