Inter-Personal Conflict Is A Productivity Time Bomb!

Ever notice how a two- or three-minute conflict with another person can drain more energy from your system than a full day’s work? If you carry that emotional upset with you and then take it home day after day, you make it grow. Down goes your own productivity, and down goes the productivity of those to whom you complain.

Persistent, unresolved conflict is a time-waster of the worst kind. Have the courage to fix it fast. If necessary, seek help from another person. You will conserve both time and energy.

Money! Not the only cost of consumption

When you buy a boat or a summer home, or any number of material possessions, you always know what it will cost in dollars.

How often do you stop to consider the cost of TIME? Most material possessions require some sort of maintenance time. Using possessions requires time too. Some people reach a point where much of their time is controlled by what they have (stuff) in contrast to what they need.

If this is you, consider getting rid of “stuff” that needlessly consumes time. You’ll end up with the luxury of more freedom of choice.

Saying NO is an instant time saver

Saying no is everyone’s prerogative. Here are four simple tips from author Jo Coudert that help you do it in a way that’s not harsh or unkind.

1. “I’m glad you asked, but my schedule won’t permit me to accept your offer.”
2. “Let me think about it.” (You seldom have to accept on the spot.)
3. Use humor. “I suppose you think I say no just because I’m mean! Well, it’s true!”
4. “Sorry, but that’s not something I do.” (That’s inarguable.)

Be ready. Say no when you mean it. In the long run, it’s much easier than saying yes.  This is productivity tip #30 in our book Attack Your Day! Before It Attacks You.

Stop letting people steal your time!

The most common activities that break our focus are interruptions and distractions by others. If we have a wimpy “no muscle” then we will be dominated by them. Dealing with them is easy. All you really need to know are the four response options and the three focus techniques for saying no.

The four response options to interruptions are easy to use. How do you decide which one to choose? Simply color your choices as we described in the first chapter. The four response options are:

1. Respond and do it now when it’s red, (required immediate action).

2. Reschedule for a later time when it’s green or yellow and can be postponed, (needs to be done today or tomorrow).

3. Refer it to someone else if it’s not in your domain.
4. Refuse to do it when it’s gray. This is when you use your “no muscle.”

The four techniques for refusing or saying no are:

1. The Immediate Response Method
This is when you refuse a request on the spot, immediately after it is made. There are four elements you can include in your refusal statement to soften the response. The elements express:

• A desire to be helpful
• A singular reason you can’t
• An expression of regret
• And a thank you for asking

Here’s an example of the refusal statement using those elements. “I’d love to help but right now I just have too much on my plate, I’m really sorry but thank you for asking.” This is a classy approach most people will feel good about.

Caution: When giving a singular reason for saying no such as your plate is full, don’t give details. The more specific reasons you give, the less persuasive you’ll sound. You are not obligated to give reasons.

2. The Delay Tactic
This is when you are unsure and you want to think through the request. People often say yes when they should say no because they are under the pressure of the moment. For example, use a simple statement such as, “I’d like to but I’m not sure I can. Give me some time to think about it and I’ll get back to you.” If, after thinking about it, you decide you can’t, then use a refusal statement with the elements described above.

3. The Helping Hand Approach
This technique is driven by a sincere desire to be helpful even though you must say no. For example, recommend to the person somebody else who might assist them, or you could suggest alternative solutions. You might also agree to commit some limited time to it. It’s good time management to always lend a helping hand when we can.

4. Just say NO
This takes courage. But when a person approaches you with “gray matter” just say NO. Remember, gray stands for activities that are a complete waste of time, such as office gossip. In our seminars we go through an exercise where participants stand up and yell in their loudest voice, “NO…NO, NO, NO. What part of no don’t you understand! Can’t you see that I am working here!”
Practice these techniques and your “no muscle” will get stronger and stronger.

Rationalization can put a choke-hold on productivity

Rationalization is an attempt to justify inappropriate action or inaction. Sometimes people see it as a friend because it can help protect self-esteem. However, it is not a friend when it is used to avoid doing a vital task we don’t want to do.

Perhaps you are avoiding a call to an unhappy customer. You know the customer or client will be angry and you rationalize by saying something like, “This probably isn’t a good time.” Of course, you know it is an excuse.

A close look at rationalization reveals its first-cousin relationship to procrastination. Why? Because rationalization is used to justify putting things off.

Here is the good news! Rationalization is a self-imposed time-waster. This means you can control it. Listen to your self-talk and recognize when you are doing it. Replace those thoughts with a “can do” and “will do” attitude.

Clutter Is The Wake Of Running Rushed

A messy office and desk top, a disorganized residence, and the general chaos of clutter is often the result of being frantically behind schedule.  Consequently, there is no time to put files and physical objects back where they belong.  Things are left out or tossed here and there and become harder to find the next time.

Get ahead of the game.  Plan on the front end how much time your activities will take, and you’ll reduce stress on the back end.  You’ll have time to put things away and save tons of time by not having to search for things.  It can be done.  Work to develop the habit and “mess stress” will be gone!

This is productivity strategy #62 from the book Attack Your Day! Before It Attacks You co-authored by Mark Woods and Trapper Woods, time management experts. Attack Your Day

How Is Your Time Management Vision?

For this test, don’t just cover your left eye or your right eye: close both eyes.  Now, visualize what specific and measurable things you will have accomplished between this moment and six months from now.  Can you see the results you are anticipating clearly?  If so, you have farsighted time management vision.

If you can’t see what you will have accomplished, you are nearsighted. It is likely you are a reactive time manager and are working on the goals of others since you can’t see your own.  Is it time to write a goal-setting prescription to eliminate nearsightedness?  Farsighted time managers actually write the scripts of their own lives.

Don’t wish your time away

This is often what my Mother said to me when I wished I was a little older, out of school, or had challenges behind me. From experience, I later learned she was right. Whether we have a fixation on future time or past time, the result is the same. We miss the good things about our present time.

The skill of focusing on and living in the present is one way to cherish time. Unfortunately, it is not practiced by many until they are older and see their time running out. Look for the good in your garden of today’s time. It’s there to be relished.

Many time problems are self-imposed

Being on time for appointments is gracious

We all face situations from time to time that can cause us to be late for meetings and appointments. Chronic tardiness, however, can diminish our professional reputation. It also irritates others. How is your track record?

One reason people are often late is that they fail to manage transition time. Transition time is the time required to move from one activity to the next and/or from one location to the next, whether it’s just down the hall or across town.

Here’s an idea to improve punctuality: Write in your planner not just when the meeting starts, but also when you are going to leave to go to the meeting. Allow a little extra buffer time too because we are often stopped by a co-worker in a hallway, and there is always the possibility of a traffic jam.

Punctuality communicates to others: “I’m a professional and you are important to me.” Tardiness sends another message.

Make it appoint to always be early to appointments and make it fun. Schedule appointments at off times like 9:58 am, or 12:22 pm and my favorite is 5:55 pm.