The Complete Guide to Getting Organized at Work

by Zeigler, Kenneth

• ISBN13: 9780071457774
• ISBN10: 0071457771
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-07-27
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Author Biography

Kenneth Zeigler is a veteran trainer, consultant, and speaker on time management and productivity. His clients have included the Hertz Corporation, the Federal Reserve, Fidelity Investments, and numerous other blue chip organizations.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xix
Introduction How This Book Is Different and What It Can Do for You	1	(1)
The Goal of This Book	1	(1)
The Best Way to Start	2	(1)
Give Reality a Hug	3	(1)
How to Use This Book	3	(1)
Lights, Camera, Action!	4	(1)
Taking Control of Your Day: Becoming the Ringmaster Instead of the Beast	5	(6)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	5	(2)
The Ringmaster's Strategies	7	(4)
The Keys to Successful Goal Setting and Meeting Deadlines	11	(20)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	11	(1)
What Is a Goal?	12	(1)
What a Goal Isn't	12	(1)
The Purpose of Goal Setting	13	(1)
Benefits for Setting and Achieving Challenging and Specific Goals For Employees	14	(1)
How to Identify Obstacles to Achieving Your Goal	14	(3)
Enemy #1: Procrastination	15	(1)
Enemy #2: Working on Everything but Your Goal	15	(2)
To Set Achievable Goals, It's Important That You	17	(1)
How to Develop Your Goal	18	(1)
Nine Easy Steps to Establishing a Goal	19	(9)
See the End Result in Your Mind	19	(1)
Identify When You're Going to Work on Your Goal Daily and/or Weekly	20	(1)
Make Your Goal Measurable	20	(1)
Is Your Goal Realistic and Achievable?	21	(1)
Break Large Goals into Manageable Chunks	22	(2)
Write Down Start and Completion Dates	24	(1)
Write Down a Reward for Finishing on Time	24	(2)
Identify What Could Go Wrong	26	(1)
Identify Who You're Going to Need	26	(2)
Lesson 2 Review Exercise	28	(2)
Quick Tips	30	(1)
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing: Daily and Weekly	31	(24)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	31	(1)
Using a Master List to Create a Plan That Works	32	(9)
The Differences between a Master List and the Traditional To-do List	33	(1)
The Characteristics of a Master List	33	(2)
How to Keep a Master List	35	(3)
The Benefits of a Master List	38	(2)
A Sample Master List	40	(1)
Add Personal Balance to Your List	41	(1)
Take Breaks between Tasks	41	(1)
Apply the Veggie Principle	42	(1)
The Benefits of Using the Veggie Principle in the Morning	42	(1)
Making an Effective Daily List	43	(1)
Plan the Following Week on Friday	44	(1)
How to Put Together a Powerful Morning	45	(2)
Use Your Energy Cycles to Your Advantage	47	(1)
Stop Working Late at Night	48	(1)
Monday Morning Is Critical	48	(1)
Get to Work Early and Leave on Time	49	(1)
Before You Leave Work	49	(1)
Don't Overplan	49	(1)
Start Your Morning the Night Before	50	(1)
Batch Like Items	50	(2)
Lesson 3 Review Exercise	52	(2)
Quick Tips	54	(1)
Prioritizing and Multitasking Quickly and Accurately	55	(12)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	55	(1)
The Big Three	56	(1)
Determining and Handling Priorities	56	(3)
Establishing Priorities	56	(1)
A, B, C Prioritizing Approach	57	(1)
How to Determine the Correct Priority	57	(2)
How Human Nature Affects the Way We Prioritize	59	(1)
Do Any of These Characteristics Look Familiar?	59	(1)
How to Negotiate Requests	60	(1)
Successful People Do One Thing at a Time	61	(1)
See if You Can Fit It into Your Schedule	62	(1)
Write Down the Task and Circle the Deadline	62	(1)
Show Your Leader and Team Members Your Plan	62	(2)
Lesson 4 Review Exercise	64	(2)
Quick Tips	66	(1)
