1, master the basic principles of time management.
The object of time management is not time, but the events that happen all the time around us. What we are exploring is how to reduce the waste of time in order to effectively accomplish the set goals. The key to time management is to control everything and use the available time reasonably and effectively. There are some basic principles for the use of time. If we master and follow these principles, we will make good use of time; If you don't understand and follow these principles, you may waste your time.
(1) principle of convenience
The purpose of time management is to save time and use it effectively. No matter what methods and tools are used, convenience should be the first principle. Only when it is convenient can it be fast, skilled and efficient. If the tools and methods used are too complicated, or if you are not skilled, you can only waste time and lose more than you gain. Although we have entered the network era, as far as time management tools are concerned, traditional paper and pen are still convenient and fast; As far as time management is concerned, it is still flexible and efficient to make a simple timetable.
(2)80/20 rule
At the beginning of the 20th century, Italian economist and sociologist Vivredo Pareto put forward the "80/20 rule", that is, in any particular group, important factors usually account for only a few (20%) and unimportant factors account for the majority (80%), so as long as the important few factors can be controlled, the overall situation can be controlled. Applying the "80/20 Rule" to time management means that 20% of working hours will bring 80% of all benefits. In other words, 20% of the time to deal with the most important things will bring 80% of the results; And if you spend your work on most trivial issues, even if you spend 80% of your time, you can only achieve 20% of your results. It is the most time-consuming to finish unimportant work "excellently". Therefore, scientific time management not only needs to stop wasting time, but also needs to have a clear sense of task planning and management. On the premise of controlling the total amount of time, put efficient time into efficient work, and then continue to expand 20% of the time.
(3) the principle of liquidation priority
Our work can be divided into two dimensions: one is urgency and the other is importance. Take different strategies for four different jobs.
Urgent and important work: refers to dealing with crisis events and completing work under deadline pressure. Generally, it includes equipment failure, product quality problems, business negotiations with customers, etc. Generally speaking, we should not be careless about this kind of thing, and we must deal with it all day long until it is solved.
Important but not urgent work: including long-term planning, innovation, personnel training, organization and coordination, physical exercise, etc. This kind of business doesn't seem to be urgent at all, and it can be completed with ease, but it needs hard work and a lot of energy.
Urgent but unimportant work: including answering the phone, handling uninvited guests, etc. Important work must be completed before such events can be considered. This kind of business also needs to be handled quickly, but it should not take too much time.
Work that is not urgent or important: including optional entertainment, long and untitled meetings, etc.
The performance of four different events and their influences and functions.
(4) the principle of planning
Do things in a planned way, make a comprehensive plan of time in advance, improve the effective use of time, get clear ideas and take clear actions through planning. Plans can be made by time or by project. The length of the time interval in the plan depends on the value of time in the project. If time is short, there should be a shorter time interval. A senior three student who is about to take the college entrance examination usually plans by the day, a person who is taking the exam by the minute and a person who is taking part in the 100-meter race by the second.
2. Overcoming time fragmentation
With the popularity of smart phones, laptops and other electronic devices, WeChat, Weibo, SMS and email have become the means for people to communicate anytime and anywhere. During working hours, we receive more and more information that has nothing to do with work. The constant ringing of mobile phones makes it difficult for us to devote ourselves to important work, and even read WeChat and emails from time to time for fear of missing any important information. In life, we can't go out without a mobile phone and at home without a screen. All kinds of handheld devices let us reply to emails anytime and anywhere, and we even sleep with our mobile phones. Mobile phone screen, computer screen, TV screen, these three scenes divide our time more and more fragmented, and it is more and more difficult to concentrate.
In 2004, Gloria Mark, a professor of information science at the University of California, Irvine, took her graduate students to two American technology companies and observed the employees there for 1000 hours. They found that employees in the office were interrupted by phone calls, emails or colleagues every 1 1 minute on average, and it took them 25 minutes to return to their previous tasks.
