- As for prioritizing my time in my position, I find it almost impossible. I do have a “to do†list, but as the Director of Security for several Campuses 24/7 and the only one in my department, I find myself constantly putting out one fire after another. I constantly receive calls about missing property from students; cell phones, wallets, equipment, etc…., not to mention school property. With almost 2,000 students, there are constant problems, lucky I have over 150 camera feeds I can review following these reports. I do what I can to stay on top of projects I’ve assigned myself to bring the organization up to standards set forth by different governing boards so we can maintain our certifications.
Prioritizing for me is based on importance and time requirments; then all task are placed in check list format.
As a time management tool, I use a very simple To-Do List. Every Sunday I look at the week ahead as to what meetings/appointments I have scheduled. Based on that, I then fill in the blanks on my To-Do List, prioritizing them. As I complete a task, I cross it off my list. Depending upon how much has been accomplished will determine if I rewrite the list for the next day.
By using a checklist of all the things that need to giving them a value from least important to most important
Rody,
This sounds like a great plan.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I have a live electronic document that I refer to daily.
My goals and tasks are prioritized based on which quadrant they are in A, B, C or D
A- Urgent and Important
B- Important not Urgent
C- Urgent not Important
D- Not urgent or important
This method of prioritization has helped me tremendously in staying on target….
I use priority tiers, and then accomplish everything according to where it falls.
For example:
I come into work, and checking my email/calendar to see what's coming up for the day is a tier 1 priority, so I do that first as it also takes only 5 minutes. Then I do my social media work, checking Facebook, Twitter, and other outlets (this is work-related), finding articles and writing posts for the first hour because that's when there's a lot of downtime and I can focus only on that. Social media is also tier 1.
Then I do daily tasks, normally tier 2 unless I'm told something is high-priority. This includes things like responding to emails, doing routine research, meeting with people, and conducting classes. That takes up the bulk of my day, and it's prioritized tier 2 because at least 50% of it can be completed on a different day if necessary.
Lastly, I complete tier 3, which is "things I'd like to get done but doesn't have to be today"; that includes pre-writing posts for social media and scheduling them to go live, edit presentations, or perform web maintainence. All that's on this tier because I know I'll get at least one day a week where I get all my tier 1 and 2 tasks done, leaving me plenty of time for tier 3.
I think my smartphone has been the best overall tool for me in regards to time management. I have a white board in my office and use my Outlook calendar, but neither of those can sit in my pocket all day long! I have it programmed to vibrate 15 minutes before every scheduled event, so no matter where I am I receive a helpful reminder to keep me on track. Thanks Verizon!!!
Outlook had helped me a bit. The tips in this training can be applied through outlook.
When you set an agenda for yor self, and keep arunning list of your duties you can become better at time management nad realize what is more important to you. An A list, a B list, and a C list seem to work well. It brings to mind the most important issues you need to deal with.
I will add prioritizing also includes the need to have a vision of timelines and how whats on your desk or task will effect other.....
For me its all about strategy! Like many others I am pulled in many different directions because of my role and the need navigate through many "surprise attacks" is a regular occurance.
My priorities typically begin the night before as what are th "critical" accompishments that must occur the next day? What are the "hope to do" items and of course the 'nice to be able to do' list. Also know as Priority A,B and C.
I actually write each on a markerboard in my office so it stays fresh. At the same time, I try and move some of the B and C items up a notch otherwise they would never get done.
I believe the key in success regarding time management is not knowing the tasks that are critical but managing how your day is interupted. For the most part thereis plenty of time in a day to acomplish what needs to be accomlished ------uninterupted! The goal is managing the interupted time and not alienating others or living in your own existence.
We must remember that there is a human element to successful business practices and include that in our daily tasks.
The way I prioritize my goals and tasks, consist of a few steps. This is due to a busy lifestyle of balancing my career and a family. In my work, I do like to incorporate time management, by informing my students of different strategies that they can apply to their daily routine. It is important to engage in time management to understand it and be able to apply and relay to others. I personally like to make a list of what I need to do in a week. Since I have a fixed routine throughout the week (taking the children to school and picking them up, work duties, house duties), I schedule what I need to do in between the times the children are not home. Generally , I schedule four to five goals a week, depending on what needs to be done.
I eliminate non critical tasks, and focus only on those that will help me achieve my goal. For example, I like to check my email a couple of times a day; during grading time, this is cut down to once a day in order to accommodate more time for grading to be completed and reviewed.
For meetings with my supervisors and students, I prefer outlook. It is a convenient way to keep track of upcoming tasks, events and projects. An advantage of technology is that you can check your calendar from your phone and seeing your tasks laid out, it becomes easier to prioritize and maximize your time effectively.
Cheers
Su Somnarain
I keep a list not only in Microsoft Office for the reminders but also Microsoft One Note. One Note allows me to create and organize to do lists.
John,
I too liked systems like the Franklin day planner. I am not as confident doing it electronically. How have you adjusted?
I like using a system very similar to way way you laid out in this forum. The system was a Franklin day planner it was very helpful when I was in managment.It let us set up a rough schedule up to a year in advance or look back over notes from the beginning of our use of the system.
Determines what the activity is. If i am assigned a project to complete a threat assessment at a school etc. I list my threats and then I prioritize from highest to lowest (rank them 1-5 ect).
Cristina,
This looks like a good plan.
Thank you, James.
This looks like a great plan. How do you determine which items are the highest priority?
Prioritize by identifying what is immediate and important. Next is determine which task requires less time and can be completed immediately. Last, goals that allows time and flexibility.
I use a standard planner-list the activities that I must accomplish by a certain time. I list the goals for that activity and my goals. I list all tasks assigned to that activity, I list threats to my goals/tasks and list countermeasures. I rank my threats.