Finding More Time in a Day	67	(6)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	67	(1)
The Law of Subtraction	68	(1)
When You Review Your Journal	69	(2)
Lesson 5 Review Exercise	71	(1)
Quick Tips	72	(1)
Control Your Desk	73	(14)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	73	(1)
Take Everything off Your Desk	74	(2)
Items I Put Back on My Desk	75	(1)
Things I Didn't Put Back on My Desk	75	(1)
Have a Clock Visible	76	(1)
Organize Your Tools	76	(1)
Remove the Future and Past from Your Desk File	77	(1)
The Past	77	(1)
The Future	77	(1)
How to Set Up Your Working Files	78	(2)
Suggestions for Setting Up Working Files	78	(1)
Limit the Number of Categories by Keeping Them Broad	78	(1)
Create File Names That Make It Easy to Find Your Files	79	(1)
Don't Put Too Many Papers in Each Folder	79	(1)
Get Honest about What You Really Need	79	(1)
How to Determine Your File Categories	80	(1)
Separate the Papers and Folders into Five to Ten Piles	80	(1)
Bring Out the Garbage Can and Make It Your Friend	80	(1)
Purchase Colored File Folders	81	(1)
Get a Box of Manila Folders and a Bold Pen	81	(1)
Handle Paper Only Once	81	(1)
Stop Using Post-its	82	(1)
Put the Future and the Past in the Reference File	82	(1)
File a Little Every Day So It Won't Get Out of Hand	82	(1)
Leave Work Every Day with a Clean Desktop	83	(1)
Lesson 6 Review Exercise	84	(2)
Quick Tips	86	(1)
Prevent and Limit Interruptions	87	(12)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	87	(1)
Why Interruptions Can Be So Damaging	88	(1)
When We Are Interrupted	88	(1)
Criteria for a Worthwhile Interruption	88	(1)
Try to Control the Noise around You	89	(1)
Turn Your Monitor	90	(1)
Chairs in Your Office	90	(1)
Have a ``Selective'' Open-Door Policy	91	(1)
Reduce ``Drive-by Shootings''	91	(1)
Put a Sign Outside Your Cubicle	91	(1)
Work Somewhere Else	92	(1)
Tell People	92	(1)
If Your Computer Schedules Your Time	93	(1)
Learn How to Tactfully Interrupt	93	(1)
Stand Up	93	(1)
Arrange a Later Time	93	(1)
Don't Prolong the Interruption	93	(1)
Agree to a Group Power Hour	94	(1)
Delegate the Interruption	95	(1)
Lesson 7 Review Exercise	96	(2)
Quick Tips	98	(1)
Manage, Control, and Write More Effective E-mail	99	(16)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	99	(1)
Turn off Your E-mail Notification and Check E-mail Periodically	100	(1)
If You Have to Check Your E-mail First Thing	101	(1)
Turn on Preview	102	(1)
Don't Use Instant Messenger	102	(1)
Use Colors to Code Your E-mails if You Have Outlook	102	(1)
Flag Messages or Drag and Drop Them onto Your Calendar	103	(1)
Do It Now, Delete It Now	103	(1)
What to Do with ``Spam''	103	(1)
Just Say No!	103	(1)
Don't Use Your In-box as Your To-do List	103	(1)
Create Rules to Move and ``Block'' Certain E-mails	104	(1)
Set Up Electronic ``Folders'' and Subfolders	104	(1)
Clean Out Your Files Regularly	104	(1)
Batch Your Responses to E-mail	105	(1)
If You Must Forward a Message, Give Instructions	105	(1)
Rules for Using E-mail Rather than the Phone	105	(1)
Create a Signature to Help Your Recipients	106	(1)
If You're Going to Be ``Out of the Office''	106	(1)
Set Up ``Spell-Check''	106	(1)
Use Your Calendar to Show Your Schedule	106	(1)
Set Up Auto Archive	107	(1)
Write E-mail That Gets Results and Saves Time	107	(4)
E-mail Etiquette	107	(1)
What Is the Purpose of Your Letter or E-mail?	108	(1)
Have One Key Point or Issue per Message	109	(1)
Consider Your Reader or Audience before You Write	109	(1)
Your Message Should Have These Three Characteristics	109	(1)
Other Suggestions	110	(1)
Lesson 8 Review Exercise	111	(2)
Quick Tips	113	(2)
Managing the Phone and Using Voice Mail	115	(14)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	115	(1)
