HBR Guide to getting the right work done.

The Easter break and my birthday snuck up on me this year. Having just started in a new role and I gave neither the holiday or my birthday much thought. I'm back up at Marcus Beach relaxing and planning for the next quarter. I've been using the down time to do some reading. I'm currently reading, "HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done." The book is a series of short articles on time management and prioritisation. I was happy to find out several techniques I had already been using are recommended. Doing your most important tasks in the morning, scheduling time in 90 minute periods and the need to stop multi-tasking.

In my new role good time management determines my success. The more effectively I manage my time the greater my ability to support accountants in embracing the cloud. The more accountants I help the greater the likelihood I will achieve my targets.

I have noticed that after about 2pm my effectiveness is dramatically reduced. I therefore have set myself the goal of making my most important phone calls prior to that time and use the afternoon for urgent-non important tasks. Unfortunately, in the workforce we are often required to address matters that have nothing to do with our long term objectives. Sometimes it's an option to simply not do these tasks, other time they are important to people senior to us even though they will not contribute towards any of the metrics our role is measured by, we need to do them. It's therefore best to acknowledge that our energy levels vary throughout the day and do those tasks that are most important when our energy is highest and using the low energy time to get through those other tasks.

Another article I found interesting was, 'Stop Mulitasking." The evidence clearly shows that a person who does one task at a time is far more effective then an "effective" multitasker. In fact humans can't multitask all we do when we are multitasking is switching our focus between different tasks. Multitasking results in an effective decrease of our IQ of 10 points. This is the equivalent of being sleep deprived and twice the effect of marijuana smoking. That's right mulitasking makes you a sleep deprived pothead!

Another important take away was the importance of sleep. All the studies confirm it, but people still ignore all the evidence that not getting between 7-8 hours sleep reduces our effectiveness by 40%. Could you be sleep walking through your career? Could the failure to disciplined yourself to goto bed at a decent hour be destroying your career prospects? Chances are, you are a sleep deprived multitasker!

Another article I thoroughly enjoyed was, "Get a raise by getting the right work done." Fortunately, I have a performance review coming up and will have the opportunity to discuss with my manager what I need to achieve in my role. (Though because I'm in sales this is fairly obvious.) Another good read was, "A practical plan for when you feel overwhelmed."

The 'HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done' is a very easy book to read and one I would recommend to any overworked over stressed professionals.