Research by neuroscientists shows that people are fascinated by WeChat and Weibo and have an irresistible impulse to check the latest news, which may be related to dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a substance secreted by many areas of the brain, which urges people to look for rewards and make people "want". With the internet, the desire brought by dopamine can be satisfied quickly. For example, if you want to chat with a friend, send him a WeChat immediately, get a reply within half a minute, and then you want to continue to reply. This forms a cycle of "want" and "satisfaction", and each satisfaction brings more desires. Electronic devices constantly provide social information, and we don't know when new information will arrive or what it is, which is the most important reason why devices are addictive.
With the increasing social competition, for a knowledge worker who wants to achieve something, how to work efficiently, make rational use of time and spend time on the cutting edge is not only a technical problem living in the information society, but also a necessary management skill. Overcoming time fragmentation is the most important thing. Here are some specific operation methods.
Set the Silent Period. According to your work characteristics, set one or more "quiet periods" every day, during which you don't take your mobile phone, surf the Internet or watch TV. Focus on important work, reading and thinking; Or concentrate on communicating with family and colleagues. We can't overestimate our self-control. Physical isolation is always the simplest and most effective method.
Concentrate time on processing information. Whether it's WeChat in the mobile phone or text messages and emails in the computer, many of them are "uninvited guests" and don't need to be dealt with immediately. They can browse and reply when they are free, and it won't make any difference. Don't be a captive of information, and don't fantasize that you can do two things at the same time. Even if we can send WeChat while reading a book or handle work while answering the phone in a short time, the error rate is high and we often need to rework.
Handle things in batches. Batch processing is most suitable for piecemeal work that does not need to be done together for a long time, and time and space are divided. Call the customer now, find out all the phone numbers of the customers who will make an appointment tomorrow, and concentrate on telephone communication. This is the batch processing in time. Visiting customers in the same area or nearby areas at the same time as possible can save you a lot of time. This is batch processing in space.
Use your free time. It is a good habit to use spare time, which is the habit of many successful people in the world. During the day, we have a lot of free time, such as waiting for the elevator, waiting for the bus, and on the way to and from work. The survey found that studying on the road every day can save at least 600 hours a year. In my spare time, I might as well think about the clients I will visit, think about my opening remarks and make arrangements for my next work.
Create an efficient time zone. We can create efficient time zones, that is, accomplish more in a limited time. For example, you usually go to work half an hour earlier than others, or leave half an hour later. During the time when no one bothers you, you can think about something quietly.
Establish an efficient environment. For example, things on your desk should be placed according to your own habits. If you are used to using your left hand, then your mobile phone should be placed on the right, so that you can answer the phone with your right hand and take notes with your left hand. Everyone should have the habit of putting things back, so that you don't have to spend time looking for things everywhere and reduce the waste of time.
Slimming friends circle. In the information age, physical distance is no longer an obstacle for people to communicate. So our circle of friends is getting bigger and bigger, and there are more and more friends to contact. There are primary school students, middle school students, college students, former colleagues, current colleagues, customers, suppliers, family members, neighbors, seven aunts and eight aunts, people met by train and plane, people met by eating and shopping. You can't live and work without friends. Gallup survey found that one of the key factors to keep high efficiency is to have at least one good friend at work. Building a healthy friendship is a rich source of energy. But too many friends will inevitably distract us. People's energy is limited, and time management is essentially energy management. Too many friends make our physical, emotional, ideological and spiritual energy mercilessly abused. If it can't be restored and supplemented in time, it will affect efficiency, passion and creativity, or many places are just scratches, but they rarely really invest.
3. Record, analyze and improve
"Busy" has almost become the portrayal of most knowledge workers. But sometimes, we don't know why we are busy, and being busy becomes life itself. The essence of time management is to actively and effectively control time and make it serve people, instead of chasing the rhythm of time all day, working and living in a hurry.
(1) recording time
"Where did the time go? You are old before you feel good. " This is a very popular lyric of 20 14. Knowledge workers also need to ask themselves, where has all the time gone? Why is it always so hectic? First of all, you should record your own time. According to your own situation, divide the daily time into several sections, which can be 1 hour or 2 hours. Fill in the activities at the corresponding time before going to bed or the next day. If possible, you can also record the planned time, actual time and timeout reason of the activity.
