Tactical Time Management Tips

Interview: Time Management, on Michigan Business Beat

June 26, 2014 By Barry

I’ve become a bit of a regular guest on Chris Holman’s radio show, Michigan Business Beat. A couple of weeks ago, we discussed time management – one of the biggest issues facing many people who hire a coach.

In this 6-minute interview, we cover:

My workbook, Time Management Strategies and Tactics (you can get a copy by following the instructions here).
Why “time management” is a bit of a misnomer, and we should instead think about “energy management” and where we allocate our energy.
The importance of saying “no” because of our underlying “yes” to other commitments.
How life and work fit together, including the concept of life balance and the importance of enjoying your work.
My “more, less, start, stop” framework for assessing and changing the activities in your life.

Click below to listen to the interview:

[audio:http://www.dempcoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Business-Beat-June-2014.mp3|titles=Barry Demp, “Business Beat”]

You can also visit my Podcasts page to hear other interviews with me.

Adopting Positive Time Management Habits

October 31, 2010 By Barry

In the final posting of the Time Management blog series, I would like to suggest a few of the higher impact time management tactics that have worked for quite a few of my clients.

Now, the techniques below may appear to be obvious. However, it is committing to making them a habitual part of your life that is the truly rewarding challenge. Are you up for the task?

In your projects, involve people that have ideas and perspectives different from your own.
Write down your plans, goals, and ideas. Without clear direction, reaching your destination is difficult.
People who keep a journal are one-third more likely to feel a sense of progress in their lives.
Apply what you learn immediately to create positive habits and create long-lasting impact.
Take greater time when you speak. People who speak slowly are considered more knowledgeable.

I welcome the opportunity to learn how you have used the information posted in our Time Management blog series in your life and can be contacted at 248-740-3231 or through my website – Michigan Business and Personal Coach.

Optimize Your Time Management

October 7, 2010 By Barry

As a continuation of our Time Management Blog Series, Barry Demp offers some key suggestions on how to “Optimize” the use of your time. The feedback that we have received from these blog posts has been tremendous and we encourage you to continue to provide your thoughts and results after using these suggestions by contacting us. Here are some more great suggestions on the optimization of your time management:

Use a contact/time management system like Outlook, Act, Franklin Planner, or Goldmine CRM to organize your activities and keep your mind free to think creatively. What are some ways you currently use these systems to save time? Let us know.
Hire a business, personal, or technology coach to help you put the necessary support structures in place to create new sustainable habits. See what successful time managers say about this suggestion.
Limit interruptions and distractions by communicating new guidelines for gaining your attention. Appropriately using a closed door and/or a “do not disturb” function on your phone system or simply scheduling your open-door times can help you to be more efficient.
Stephen Covey uses the phrase, “Sharpen the Saw” as a way of investing in the preparatory activities necessary to be most effective. Training, Planning, and Organizing are examples of ways to sharpen the saw. What are some others? Let us know.
Striving for progress versus “perfection” is a way to free up tremendous time and energy. What does this statement mean to you?

Barry Demp is a highly-skilled Michigan Business and Personal coach focused on the areas of leadership, management, coaching, team-building, networking, business development, communication skills, relationship building, motivation, time management, life balance, and goal achievement. He specializes in working with business owners, executives, coaches, consultants, and high-potential professionals by helping them significantly increase their productivity, profitability, and life balance. For more information or assistance, please contact Barry Demp at 248-740-3231 or visit www.dempcoaching.com.

Time Management Blog Series

September 28, 2010 By Barry

Finding creative ways to maximize our time is always a challenging task. As a continuation of our Time Management Blog Series, we have five new suggestions to help you become masterful in managing your time.

Set artificial deadlines for yourself. “The task expands to fit the time available.” Look at how much you can accomplish when your preparing to go on vacation.
Make a list of 10 things you do each week you hate. Brainstorm ways to remove at least half of these items from your list in the next week.
Have a family meeting to discuss roles and responsibilities around the home. Distribute duties accordingly.
Cut your appointment time by one third. Each one-hour meeting will now only be forty minutes. Schedule phone meetings that will last only five to fifteen minutes. You will be surprised by the fact that you can actually accomplish your objectives in this limited time. List two or three current meetings in which you will try this strategy.
Produce greater results through others by mastering your Leadership, Management, and Coaching skills.

Tactical Time Management Tips

September 24, 2010 By Barry

Improving your time management starts with simple steps that act as momentum builders towards greater time use and efficiency.

Consider implementing one of the time management suggestions below into your life this week and let us know how it is helping you. Here are some tactical time management tips for you to use:

Learn to say “NO” in an appropriate way. You may be pleasing others at your own expense.
Consider delegating more tasks to co-workers or family members. Jobs that you are currently doing may actually be developmental opportunities for others. Select at least two items at work and one at home that you will delegate. Next week, select more.
Consider effectiveness over efficiency. Whom do you know that accomplishes more in 8 hours than others do in 10 or 12 hours?
Discard some of the stuff in your life. Stuff has to be maintained, and this takes time. What stuff in your life requires too much maintenance?
Let others work for you. If your time is worth $250.00 per hour, how many services could you hire out for just one hour of your time? Buy prepared food, have supplies delivered, shop via catalog, pay bills online, stop doing errands, have someone “clean out” your junk mail and your spam e-mail, hire a house-cleaner, a driver, and a personal organizer, etc. Choose one or two and put this support structure in place by the end of the week.