Skip Navigation |  Home | About You | How We Work | Services & Programs | About Us 

Effective Time Management-the Secret Word

by Lynnelle Bianco

No. Yes, n. o. NO.

As a company of one or perhaps only a few more than one, you don't have the luxury of time. Someone told me today that as a small business owner there are two, and only two things that I should be concerned with:

1. Getting a paying client.
2. Serving a paying client.

That's it. Well, you and I both know there are a million other things that have to get done, but are any of them any more important than the two listed above? No. Even so, let's face it - there are a million other things you really do have to do. So, how do you work your way through everything faster?

There's a very simple tool to move faster, to increase your productivity. It has to do with the things you decide NOT to do. The most important two letters that increase your productivity AND the productivity of the people you work with are N-O. Say it clearly, firmly and early - before someone has already begun to depend on you.

Getting the website copy just perfect before you make that sales call. Making sure that brochure or flyer is perfect and printed before making that sales call. Going to the e-mail every time you hear the "ding" announcing another delivery into you inbox. Do any of these sound familiar?

Why is this so hard? Because we gravitate to the activities we are comfortable with; subconscious or conscious. Let me ask you this, what were your three biggest goals for this year? And the next question, how much time did you actually spend focusing and working on accomplishing those goals?

Your assignment:

1. Turn off the e-mail notification sound AND pop- up.(If you use Outlook for your email I can send you the instructions to do this if you would like.)
2. Commit to checking email only two times a day. Add a signature to your email that notifies people that you will respond to all emails within 24 hours. If it is an emergency they should phone you.(I can help you with this one, too.)
3. Let voice mail pick up your calls. You can check voice mail a few times a day and return the emergency calls right away, although very few calls are really emergencies, wouldn't you say? You can return the other calls at the end of the day. (This one is up to you and your perseverance.)
4. The next time you find yourself being pulled off course, being encouraged to focus your valuable time on something not critical to your success, say "No".

Four easy things you can do right now to improve your productivity. Four, SIMPLE, FREE things you can do to improve your chances of success. What are you waiting for? Let me know how it goes.

Andy Grove, one of the original founders of Intel and Intel's former CEO speaks about the importance of "n-o" in the book Secrets of Greatness - Advice from the World's Top CEO's and Entrepreneurs.