Find the time management tips that work for you

Find the time management tips that work for you

The ability to manage time and energy effectively is necessary for a successful life and career, says sales coach Kirsty Spraggon, but it`s vital to find practices that suit your individual needs.

It`s necessary to "slow down just enough to speed up and discover what your own top tips are", she says in Work as if you own it.

Spraggon has found the following ideas work well for her, but you should consider what changes are necessary to make them suit you:

1. Tackle distractions - if you`re easily distracted and love to chat, consciously reduce the frequency and duration of conversations you have with colleagues.

2. Work in chunks of time - energy experts believe people are most productive when they work a maximum of two hours at a time, Spraggon says.

"After this our energy and concentration `peaks out`, our energy levels then deplete and we often become irritable and generally less productive."

She recommends working hard for two hours then taking a 10-minute break to walk, enjoy a quick chat with colleagues, or go and have a healthy, energy-boosting snack.

3. Delay your gratification - some people need to do their most unpleasant tasks first to get them out of the way. "That way these things get done and… the good bits [are] left to do last...just like when you eat a cake and save the icing till the end."

4. Eliminate things - if a task has been on your list for too long and you still haven`t prioritised time to get it done, why torture yourself? "Sometimes the task simply isn`t all that important anymore."

5. Write a `stop doing` list - "One of the best ideas I picked up at a business conference was to write a list of what I should stop doing," Spraggon says.

"It may sound back-to-front but sometimes we are doing and learning so much that we don`t stop to properly evaluate whether the things that are keeping us so busy are actually all that important or productive.

"So take some time to sit and think about the things you may be doing out of habit instead of choice. Identify which ones you would be better off to stop doing."


6. Take a (real) day off - "We all need down time to recharge and a day off is not really a day off unless you divert your phone completely and use this precious time to switch off from any thoughts of work.

"I have heard some wonderful voicemail messages where the person I was trying to reach genuinely explained that I was calling on their one day off and that they were `prioritising family today`. As long as the message is professional and includes a clear


indication of when you will be checking messages (e.g. at noon and 5pm) it is perfectly fine to say that only urgent messages will be returned that day (the rest can be returned the next `working` day)."

7. Colour-code your schedule - manage your time by blocking out certain times in your diary and keeping this aside for you and you alone. Using different colours for work time (with further colour-coding for sub-divisions such as prospecting, planning, administration and so on);

family/friend/social time; and physical exercise time will help you see at a glance whether or not you are "in balance".

8. Use your time gaps - the spare moments in your day can be spent studying industry trends, making a few notes or returning calls. "If you take a close look at your day you will be surprised how many wasted moments you could be using... and if you do this well enough you should find you conserve both time and energy by freeing yourself up earlier at the end of the day."

Spare moments include queuing at the doctor; listening to `hold` music; waiting at traffic lights; and driving to and from appointments.

Make sure you carry a book to read; a notepad for mind-mapping; a dictaphone for recording ideas; your top 50 clients` numbers stored in your phone; and an iPod loaded with motivational, educational and inspirational recordings and podcasts.

"Even something as simple as quietly reciting your personal affirmations or visualising your dreams while you wait in a bus or taxi queue can lift your spirits, your productivity and your whole day in general."


9. `Download` your ideas - "Keep a pen and paper next to your bed at night in case you start to get `busy` in your mind and need to do a `brain-dump` to download all your thoughts so you can sleep soundly."

10. Sleep to recharge - "some thought leaders and mystics liken sleep to a state of deep and rejuvenating meditation. It`s certainly true that your body heals itself best when you are asleep.

This is why it is often more time-effective to take one day off and sleep long hours, feel better and get back to work than to keep battling through operating below par."

11. Pick three non-negotiables - decide on three things necessary to your health and wellbeing and, regardless of what else you do in your day, make them non-negotiable. Spraggon`s three points are a daily 30-minute walk, regular and healthy meals, and plenty of deep sleep....

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Knowledge Sharing - Project Management vs. Product Management

Projects vs. Product (0.0.1.3.P1)
Projects are the way that most new work gets delivered. All projects have certain characteristics in common.

• They all have a beginning and an end.
• All projects are unique. They may be similar to prior projects but they are unique in terms of timeframes, resources, business environment, etc.
• Projects result in the creation of one or more deliverables.
• Projects also have assigned resources - either full-time, part-time or both.
There are other characteristics as well.

Projects can be managed using a common set of project management processes. In fact, a similar set of project management processes can be utilized regardless of the type of project.

For instance, all projects should be defined and planned, and all projects should have processes to manage scope, risk, quality, status, etc.

Products on the other hand, are tangible items that are produced by a project, or perhaps purchased from a vendor. (The vendor would have created the initial product through a project.) Project management can be thought of as a process.

A product is delivered by a project. “Product management” is an approach for centrally coordinating the activities surrounding the long-term support and enhancement of a product. The person that executes these responsibilities is called a Product Manager.

The product management process can start during the project that created the product. If you purchased the product, the product management process can begin when the product is purchased, or a little earlier in the product evaluation and selection process.
Product Management (0.0.1.3.P2)

The role of a project manager is to plan and manage a project. The role of a product manager is focused on the long-term support of the product within the organization.

For the purposes of the following example, you should assume that the product is a third-party tool. (If your product is created internally, you may not have the vendor responsibilities described below.) The product management role is as follows.

• Product Planning

o Coordinate product issues and all communication as the primary contact with the product vendor
o Monitor product direction with the vendor and communicate this information to company stakeholders

o Determine which components of the product should be used in the organization

o Identify opportunities for use of the product
• Testing
o Coordinate testing of new products and releases, including coordinating pilots with potential product users
o Determine when a product is “production-ready” based on testing and pilot projects

o Coordinate certification of new products and releases
• Financial Management
o Coordinate negotiation of product contracts, purchase agreements, and maintenance agreements

o Ensure that budget is available for product purchases and maintenance
o Determine when to consider canceling or reducing maintenance payments based on product direction

• Product Implementation and Deployment
o Coordinate development of a product deployment plan
o Manage and monitor the deployment of the product or new releases
o Deploy (distribute) the product

o Track product inventory (where the product has been deployed)
o Receive ongoing requests from the staff for individual product deployment

o Integrate and add new products and releases into the architecture
• Product Release Management
o Decide when to upgrade to a new release
o Plan and manage new release implementation
o Ensure new releases get added into the architecture if required
• Product Retirement

o Determine when product needs to be retired
o Plan and manage product retirement
o Retire (uninstall) the product from the environment
o Ensure product gets removed from the architecture

e-Recruitment :- Sourcing Resumes (Especially, Passive Job Seekers)

While driving through the list of Recruiter`s Groups, i came across this common question.
"How do you source profiles apart from job boards & networking sites?"


My View: :THINK-OUT-OF-THE-BOX:

Following are the few points that a recruiter should concentrate ( I concentrate).

Assume you as a job seeker, and go for a strategy. If a recruiter is trying to reach you for an opportunity, what would you expect from him. (way of approach, customer service, career orientation, follow-up, personality, professionalism, telephone etiquette, etc,.)

keeping all these points in mind, finalize a strategy. it should be unique. keep updating it with your experiences.

Sources:
Conduct Online Job Fairs,
Webinars,
Free postings

blogs,
Sign-up in Resumes blasters.
Professional Networking sites
Social Networking Sites

Career groups
Alumina
concentrate more on SEO.
Use free Requirement blasters,
Co-ordinate with fellow industry members and share Databases.
Mobile Recruitment...