FindingMORE TIME

A Wildly Assorted Tip List to Help Busy People

for PR and Project Management

Lori Miller | WHNT News 19 for Birmingham Chapter PRCA November 2, 2011

Seriously?

You’re not going to learn anything new today.

(sorry)

The Big Four Productivity Killers

1. Poor Planning

2. Personal Disorganization

3. Procrastination

4. Failing to Manage Distractions

no planning = chaos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicora/2125624321/

FIGHT POOR PLANNING

Time Audit

Priority Setting Tools

Time Audit

1. Record all your daily activities for 3 days -- where do you spend your

time?

2. Record your personal stuff, too

3. OPTIONAL: Color code your categories of time

4. Things to look for:

PUTTING OUT FIRES

DEALING WITH INTERRUPTIONS

DOING PLANNED TASKS

WORKING UNINTERRUPTED

UNINTERRUPTED DOWNTIME

What have you been doing?

Setting Priorities

1. Choose three important tasks to complete each day and focus

relentlessly (take MASSIVE steps toward your goals daily)

2. Do the most important thing first -- which is easier if you’ve

organized the day before so you already know what that is

3. How do you decide?

• Priority Matrix

• Urgent / Important Matrix

Stop Thriving on “Being Really Busy”

Finish time mgmt presso

Draft offsite agenda

Point Mallard ROI

Submit catering order

Intern to-dos while out

Finalize Facebook policy

4

1

3

5

0

2

URGENT / IMPORTANT MATRIX

urgent not urgent

not important

important

FIGHT DISORGANIZATION

Does your brain go in 27 directions at once?

Then you may be susceptible to being overwhelmed in response to a mess

Organize Your Day & Desk

1. Get everything else off your desk

2. Keep a to-do list - COMPREHENSIVE

3. Keep a to-do list - BY PROJECT

4. Keep a to-do list - FOR TODAY

PROJECT ACTION PLAN:Updates statusReferences where info can be found

COMPREHENSIVE TO DO:Keeps track of the big picture without duplicating

Organize Your Day & Desk(continued)

1. Get everything else off your desk

2. Keep a to-do list - COMPREHENSIVE

3. Keep a to-do list - BY PROJECT

4. Keep a to-do list - FOR TODAY

5. Share documents with others - Google Docs / shared server (everyone

knows and they can help keep it updated)

6. Set up an effective reference filing system for inbox and personal files

Nested folders will help you find information when you’re ready for it

(Yeah, that’s too many unprocessedemails!)

to do listsnote takinginfo/news gatheringfile sharingmore

There are lots of productivity tools out there

Organize web articles with keyword tags

Easily choose a meeting date

Get an email digest of Facebook activity -- even if it’s not your page

Easily share documents

More tools just for PR pros - some free, some purchased

An often-asked tip: how to schedule Facebook posts

HERE’S ONE: If it’s a business page - go to your page and click “Edit Page”

Then click on “Mobile”

and “voila” – there it is

Now use Outlook’s deferred delivery option

(1) Open a new blank email(2) Type your post into the SUBJECT line (not the body)(3) Click OPTIONS tab(4) Click on DELAY DELIVERY

Choose your date and time, close and send – DONE!

TIPS for Procrastinators

1. Set time limits and be accountable for them (if we have lots of free

time we do the easier stuff first)

2. Book time for lagging projects -- and stick to them

3. Clean your desk at the end of every day

4. Calendar your tasks - especially the small, repetitive stuff

FIGHT DISRUPTIONS

Three Big Disruptors

1. Email

2. Reactive Personalities

3. Information Overload

Organize Your Email

• Not all message are created equal - “not every virtual hug needs to be

reciprocated”

• Stop scrolling up and down your inbox and calling it work - organize with

nested folders and don’t use the inbox as a to-do list

• Go through your inbox and deal with them. The goal isn’t to respond to each

of those emails but to ruthlessly process them

• Stop “scanning the horizon” to see if something shiny just popped in - check

emails on a schedule

DISRUPTOR #1: EMAIL

On a schedule, you say?!?

TIPS for Email

1. Turn off notifications - audible and visual

2. Give it 3 days!

3. Use templates for repetitive emails

4. Use folders to route emails (Facebook notifications, newsletters)

5. Check emails at set times (if you can stand it, set your email software to only

receive messages at certain increments)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chachijones/821204996/

Learn to Say No - Or At Least Not Now

DISRUPTOR #2: REACTIVES

1. Block time in advance for big projects

2. Close your door. Turn off your phone. Don’t check email.

3. Announce time limits for meetings

TIPS for Filtering Info

1. Pick your two or three social sites and, unless your JOB is to spot the

next big things, stick with them.

2. Subscribe only to the blogs you read - be honest - and unsubscribe

from the ones you don’t, without apology.

3. Remember the email filtering!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephrobertson/11083117/

Keep It Simple, Stupid

DISRUPTOR #3: INFORMATION OVERLOAD

• Never call a meeting to make a decision. Work with people one on one, and then

call the meeting to let the group share and own the decision that's been made.

• Stop volunteering - “What SPECIFICALLY do you need from me?

• Say no to nonessential tasks and meetings

• Set up a weekly 20-minute meeting with yourself to assess

• Delegate - and allow things to happen.

• Type instructions for repetitive tasks you can delegate (no excuses!)

Finding More Time!

1. Plan Better!

2. Get Organized!

3. Get Moving!

4. Manage Distractions!

Hope this helps!

lori.miller@whnt.com@lorimillerwhnt