A saying goes that it’s hard to remember you came to drain the swamp when you’re up to your neck in alligators. That rings true in today’s public sector.
So what’s the solution? Time-management and productivity consultant Cynthia Kyriazis suggests an approach that essentially centers on three words: Just say no.
That includes resisting the urge to constantly check e-mail, breaking the habit of keeping a messy desk or a cluttered truck, politely declining to talk between sewer inspection runs about a colleague’s impending divorce, or overriding your ego and asking a supervisor to help you set priorities when you’re overwhelmed.
“Setting priorities is one of the key components of successful time management,” says Kyriazis of Productivity Partners Inc. in Overland Park, Kan. “As author Stephen Covey says, the main thing to remember is keep the main thing the main thing.”
Staying focused sounds simple, but staying the course in the face of distractions is hard. On the other hand, most employees can step back and pinpoint cases where they could be more disciplined.
Obstacles abound
Almost anyone — middle managers, field supervisors or line workers — are beset by “alligators.” A prime culprit is technology, which is supposed to improve productivity.
For instance, smart phones give supervisors access to technologies like GIS maps and GPS data, but they also provide e-mail access anywhere — a blessing and a curse.
“A BlackBerry allows you to check e-mail more frequently and not have hundreds of unread messages in your mailbox,” Kyriazis notes. “But it also eats up focus. You have to remember it’s just a tool. As long as you can manage the tool, and the tool doesn’t manage you, you’re in good shape.”
The same is true with change and shifting priorities, which occur more and more often and can leave employees bewildered. Change is important — organizations need to move quickly and react to shifting conditions.
“Everybody gets that intellectually, but there often seems to be a disconnect between the people ordering the changes and what it does to the people who need to make them,” Kyriazis says. “New strategic plans, for example, must be measurable and time-lined so that everyone knows what’s expected of them, by when, and what resources to use. Without that guidance, there’s no clear priority, so everything be-comes a priority.”
Get focused
So what are line workers or supervisors to do? They can start by consistently establishing a Plan B for times when alligators start nipping unexpectedly. For example, if a report is due in a week about backflow testing results, and you plan to finish it this Wednesday, also block out another later time, just in case you’re derailed.
“Plenty of managers tell me they only plan week to week in terms of time management and prioritization,” Kyriazis says. “They don’t have any problem blocking out time for something, but they rarely plan on when they’ll do it if they can’t get to it during the time they blocked out. Plan B can’t be, ‘Gosh, I didn’t get to it.’
“Without a Plan B, the inclination is to get the work done after hours or on weekends. But once you start to do that, it becomes a habit, you get stressed out and disengaged, and work/life balance doesn’t exist. Your spouse gets angry and your kids wonder where you are all the time. If you don’t make time to do things you personally enjoy, that boosts your stress level and impairs your productivity.”
It’s also critical to determine the things that distract you from doing what you should be doing. These factors can be internal, such as a cluttered desk or a messy service vehicle, or answering the phone while you’re intently working on a project, instead of letting calls go to voice mail.
“Sometimes we intentionally give in to distractions because they’re more fun or we’re anxious about the task at hand,” Kyriazis observes. “But every time you do that, you break the focus on what you should be doing. If you’re checking e-mail every 20 minutes, you’re only exacerbating the situation.”
Managing peer pressure
Other distractions are external, like day-to-day interruptions by peers. A colleague leans into your truck’s window as you prepare to head for the next job site and wants to talk about fantasy football or a personal problem.
“Many people don’t know how to say no, or believe it’s not their job to say no,” Kyriazis says. “But all they need to learn is how to say it gracefully. You can acknowledge that you want to help, but explain that you’re under time pressure and it would be better to, say, come in a little earlier tomorrow morning and talk before you both start your shift.
“It’s important to acknowledge their need, then explain your situation and offer an alternative. Most people will respond positively to that. Sure, some people just won’t take no for an answer. But if it’s not a life-and-death matter that can wait, you must honor your own priorities. Because once you give in, you’ve sabotaged yourself.”
Another tactic for overwhelmed employees is to ask a supervisor to help you set priorities. People often avoid this because they’re afraid it makes them look incompetent in the eyes of their boss, but again it’s what you say and how you say it that counts.
“If your boss says you need to switch gears and do something else, don’t say, ‘No, I can’t do it right now because I’m so busy.’” Kyriazis says. “Ask for help with prioritizing. You may be afraid of looking incompetent, but what’s worse? Missing a deadline on a project? Working all weekend?
“It’s important to put it in context. Tell your boss, ‘I was working on A and B. Do you want me to put them on a shelf for a while?’ It’s simply a matter of explaining where you’re at, not just saying you have too much to do. Don’t throw up your hands and roll your eyes. Be specific. It’s totally acceptable to ask for help if you’re lost in the fray.”
Relieving stress
Successful priority-setting strategies do more than make you more productive. They also help relieve stress, which helps you stay refreshed and be even more effective.
“Repeated tests and surveys show that if people are stressed out and disengaged, they just go through the motions and are far less productive than engaged employees,” Kyriazis notes. “Stress is caused by the gap between what you’re doing and what you should be doing. When you get them closer together, that gap doesn’t exist.”
About the Author
Visit www.propartnersinc.com to learn more about Cynthia Kyriazis and her seminars and webinars about improving time management, productivity and organizational skills.