(2) Analysis time
After a period of time, analyze and record how the time is planned, whether you often work overtime, what kind of activities the main time is spent on, the proportion of time spent on important but not urgent work, and count the frequency of various activities. At the same time, analyze what causes the waste of time.
Time is wasted because there is no plan.
Because I am embarrassed to refuse, it is a waste of time.
Time is wasted by procrastination.
Time is wasted by the interference of uninvited guests.
Due to the interference of telephone, WeChat, SMS, email, etc., time is wasted.
Too many long meetings lead to a waste of time.
Time was wasted because of messy documents and materials.
Time waste caused by commuting.
Time waste caused by social interaction.
Time is wasted by "hands-on".
Due to the lack of communication and coordination with others, time is wasted.
Time wasted by the boss.
(3) Improve time management
There are many ways to improve time management, and the key is to be targeted. Generally speaking, the following methods can be adopted.
Reduce telephone interference. Screen calls for sales promotion and advertising; Concentrate on answering the phone and avoid "talking on the phone".
Reduce uninvited guests. Objectively analyze the necessity of the talks, make appointments and accept interviews in a planned way; Set the meeting time in advance, effectively control the meeting content and grasp the key content.
Reduce invalid meetings. If you decide to hold a meeting yourself, you should make clear the purpose, topic and expected effect of the meeting, control the number of people in the meeting, and ensure that the meeting does not deviate from the theme; If you attend a meeting arranged by your boss or colleagues, your speech should be concise.
Improve the effectiveness of the plan. Get into the habit of planning everything; Classify the work according to the urgency and importance, and set the priority of the work; Set aside 20% time to deal with accidents or crises every day, summarize the causes and handling methods of emergencies, and reach an agreement with colleagues or superiors on the work content and objectives.
Valid authorization. Change the concept and practice of doing everything; Be good at giving play to the characteristics and advantages of subordinates; Define the standards and deadlines for authorization.
Overcome procrastination. Clarify their respective responsibilities and work requirements; Determine the working nodes and formulate the methods and steps of progress inspection; Improve working methods and refrain from "perfectionism"; Reduce interference.
Learn to sayno. Clear working principles and resolutely refuse people and things that violate these principles; Plan work plans and priorities, and take the initiative to attack; Overcome the thought of "good old man" and the psychology of saving face.
Avoid miscellaneous documents. Organize and process documents at a specific time, and develop the habit of cleaning the desktop and computer; Classify and mark files.
4. Invest some time for the future.
Knowledge workers need to invest some time in the future. Learning, summarizing and accumulating are typical ways to invest in the future. Some people neglect their studies on the pretext of being busy; Some people are not good at using their spare time and spend their good time on endless entertainment and playing mahjong; Some people see others having a good time and doing nothing, but they don't know that others may be tired of studying before playing, or thinking while playing. Mr Kōnosuke Matsushita once said, "If you want to know what a person will achieve, you can look at what he does in the evening. If you can make good use of people at 7 ~ 10 in the evening, his achievements will be twice as high as the average person. "
Under the premise of not affecting the current life and work, investing part of your time in the future can maintain the stability of your income and the continuous improvement of your value.
In the mid-1990s, the products designed by our project team were commissioned by a famous enterprise in Beijing for processing and production. Half a year, responsible for on-site technical service and processing progress coordination. In the meantime, I often discuss the processing technology with two operators of the same machine tool and get familiar with it soon. Both of them graduated from the same technical school and entered the enterprise in the same year, with the same technical level and operating proficiency. The difference is that one likes to drink with friends after work, and the other is in college after school. After many years, I met them by chance, and they were very different. One is still operating a machine tool, and the other got a college diploma through amateur study, and became the deputy director of the workshop, responsible for the production scheduling of the whole workshop. I think the difference between the two can be largely attributed to whether to invest some time in the future.
In short, for knowledge workers, if they want to achieve something, they must manage their time scientifically. Time is the basis of creating and integrating value. As Drucker said, time is the scarcest resource, inflexible, unadjustable, non-storable and irreplaceable.