Workflow and Time Management Tips for the Self-Employed Workforce

Perry Pockros, Executive Consultant, Trainer & Facilitator

Moderator

Dave CassarVP, Enterprise Solutions

MBO Partners

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Expert Speaker: Perry Pockros

• Independent Executive Consultant, Trainer & Facilitator

– Expertise in work and time management

• Past work experience– PWC– IBM– Hagerty Consulting– Campaign to Fix the Debt

“I consider myself a generalist – an

adaptable problem-solver with a

reservoir of experiences, networks,

skills, and perspectives to help

others generate insights – a better

story – for getting things done.”

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Learning Objectives

• Apply consistent workflow practices and tools

• Triage requests, commitments, tasks and information into a “bucket” typology

• Begin to build a personal workflow system

• Use collaboration tools to facilitate group work products

Workflow Problems We Face

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Not enough

time!

“Immediate” takes precendent over important

Keeping up with email

Overcommitment

Procrastination

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Questions to Ask Yourself When Stressed

• What is the most pressing project on your mind?

• Is it disconcerting? Why?

• What is the intended successful outcome for this project or assignment?

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Why Are Things on Your Mind?

1. You haven’t clarified what the intended outcome is.

– Unclear expectations, poor assignment description?

2. You haven’t decided what is the next appropriate step.

– Procrastinate, ask for help, find a “best practice”?

3. You haven’t documented a reminder of the deliverable or next step in a system that you trust – “Open Loops”

– Simple, reliable, systematic, compatible with work style?

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Mind Like Water

• Download “Open Loops” outside your mind

• Identify all commitments

• Transform stuff

• Tailor leak-proof system

• Relax and increase productivity

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Threefold Nature of Work

PRE-DEFINED WORK WORK AS IT APPEARS

What would you be doing all day without new input or interruptions of any sort?

New ad hoc “to do” stuff – attend meetings, reply to emails/calls, compose memo, review draft documents

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DEFINING WORK

Triaging requests, commitments, tasks and information into organized action.

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Getting Things Done

Three key principles and behaviors

1. Organizing through collection “buckets” • Captured in trusted system outside your minds

2. Deciding next steps through an actionable queue• Be clear on commitments and how to progress

3. Reviewing systematically where you are• Daily and weekly reviews – short and long perspectives

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Five Workflow Phases

1. Collecting stuff to do

2. Processing what needs to be done

3. Organizing how and when it should be done

4. Reviewing your queue and deciding what’s been completed, what’s next to execute, and what’s no longer relevant

5. Executing given priority, time allotment, energy balance

OVERVIEW OF “GETTING THINGS DONE” DECISION TREE MODEL

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no

“stuff”

In-basket

What is it?

Is it actionable? no

yes

What’s the next action?

Will it take less than 2 minutes?

yes

Do it Delegate it Defer it

Waiting (for someone else to do)

Calendar (to do at a specific time)

Next actions (to do as soon as I can)

Trash

Someday/ maybe (tickler file; hold for review)

Reference (retrievable when required)Projects

(planning)

Project plans (review for actions)

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Collection Buckets

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Processing Stuff

IS IT ACTIONABLE?

NO YES

• Delete and discard• Hold for review and

incubate or consider someday / maybe

• Potentially useful as reference material

What’s the next step?

• Project assignment• Do it (now / today)• Delegate it• Defer it

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Organizing Stuff

1. Projects – Multiple step stuff Supporting materials and reference files located elsewhere

2. Do It – if it takes less than 2 minutes

3. Next Actions Calendar (Action reminders)

Time-specific actions Day-specific actions Day-specific information

Delegate – wait for someone else to complete and respond to you

Defer – subdivide into physical action steps (with or without timeframe)

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Organizing Stuff (Cont.)

4. Delete and discard – avoid clutter and noise

5. Incubate – Someday / maybe or remind me later “tickler”

6. Reference - project specific or general filing

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Reviewing Your Queue

Daily

1. Review calendar (AM/PM)

2. Triage email / calls

3. Examine projects list

4. Mental game plan

Time block “like” activities and stick to schedule

1. Review queue and buckets

2. Update lists

3. Get clean, clear, current and complete

Weekly

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Acting and Executing

• Context– What can you do in the moment?

• Time Available– Do I have the right amount of time to allocate to complete

the action?

• Energy Available– How is my energy level for tracking this action?

• Priority– How important is the action and how long has it been in

my queue?

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Next Actions Tactics

• Maintain roster of daily and weekly tasks – Gmail Task list, Word or Excel documents on your desktop

• Organize emails by “@Action” of “@Waiting For” folders; or save in topical buckets

• Group similiar activities together – emailing, editing, phone calls during blocks of time.

• Block your calendar and stick to schedule

ONLY HANDLE IT ONCE (OHIO)

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Email Tactics

• Review Inbox and triage priority. Get “in” to “empty!”

• Do < 2 minute responses first. Take next step to address deferred, multi steps

• Use blank Word document to sequence drafting and reviewing emails (originating or responding)

• Use actionable Subject descriptions

• Update Subject descriptions in Gmail chained dialogues

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Email Tactics (Cont.)

• Designate the To: field for who has the action; cc: is FYI

• NEVER Reply to All

• NRN (No Reply Necessary)

• Response times – Acknowledge request or action and expectation for when the action will be completed

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Setting up a Notebook

• Projects

• Calls

• At Computer

• In Office

• At Home

• Waiting For

• Someday/Maybe (Later)

• Errands

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GTD Applications and Tools

• Google Gmail - Multiple Inboxes, Categories, Labels- Gmail Task List – Actions

• Google Docs - Converting GTD to Docs, shared tools

• SmartSheet GTD Template (www.smartsheet.com)

• Nirvana GTD Template (www.nirvanahq.com)

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Workflow Planning and Collaboration

• Mind Mapping – Visually outline information centered

on theme

• End to End Process Mapping– Understanding all the steps in a

process

• Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed (RACI) Matrix

– Cross functional team roles and responsibilities

• Checklists – A checklist for checklists

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Mind Map: Time Management

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RACI Model

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Planning Your Next Steps

• Personal commitment to begin applying skills and tools

– Where to start, assess value and incorporate into improving your productivity

– Develop a 30-day action plan to begin incorporating systems, tools and behaviors into your time and workflow management.• Over the next 30 days, I want to…• I am going to do…• I need help with…

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Suggested Reading

• Getting Things Done, The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

• Getting Things Done, When You Are Not in Charge by Geoffrey M. Bellman

• The Power of Habit, Why we do what we do and how to change by Charles Duhigg

• Focus – The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman

• The Slow Fix by Carl Honore • The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande

Questions?

perrypockros@gmail.com

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