Keep a Phone Log	116	(1)
Outgoing Calls	116	(3)
Before You Pick Up the Phone, Plan Your Call	116	(1)
Batch Your Calls	117	(1)
Prioritize Your Calls	118	(1)
Keep the Call Focused	118	(1)
Check the Clock before You Pick Up the Phone	118	(1)
Make Telephone Appointments	118	(1)
Other Suggestions	119	(1)
Incoming Calls	119	(2)
Find a Way to Screen Your Calls	119	(1)
Let People Know the Best Time to Reach You	120	(1)
Delegate the Call to the Appropriate Person	120	(1)
Assess the Nature of the Call Quickly	120	(1)
How to Effectively Use Voice Mail	121	(4)
The Benefits of Changing Your Voice Mail Message	121	(1)
What to Ask for from Your Caller on Your Voice Mail Greeting	122	(1)
When You Leave Voice Mail	123	(1)
Other Voice Mail Tips	123	(2)
Lesson 9 Review Exercise	125	(2)
Quick Tips	127	(2)
Delegation That Empowers	129	(14)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	129	(1)
Why Don't We Delegate More? (The Obstacles)	130	(1)
Obstacles for Subordinates	131	(1)
Benefits of Successful Delegation	131	(1)
The Ten Steps to Delegating Successfully	132	(5)
Identify Tasks You Can Delegate	133	(1)
Choose the Right Person for the Job	133	(2)
Define the Project, Desired Results, and Expectations	135	(1)
Establish a Starting and Ending Time	135	(1)
Agree on a Review Time and Don't Hover	135	(1)
Make Sure They Have the Proper Training	136	(1)
Give the Necessary Authority	136	(1)
If Possible, Delegate the Whole Task	136	(1)
Share the Spotlight and Give Feedback that Encourages	137	(1)
Accept that Others Can Do the Project as Well	137	(1)
Another Suggestion	137	(2)
Lesson 10 Review Exercise	139	(2)
Quick Tips	141	(2)
Planning an Effective Meeting	143	(16)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	143	(1)
Characteristics of Unproductive Meetings	144	(1)
There Are Three Types of Meetings	145	(1)
What Is the Goal or Purpose of Your Meeting?	145	(1)
Do You Really Need to Schedule This Meeting?	145	(1)
Ask, ``Do I Really Have to Be There?''	146	(1)
Include Only People Who Need to Be There	147	(1)
Have an Agenda and Distribute It Early	147	(1)
State Clear Objectives	148	(1)
Limit the Objectives	148	(1)
Bring Up Items from the Last Meeting First	148	(1)
Organize Your Agenda and Meeting This Way	149	(3)
Cover the Most Important Issues First	149	(1)
Cover Only the Topics on the Agenda	149	(1)
Have Starting and Ending Times	150	(1)
Set the Tone for the Meeting in the First Five Minutes	150	(1)
Give Assignments to Participants	151	(1)
Keep Minutes	151	(1)
Eliminate Same-Day Meetings	152	(1)
Plan Your Meetings in the Afternoon	152	(1)
Try Not to Schedule Meetings on Mondays	153	(1)
Don't Schedule Meetings Back-to-Back	154	(1)
Have Ground Rules for Your Meetings	154	(1)
Other Meeting Tips	155	(1)
Lesson 11 Review Exercise	156	(2)
Quick Tips	158	(1)
How to Recognize and Manage Procrastination	159	(8)
What You'll Learn in This Lesson	159	(1)
It's Important to Recognize	160	(1)
Major Causes of Procrastination	160	(1)
How to Manage Procrastination	161	(4)
Set Goals and Deadlines	161	(1)
Do It Once	161	(1)
Break Down the Job into Smaller Parts	161	(1)
Cut Down on Interruptions	162	(1)
Let Others Know of Your Goal and/or Deadline	163	(1)
Give Yourself a Pep Talk	163	(1)
Get More Information and/or Answers to Your Questions	163	(1)
Create a Reward	163	(2)
Lesson 12 Review Exercise	165	(1)
Quick Tips	166	(1)
Appendix A: Timekeeping Journal	167	(6)
Why Do the Timekeeping Journal?	167	(1)
Keeping Your Daily Time Record	168	(1)
Completing Your Time Management Improvement Report	169	(1)
Time Management Improvement Report	170	(3)
Appendix B: Time Management Action Plan	173	(2)
Appendix C: Goal Form	175	(2)
Appendix D: Answer Key	177	(10)
Index	187